Editing Native Son (section)

=== Influence on Wright by Stowe's ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' ===
''Native Son'' contains several allusions to other works that were significant during Wright's time. One of the major works that influenced ''Native Son'' was [[Harriet Beecher Stowe]]'s ''[[Uncle Tom's Cabin]]'' (1852), the best-selling novel of the 19th century which also played a major role in the [[Abolitionism in the United States|abolitionist movement]].<ref>Hochman, Barbara. "Uncle Tom's Cabin at the World's Columbian Exposition". ''Libraries & Culture''. Volume 4, Number 1, Winter 2006, pp. 82-108. Austin, TX: [[University of Texas Press]], 2006. Baltimore: [[Johns Hopkins University Press]], 1963.</ref>

Wright's ''Native Son'' (1940) contains multiple similarities to ''Uncle Tom's Cabin''. Like ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'', ''Native Son'' can be interpreted as an illustration of the harsh reality of racial injustice in the United States. James Baldwin, writing in the ''[[Partisan Review]]'', boldly linked the two novels.<ref name="Notes">Baldwin, James. ''Notes of a Native Son''. Boston: [[Beacon Press]], 1955. Print.</ref> In both books, racial injustice is a "pre-ordained pattern set upon the living reality".<ref>Charney, Maurice. "James Baldwin's quarrel with Richard Wright". ''American Quarterly''. Volume 15, Number 1, Spring 1963, pp. 65–75.</ref> There is little the characters can do to escape racial discrimination. Additionally, both of these novels are a form of [[Social protest novel|social protest]], seek to disprove the idea that society neatly analyzes and treats race, and portrays African Americans who emerge confused, dishonest, and panicked as they are trapped and immobilized as prisoners within the American dream.<ref>Pinsker, Sanford. "Spike Lee: protest, literary tradition, and the individual filmmaker". ''The Midwest Quarterly'' 35.1 (1993): 63+. Literature Resources from Gale. Retrieved April 17, 2011.</ref>

The title and content of another book Wright published, the collection of short stories ''[[Uncle Tom's Children]]'' (1938), suggest the inspiration Stowe's work provided Wright in his own books. Both ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' and ''Uncle Tom's Children'' exploit the term "Uncle Tom," attacking an African American who seems to act in a subservient manner toward white people. However, while these two titles are similar and contain similar themes, Wright's ''Native Son'' can also be considered reactionary against ''Uncle Tom's Cabin.'' Bigger Thomas is the antithesis of Uncle Tom. Bigger is fearful of and angry toward white society. He also lacks the religious background and Christian faith that Uncle Tom possessed. This contrast between the characters of Bigger Thomas and Uncle Tom may be Wright's attempt to show the contemporary racial conflicts that persisted long after the publication of Stowe's novel in 1852.<ref name="Notes" />