The native’s nightmares as enabling discourse in Richard Wright’s native son.

Abstract

In this paper I explore Wright’s use of nightmare for creating a field of discourse that is enabling for Bigger Thomas in his quest for self definition. I argue that the nightmares that begin each of the three sections of Native Son constitute a “private” field of discourse for Bigger,, separate form the “objectifying” discourse of the establishment that occupies most of the narrative and that these “internal” and “external” discourses contextualize Bigger’s perception of himself