Dorothea Lange
Introduction to Native Son
Book 1: Existentialism, Naturalism, & Blindness
Presentations
1. Read your Section.
A. The alarm, the rat, the breakfast (3-13)
B. The walk, the talk—playing white (13-24)
C. The boys at the pool hall, the movies (24-35)
D. The fight, and the plot that wasn’t. (35-43)
E. Traveling to the Daltons, meeting Mr. Dalton, Mary Dalton (45-53)
F. Talking to Peggy and Mrs. Dalton (53-62)
G. Driving Miss Mary and Jan (63-80)
H. Ushering Mary into her room and out of it (80-93)
2. Summarize your text. What happens? What causes it? How does this affect the book?
3. Find an example of Naturalism, Existentialism, or the symbol of blindness based on your assigned section.
-How does the passage demonstrate Naturalism? How does it affect characters and the messages of the book?
-How does the passage demonstrate Existentialism? How does it affect the characters and the messages of the book?
-How does this passage demonstrate the blindness of the characters? Why does it matter?
4. As you analyze your passages, find two quotes to address three of the questions below.
-What does the section show about Bigger? What is the effect of this section on Bigger?
-How does the text show Bigger and his family as an example of the lives of black people in the time period?
-Wright show types of people: what types are portrayed? How are they portrayed? Why does it matter?
-How does the text show the relationship between whites and blacks?
-How does the text show the attitudes of blacks toward black?
-How does the text show the attitudes of blacks toward whites?
-How does tension between black men and white women inform the text?
-How does the text show the attitudes toward Communists?
-How does the text show the attitudes of whites towards blacks?
-How does the text explores how the inequality of blacks and whites change African Americans?
-How does the text explores how the inequality of blacks and whites change whites?
-How does the text demonstrate the lack of empathy that exists between whites and African Americans?
1. Read your Section.
A. The alarm, the rat, the breakfast (3-13)
B. The walk, the talk—playing white (13-24)
C. The boys at the pool hall, the movies (24-35)
D. The fight, and the plot that wasn’t. (35-43)
E. Traveling to the Daltons, meeting Mr. Dalton, Mary Dalton (45-53)
F. Talking to Peggy and Mrs. Dalton (53-62)
G. Driving Miss Mary and Jan (63-80)
H. Ushering Mary into her room and out of it (80-93)
2. Summarize your text. What happens? What causes it? How does this affect the book?
3. Find an example of Naturalism, Existentialism, or the symbol of blindness based on your assigned section.
-How does the passage demonstrate Naturalism? How does it affect characters and the messages of the book?
-How does the passage demonstrate Existentialism? How does it affect the characters and the messages of the book?
-How does this passage demonstrate the blindness of the characters? Why does it matter?
4. As you analyze your passages, find two quotes to address three of the questions below.
-What does the section show about Bigger? What is the effect of this section on Bigger?
-How does the text show Bigger and his family as an example of the lives of black people in the time period?
-Wright show types of people: what types are portrayed? How are they portrayed? Why does it matter?
-How does the text show the relationship between whites and blacks?
-How does the text show the attitudes of blacks toward black?
-How does the text show the attitudes of blacks toward whites?
-How does tension between black men and white women inform the text?
-How does the text show the attitudes toward Communists?
-How does the text show the attitudes of whites towards blacks?
-How does the text explores how the inequality of blacks and whites change African Americans?
-How does the text explores how the inequality of blacks and whites change whites?
-How does the text demonstrate the lack of empathy that exists between whites and African Americans?