Black Boy, Native Son, Rite Of Passage and The Long Dream: Self-realization of a Black ManThe white world dominates political and social life in All of Richard Wright's books depict the never-ending struggle a young black man faces growing up in the United States. Black Boy, Native Son, Rite Of Passage and Wright's The Long Dream are all linked by the common theme of self-realization. In all four books, the climax occurs when a young black man realizes his position in society and the ugly future that awaits him. In his autobiography Black Boy, Wright reveals his personal experience as a black man maturing in a white society. The process of self-realization is marked by all the verbal and physical battles that the main characters in Wright's books have to fight. He clearly explains what all his characters experience when he writes in Black Boy: "I have never in my life been mistreated by white people, but I was already as conditioned to their existence as if I had been the victim of a thousand lynchings. (34). The powerful presence of white people in a young black person's life is ingrained from birth but clearly emerges during the young black person's period of self-realization. In Native Son, the main character, Bigger Thomas, lives in a one-room apartment with his mother and brother. , and sister in a black ghetto on the South Side of Chicago. Bigger sees white people through eyes filled with hatred and jealousy. Feelings of inferiority to white people consume Bigger's life. However, he tries to help his family by working for a wealthy and respected white family. But, in a moment of fear and hysteria, Bigger commits a murder that changes his life forever. Compared to the other three...... middle of paper......: WW Norton and Company, 1982. 671-673.Marcus, Steven. Appiah 35-45. Macksey, Richard and Frank E. Moorer, eds. Richard Wright. Englewood, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1984. Margolies, Edward. Native sons. Philadelphia: JB Lippincott Company, 1968. McCall, Dan. “Wright’s American Hunger.” Appiah 259-268.Stepto, Robert. “Literacy and Ascent: Black Boy.” Appiah, 226-254. Tanner, Laura E. “Uncovering the Magical Disguise of Language: Narrative Presence in Richard Wright's Native Son.” » Appiah 132-146. Thaddeus, Janice. “The Metamorphosis of Black Boy.” Appiah 272-284. Wright, Richard. Black boy. New York: Harper and Row, 1945._____. The Long Dream. New York: Harper and Row, 1987._____. Native son. New York: HarperCollins, 1993._____. Rite of passage. New York: HarperCollins, 1994.