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  • Essay / Mary Dalton's role in Native Son

    In the first book of Richard Wright's novel "Native Son", Mary Dalton is, to the disapproval of her parents, a member of the communist movement set in the 1930s in Chicago. Mary attempts to fulfill her dream of extinguishing the barriers between African Americans and Caucasians by treating Bigger Thomas in an extremely warm and informal manner. This creates a feeling of perplexity in Bigger, who is used to being treated inferiorly by white people and is no longer sure how he should behave towards her. Mary's ignorance, naive nature, and "good intentions" ultimately condemn her to a fiery furnace, metaphorically comparable to her "hell" form, and her gruesome death proves to haunt Bigger in the form of searing flashbacks. throughout the rest of the first book. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Mary Dalton unwittingly brings about her own demise in several ways. She marks his first impression on Bigger when she appears in a movie he is watching. His lifestyle of leisure is characterized by abundance of wealth and waste, which fills Bigger with a "sense of enthusiasm for his new job". Her indirectly persuading Bigger to take the job, ultimately results in his murder. On a finer scale, the majority of Mary's many actions also act as tinder that ignites her death. For example, she constantly moves near Bigger. He is able to "smell the scent of her hair" and at one point, Mary even has "her face about six inches from his." Although Miss Dalton believes that these actions exude a feeling of welcome, they inevitably evoke an attraction in Bigger, with Mary being the object of interest. Additionally, she also allows herself to become heavily intoxicated by drinking large quantities of rum with her communist boyfriend, Jan Erlone. When Mary arrives home with Bigger, she cannot reach her room without help. Bigger escorts him, which leaves him alone with Mary in his room, presenting a troubling situation. As a result, Mary's carefreeness and overtly inviting manner contribute to her unfortunate fate. Although Mary tries to help African Americans, she knows little about them. As a result, she immediately attempts to befriend Bigger simply because he is black, not for who he is as an individual. She is a good example of this when she asks Jan if he knows any African-Americans, then says, "I want to meet some." Additionally, she attempts to sing their "spirituals", but Bigger secretly recognizes that it's not the right tune. Subsequently, she further demonstrates her lack of knowledge when she states that she wishes to see a black home and asserts that they "have to live like us." She later generalizes African Americans by praising the fact that they "have so many emotions." Although she doesn't realize it, Mary's stereotypical view of black people stems from a form of what she is trying to combat with Jan's racism. Instead of making Bigger feel equal, she does the opposite, making him feel more conscious of "his black skin." As a result, Bigger develops a slight contempt, as well as fear and confusion, towards Mary and Jan. Although Mary Dalton's character only appears briefly in the story, she plays a vital role. His political affiliation with the Communists provides a means of escape for Bigger Thomas. Her murder also changes Bigger's life forever, and now he is constantly burdened by his crime. However, it gives him a feeling of satisfaction and he feels.