Native Son chapter 4 "I Dare You!"

Alfreda C. Davis February 13, 2008


English

Chapter 4 pgs. 36-41
Title: I Dare You!


In this chapter, Bigger and all the rest of his gang are waiting for Gus to get back at the pool hall, so that they can go rob the store. Bigger does not want to go and rob the store, because a white man owns it. So without letting his friends know that he is scared to go, he tortures Gus, once Gus arrives at the pool hall. Bigger realizes that Gus was made it back in time enough for them to rob the store, so he makes it seem like Gus was late, by putting a knife down his shirt and making him lick it as well as many other horrible and degrading things. Once Bigger is done torturing Gus, Gus throws a pool ball and hits Bigger in his head. Bigger then tries to hit Gus back but everyone holds him back to stop him from killing Gus. Doc, the pool hall owner starts to laugh at Bigger, which makes Bigger really mad. Bigger then takes his rage out on the pool table by cutting it up with his knife. Doc then pulled out his gun and told Bigger that if he did not get out, he would shoot him. Bigger told Doc “I Dare You!”





I think that Richard Wright was trying to show how big and bad someone may be on the outside doesn’t mean that they are feeling the same way on the inside. Bigger put on this big front for everyone, but when he was alone we got to see how he really felt, which was scared and less than a man.