Native Son Lesson Plan

How does the opening incident of the killing of the rat set up the major themes of the novel? How does this event illuminate the broader world and the characters we are introduced to?

The incident of the rat does a lot to highlight the conditions of their lives. It emphasizes that they are all stuck in one room together and that there is nowhere to run. It also immediately introduces violence and fear into our understanding of Bigger's life. He has to kill the rat—not trap it, or chase it out of the apartment, or even just block the hole that it usually comes out of. We understand that the fear of rats is something that the Thomas family just lives with. Buddy even...