Richard Wright’s groundbreaking novel shifted the perception of what it means to be black in modern America in such a profound way that it remains part of the landscape of race relations to this day.

This new addition to the Critical Insights series will give readers an entry point into the study this major literary and social text. Essays will position Native Son in both a historical and a modern context. Analyzing the novel’s contemporary literary and cultural landscape, chronicling its critical reception, and comparing it to other works of art illuminate the past, while essays that employ modern critical lenses speak to Native Son’s current relevance and beyond.