One in three black males will go to prison in his lifetime. (Knafo) This should be surprising and heartbreaking. From the beginning of the New World until today, the essence of the black male in society has been so misunderstood. Black men are often seen as symbols of bad people, so they usually have no choice but to do bad things or are unfairly convicted of doing bad things. Richard Wright was one of the first black writers to capture the true social construct of black men in his novel titled Native Son. Wright tells the story of what it meant to be black in Chicago in the 1930s, through the main character Bigger Thomas. Furthermore, it shows the meaning of being a black male in society. There are many powerful themes throughout the novel, but one of the most significant is the way that white America is much like a prison for the mind and body, for black people. Bigger Thomas, like many black males today, was a prisoner of society and ultimately a prisoner in his own right. America was built on a horrible inevitability for black men; that they are always expected to be criminals or to perform criminal acts even if they are innocent. Richard Wright's Native Son shows remarkable support for the prisoner theme that was going on in the 1930s, which continues today, and which can end if blacks continue to educate and support our men. Bigger Thomas' life changes rapidly the moment he enters Mr. Dalton's house to work for his family. From the beginning of the novel, Bigger Thomas has a lot of pressure on him. He lives with his mother, younger sister and younger brother, leaving Bigger the man of the house. His mother constantly pesters him to take the job as Mr. Dalton's driver for her daughter, Mary Dalton. Mr. Dalton......middle of paper......ice/Security from January 2012: 16 by Trayvon - Hip-Hop and Politics." HipHop and Politics. Np, nd Web. 06 May 2014." The Innocence Project - Know the Cases: Browse Profiles: Thomas McGowan." The Innocence Project - Know the Cases: Browse Profiles: Thomas McGowan. Np, nd Web. 06 May 2014. Jefferson, Cord. "Comment: Half of All the innocents in Prisons Are Black." BET.com. Black Entertainment Television, May 21, 2012. Web. May 6, 2014. "My Keeper brother." The White House. The White House, nd Web. 06 May 2014. Nsehe, Mfonobong. "The Black Billionaires 2014." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 04 March 2014. Web. 6 May 2014. Knafo, Saki. "1 in 3 black males will go to prison in their lifetime, report warns." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, October 4 2013. Web. May 5, 2014. Wright, Richard Native Son, 1940.