Richard Wright's Native Son (1940) is one of the most violent and revolutionary works in the American canon. Controversial and compelling, its account of crime and racism remain the source of profound disagreement both within African-American culture and throughout the world.

This guide to Wright's provocative novel offers:

• an accessible introduction to the text and contexts of Native Son
• a critical history, surveying the many interpretations of the text from publication to the present
• a selection of reprinted critical essays...