Lesson Note on Character Analysis (Major Characters) in “Native Son” for SS 2

Class: Senior Secondary School 2 (SS2 / SSS2)
Term: 1st Term
Week: 10
Age: 16 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: Literature in English
Curriculum Theme: Character Study
Previous Lesson: Themes and Style in “Native Son” by Richard Wright.
Topic: Character Analysis I in “Native Son”
Subject Matter: Major characters in “Native Son”, roles and significance of major characters, relationships among characters

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

Cognitive Domain:

• Identify the major characters in Richard Wright’s “Native Son”.
• Describe the individual roles and significance of these major characters.
• Explain the relationships between the major characters.

Affective Domain:

• Appreciate the complex motivations behind the characters’ actions.
• Develop empathy for the characters’ struggles and challenges.

Psychomotor Domain:

• Participate actively in discussions about character analysis.
• Write brief character sketches for the major characters.

Social Domain:

• Collaborate in group discussions to analyze character interactions and their impact on the plot.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• Senior Secondary Schools Education Curriculum
• State Unified Scheme of Work
• Wright, R. (1940). Native Son. Harper & Brothers.
• A relevant Literature in English textbook for Senior Secondary Schools.

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Copies of the novel “Native Son” by Richard Wright.
• A whiteboard and markers.

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson helps pupils understand the personalities and motivations of characters in “Native Son”. Analyzing characters enables pupils to grasp the central themes and messages of the novel, which is important for a deeper appreciation of the text and for examination purposes.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils are expected to have read “Native Son” and possess a basic understanding of literary terms such as ‘plot’, ‘theme’, and ‘setting’.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Character Analysis in “Native Son”

Major Characters and Their Roles

Understanding the major characters in “Native Son” is key to grasping the novel’s themes of race, class, and social injustice. Each character plays a significant role in shaping Bigger Thomas’s fate and the overall narrative.

Bigger Thomas

Bigger Thomas is the protagonist of the novel. He is a young, impoverished African American man living on the South Side of Chicago in the 1930s. He is characterized by:

• Fear and Resentment: Bigger lives in constant fear and resentment of the white world, feeling trapped and dehumanized by systemic racism.
• Violence and Impulse: He often acts impulsively and violently, leading to the accidental murder of Mary Dalton and later Bessie Mears.
• Quest for Identity: His crimes, though horrific, paradoxically give him a sense of identity and agency he previously lacked.
• Relationships: He has a complex relationship with his family (mother, brother, sister), his girlfriend Bessie, and the white characters (Mary, Jan, the Daltons).

Mary Dalton

Mary Dalton is the daughter of the wealthy white family for whom Bigger works as a chauffeur. Her character highlights the complexities and hypocrisies of white liberalism:

• Naive Liberalism: Mary attempts to befriend Bigger and challenge racial norms, but her efforts are often misguided and condescending.
• Symbol of White Society: She represents the privileged white society that Bigger both fears and resents.
• Catalyst for Crime: Her death, though accidental, triggers Bigger’s descent into further crime and his eventual trial.

Jan Erlone

Jan Erlone is Mary Dalton’s communist boyfriend. He embodies a different aspect of white interaction with the black community:

• Activist: Jan is genuinely committed to social justice and racial equality.
• Initial Antagonist, Later Ally: Bigger initially views Jan as a threat and frames him for Mary’s murder. However, Jan later becomes a key figure in trying to help Bigger by hiring a defense lawyer.
• Represents Hope: He represents the possibility of interracial solidarity, although his efforts are largely unsuccessful in saving Bigger.

Mr. and Mrs. Dalton

The Daltons are a wealthy white couple who own properties in the black ghetto and employ Bigger. They symbolize the philanthropic yet ultimately detached white establishment:

• Philanthropic but Detached: They donate to black charities but remain largely ignorant of the true conditions and struggles of the black community.
• Mrs. Dalton’s Blindness: Mrs. Dalton is physically blind, which serves as a metaphor for her moral and social blindness to the pervasive racism around her.
• Unwitting Oppressors: Despite their good intentions, their wealth and position contribute to the system that oppresses Bigger.

Bessie Mears

Bessie Mears is Bigger’s girlfriend and a fellow victim of their oppressive environment:

• Suffering and Addiction: Bessie is portrayed as fearful, resigned, and struggles with alcoholism as an escape from her harsh reality.
• Complicity and Victimhood: She becomes an unwilling accomplice in Bigger’s crimes and is eventually murdered by him, highlighting Bigger’s desperation and her own vulnerability.
• Symbol of Oppression: Her character underscores the destructive impact of poverty and racism on black women.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Lecture, Demonstration, Question and Answer, Visual Aids

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Set Induction
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and reviews the previous lesson briefly. The teacher then introduces the topic “Character Analysis I in ‘Native Son'” by asking pupils to name some characters they remember from the novel.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the greeting, recall points from the previous lesson, and name characters from “Native Son”.
Learning Point: Pupils are reminded of the novel and prepared for the new topic.

Step 2: Identification of Major Characters

Time: 7 minutes
Teaching Skill: Listing/Identification
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to list all the major characters in “Native Son” and writes them on the board. The teacher briefly asks pupils what they know about each character.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify and name major characters such as Bigger Thomas, Mary Dalton, Jan Erlone, Mr. and Mrs. Dalton, and Bessie Mears.
Learning Point: Pupils recall and identify the central figures of the novel.

Step 3: Analysis of Bigger Thomas

Time: 8 minutes
Teaching Skill: Discussion/Explanation
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads a discussion on Bigger Thomas, focusing on his personality, motivations, actions, and his relationships with other characters. The teacher highlights his fear, resentment, and search for identity.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils contribute to the discussion by describing Bigger’s characteristics and explaining his significance to the plot.
Learning Point: Pupils understand Bigger Thomas as the protagonist and his complex nature.

Step 4: Analysis of Mary Dalton and Jan Erlone

Time: 8 minutes
Teaching Skill: Discussion/Comparison
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to analyze Mary Dalton, focusing on her “liberal” but naive nature and her role in Bigger’s crime. The teacher then discusses Jan Erlone, his activism, and his eventual role in Bigger’s defense. A comparison between their approaches to racial issues is made.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils describe Mary’s character and Jan’s role, discussing their interactions with Bigger.
Learning Point: Pupils understand the contrasting roles of Mary and Jan and their impact on Bigger.

Step 5: Analysis of Mr. and Mrs. Dalton

Time: 7 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation/Interpretation
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher facilitates a discussion on Mr. and Mrs. Dalton, focusing on their philanthropy, their blindness to systemic racism, and how they represent the white establishment. The teacher emphasizes Mrs. Dalton’s literal and metaphorical blindness.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils explain the significance of the Daltons and discuss how their actions (or inactions) affect Bigger.
Learning Point: Pupils grasp the symbolic significance of the Dalton family in the novel.

Step 6: Analysis of Bessie Mears

Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Discussion
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads a discussion on Bessie Mears, exploring her suffering, her addiction, her relationship with Bigger, and her ultimate fate. The teacher explains her role as a victim of both Bigger and societal oppression.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils describe Bessie’s character and discuss her significance as a representation of the oppressed black woman.
Learning Point: Pupils understand Bessie’s tragic role and her representation of societal victims.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. Who is the protagonist of “Native Son” and what are two of his defining characteristics?
2. Describe the role of Mary Dalton in the novel.
3. How does Jan Erlone’s character evolve throughout the story?
4. Explain the significance of Bessie Mears to Bigger Thomas.
5. Discuss the relationship between Bigger Thomas and the Dalton family.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 3 minutes
Teaching Skill: Summarization
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarizes the main points of the lesson, reiterating the importance of understanding the major characters to fully appreciate “Native Son”. The teacher assigns homework: “Write a short paragraph describing the character you found most interesting in ‘Native Son’ and explain why.”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively to the summary and copy down the homework assignment.
Learning Point: Pupils consolidate their learning and prepare for further study.

Lesson Keywords

• Character – A person, animal, or imaginary creature that takes part in the action of a literary work.
• Protagonist – The main character in a literary work, often the hero or heroine.
• Antagonist – A character or force in conflict with the main character.
• Role – The part played by a character in a story.
• Significance – The importance or meaning of a character’s presence or actions in the narrative.
• Relationships – The connections and interactions between different characters in a story.

Differentiation

For pupils who grasp concepts quickly, the teacher can challenge them to analyze the symbolic meanings behind specific characters or to compare characters from “Native Son” with those from other novels they have read. For pupils needing more support, the teacher can provide graphic organizers for character traits or focus on one character at a time with guided questions.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Ensure pupils have read the novel or relevant sections before this lesson. Encourage open discussion and allow pupils to express their interpretations, guiding them back to textual evidence. Emphasize that character analysis is not just about describing characters but also understanding their motivations, development, and impact on the story’s themes.