University of Virginia Library

Act Of Freedom

The autobiography itself is
an act of freedom, claimed Mr.
Baker, because the tale frees
not only the narrator but also
his audience.

Bigger Thomas, protagonist
of the novel Native Son, was
another victim of the almost
circular motion of black
narrative structure, Mr. Baker
said.

Symbolically, Thomas'
longing to pilot an airplane is
thwarted by white prejudice.