Native Sons

Bigger was a character that I never liked. He was very selfish and only cared about himself. I understand that racism was what drove his anger and hatred, but that also does not excuse the murders he had committed. 

Also, in the beginning of the book, we learn that Bigger's family is very poor. They live in terrible living conditions mostly due to segregation and racism, but, Bigger for a long time had turned down so many jobs. He was the second oldest person in his family, his mother being the oldest. He should've taken the responsibility to get a job and try to provide more for his family. This had given me a bad impression of Bigger since the beginning.

Bigger had let his feelings bottle up so much for so long, that all the emotions finally exploded and caused these horrible chain of events. I agree that he should've gone to prison, but I don't agree with giving him the death penalty.

The Rez

A reservation is a area of land that is reserved for Native Americans to live and work on. As we've seen in the documentaries we've watched, these reservations are plaqued with poverty, unemployment, and alcoholism. But that's also not all a reservation is. A Rez also is full of love, unity, and culture.

My community is not very similar to the Rez. The community I live in is not the richest, but poverty isn't a very big problem where I live. I am lucky enough and blessed to have a house with air conditioning and heat, and to be able to go into the kitchen, open the fridge, and have food. Also, I'm lucky enough to go to a school where the books aren't 30+ years old, and if they are, it's by choice and not because that's all my school can afford.  

The thing that the Rez has that I don't have in my community is the unity and love everyone feels for each other. In a Rez, most people know each other's names and they help each other out; they care for each other. But I think that  in my community, I don't feel that unity. I truely admire the beautiful culture and love that exists on a reservation.

I think the conditions of Native American reservations is terrible and is a slap in the face to all of them. Improving these conditions should be a top priority of the government. There should be more jobs, and better living conditions for everyone living on a Rez.

A Principle to Live By

Everyone has principles and values that they try to stick to no matter what. They define who you are and they can vary from person to person. If I had to choose one principle that everyone would live by, it would be to treat others like you would want to be treated. Everyone wants to be respected, treated fairly, and talked to nicely. If that's how you expect to be treated, you have to treat others that way. If I go around insulting others and just being a terrible person to everyone around me, I can't expect to still be treated with respect. This is why I try to be nice to everyone. I try not to say things to offend or insult others, because I wouldn't want someone to do that to me. 

Of course, there are instances when it could be difficult to stick to this principle. Sometimes people can be rude and mean to you for no reason. You might want to lash out and be rude right back to them, but that won't solve anything. Continue to stick to the principle and just be nice. 

If everyone stuck to this principle, I think the world would be a better place. There would be more peace and love in the world, instead of all the hatred. People would be kind. We would be able to put aside differences and let go of negativity in order to create a better world where everyone is treated nicely.