Critical ,Political Analysis: Any Literary Text in the light of “New Historicism”

Introduction:            New Historicism is an approach to literary criticism and literary theory based on the idea that a literary work should be considered a product of the time, place, and historical circumstances of its composition rather than as an isolated work of art or text. It has its roots in a reaction to the “New Criticism” of formal analysis of works of literature, which was seen by a new generation of professional critics as ignoring the greater social and political consequences of the production of literary texts.Critical, Political Analysis Any Literary Text in the light of “New Historicism”

New Historicists aim simultaneously to understand the work through its historical context and to understand culture as well as to investigate the intellectual history and cultural history through literature. New Historicism aims at interpreting a literary text as an expression of or reaction to the power structures of the surrounding society. The questioning of a text employed by the New Historicists is more among topics, Power relations, suppression and subversion of authority, historical cultural pointers, models of human personality, mapping of the physical body, and truth authority nexus that we will work with some of them in studying this literary work that we want to speak about. It developed in the 1980s, primarily through the work of the critic Stephen Greenblatt, gaining widespread influence in the 1990s and beyond.

Native Son by Richard Wright may well be called a social/ realistic novel since it analyzes a public phenomenon/ psychology with the development of the history of civilized society. But it focuses on the subjective reality of that phenomenon it cannot be judged merely on the literal accuracy or political aptness of its contemporary allusions. Richard Wright's classic story of public emotion draws a chilling parallel between the Chicago oppression and subjugation of the mid-twentieth century one of the strangest and most awful chapters in human history and the American anti-communist. The story of how the black young man Bigger of Chicago is stirred into madness by superstition, obsession, and hatred, culminating in a violent climax, is a mixed savage attack on racism, lover, hate, and fear.

Objectives

The objective of the study is to analyze the novel in the light of New Historicism, especially with the concept of place in a new historicist's treatment of black male and female roles in Native Son against Richard Wright's interpretation.

To analyze the role of social and economic injustice and the stigma of color discrimination.

Capitalists and Marxism

Psychological analysis of Bigger as hero or villain.

Being Native Son, elements responsible for criminality (referring to Love, hate, fear, injustice, and biases)

Significance

America has a long history of racism, oppression, and injustices, such foundations are Systemic injustice and racism, which has deep historical roots in this country. Roughly speaking, these terms are defined as deeply rooted racist thinking, practices, and actions inserted in the core foundations of American society that have persisted over centuries and continue today. Tony Morrison reflected these roots in her masterpiece Beloved. John Steinbeck in his realist novel The Grapes of Wrath draws a grim picture of society. After the Harlem Renaissance and the advent of education and awareness, the demand for social rights creates tension, and methods of claiming social rights sometimes led to criminality. Emotions of fear, shame, and hate also contribute to this effect as in the case of Native Son.

Critical Perspective

It is believed that slavery is the worst element in the progress of the personality of a human that is why each religion educates its follower not to save anyone. On the other hand, it is observed that these elements remain present in one another shape. This component, on the other hand, proves beneficial for the different segments of society, for example, slave imports from Africa to America played a vital role in the progress of American agriculture and thus led to the strength of the American economy.

This strength of the economy had created two classes one that employs slaves to earn more and more profits and the other the working class, who does not earn the reward of their labor. This gap become wide with the passage of time and this inequality creates distrust between labor classes. This disparity forced them to exhibit illegal acts. By acting in such criminality time some escape and sometimes they are punished by the law. But this whole drama does not address the real problem, which is inequality and emotions of hate shame, and fear. Under such emotions depressed class equally reacts to take revenge.

The white man at Mr. Dalton’s side was squinting at him; he felt that tight, hot, choking fear returning. The white man clicked on the light, he had a cold, impersonal manner that told Bigger to be on his guard. In the very look of the man’s eyes, Bigger saw his personality reflected in narrow, restricted terms. (Wright, 1989: 146).  

The history of mankind kind is full of such examples. In reaction to such situations, some from society put their thought to cure the original problems that are called a theory. By observing the period of Queen Victoria in England in the nineteenth century, the period from 1936 to 1900 in which England made huge economic progress and the economy of the country shifted from agriculture to industrialization. Road and rail linkage was established. Mobilization to cities or economic centers was taken place. This whole blessing made the gap further wide between working and capitalists. Carl Marx observed the whole scenario and suggested the equal distribution of wealth in society. This was totally against the remunerations of a class that has dominated over means of production. On the contrary, people who support equality, are named Marxist though they believe in helping the affected class.

“Are you willing to let us handle your case?” “I ain’t got no money.” “Forget about that. Listen, they’re taking you back to the inquest this afternoon. But you don’t have to answer any questions, see? Just sit and say nothing. I’ll be there and you won’t have to be scared. After the inquest, they’ll take you to the Cook County Jail and I’ll be over to talk to you.” “Yessuh.”

To curb this thinking, they stood against this and they employed even more relentless efforts by using illegal and so-called legal means. The whole setting is put to the public by keen observers through literature some examples are under who not only traced the picture but also analyze the circumstances fictional but in realistic manners:-

1. Native Son by Richard Wright (Primary Source)
2. Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
3. Beloved by Tony Morrison
4. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens 

Above is some excellent example who presented the original picture through their works. They advise how the brilliant manpower is being wasted under the influences of racism and prejudices. How humiliating humanity. How Native People molded into criminals. What are the flaws of society? They put the weakness of society and their administrative and legal system. They also raised the question of acceptability.

“Where were you born, Bigger?” “In the south.” “ how long have you been in Chicago?” “Oh, about five years.” (Wright, 1989: 74).

Native Son the work under discussion is an example of social reformation and the writer tried to show some contemporary social problems and show the psychology of Bigger who is presented as the hero but acted as the villain. The writer displays the emotion of fear, hate, and shame under which he reacted through the story and proves that he is good and noble by nature but social circumstances made a person bad. He warns the American and suggests reformations of society. He knows that unfair behavior to plagued class will lead them to agitation at any time.

“You make us live in such crowded condition on the south side that one out of every ten of us is insane!... you dump all the stale food into the Black Belt and sell them for more than you can get anywhere else” (Wright, 1989: 318).

Data Discussion

Native Son by Richard Wright ((Primary Source) 
Review of the Victorian age of England regarding Marxist Theory
Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Beloved by Tony Morrison
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens 
Contemporary /Current Affair.

Conclusion

Economic depression, disparity, racism, inequality, injustice, and other social evils like biasness and Jealousy are the key elements of social disorders. These not only waste energy and resources but also create restlessness in society. Oppressed people of the society react against these and resultantly in an unfavorable and ill atmosphere observed by the Native. All such weakness of the society is highlighted by the different writers through their literary works with the aim of the reformation of society. It is a delicate source to put forward the complaints of particular segments of society. Of course, this source works actively and effectively whatever the medium anyone uses.