Native Son Narrator Point of View

Third Person (Limited Omniscient)

The narrator tends to follow Bigger’s thoughts and actions, only revealing what’s going on in Bigger’s head. The narrator, however, seems to know more about Bigger than the character does himself. The narrator indicates that Bigger is afraid, even when Bigger doesn’t realize it himself... or at least won’t admit it.

As a result, we (the readers) gain insight into Bigger's inner thoughts, even all of the fear and shame that he tries to hide from the people around him. In this way, we learn who Bigger is and what drives him to become a criminal. We can judge Bigger better than the judge or jury can because we are able to see into Bigger’s mind and heart.