Bigger Thomas
Bigger Thomas, principal character in Richard Wright’s novel Native Son (1940), a 20-year-old African American living in a rat-infested Chicago slum who accidentally kills his white employer’s daughter and then kills his girlfriend to prevent her from telling the police.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.
Citation Information
Article Title:
Bigger Thomas
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
30 November 2015
Access Date:
November 14, 2026