Examine the view that it's society that make Bigger a murder.

The theme of naturalism—how a character's environment influences the character and his or her actions—allowed Wright to create an explanation for the economic and social condition of African Americans. In other words, Wright sought to demonstrate the "making" of Bigger. In doing so, he unveiled how a black individual's choice to pursue the ideals of freedom within American society (represented in the newsreel featuring Mary Dalton) leads him to destruction. Wright's theory of naturalism is often seen as an early form of existentialism, but it had this important difference— existentialism presents a character who realizes that only his choices give his life meaning. Naturalism posits that a character is formed and makes choices in response to the environment in which he lives.

The theme of naturalism is further strengthened by Wright's use of irony throughout the novel. An example is in the very title of the work, Native Son. Bigger longs to live the American dream. Yet when he admits his desires, someone is always on hand, like Gus, to remind him of the impossibility of doing so. Bigger cannot possibly reconcile his exclusion from the dream and his longing to be a "native son."