In Native Son by Richard Wright, Bigger Thomas attempts to gain power over his environment through violence whenever he is able to do so. The first expression of Bigger's desire for power comes in the book's opening scene in which Wright sets the precedent for Bigger's actions. In the opening scene, the Thomas family discovers a black mouse in their apartment and it is Bigger's job to take care of it. Bigger kills the mouse and, through this action, asserts control over the disturbance of his environment. Although a nuisance dominates in his environment, he is still not satisfied; he needs to have control over his family too. In his quest to gain control over his family, he takes the dead mouse and dangles it around Vera's face to scare her and thus give him control. Bigger's act of waving the mouse is not a physically aggressive action, but it still constitutes violence because it is a statement of unjustified force. However, Bigger is not satisfied with only having control over Vera. He later has to check on his mother, which he does by not responding when she asks him to help Vera in bed. Bigger only obeys after the second time his mother tells him to act, which shows that he is the one who decides what to do and when he does it, unlike his mother. Thomas' reasons for pursuing his control are the same as those he has for killing Mary; it must have power over any oppressive structure possible. His mother is oppressive in the way she tries to limit him through rules, forcing him to get a job and ordering him to act. Bigger's mother even forbids him from forming a personal identity because it alters others' perception of Bigger. When Bigger refuses to obey his mother, she calls... middle of paper... the reverend. Others choose to cope by doing their best to fit in like Bessie. However, the most threatening members of society are people like Bigger Thomas. These people do not accept the status quo and attempt to gain control in abnormal ways. The need for control drives actions such as drug dealing that yield money that allows one to have a higher social status in one's environment. High social status in a limited environment gives the illusion of having control over one's life. Others turn to gangs or other violent institutions because they can have direct control over another human being through the violence and fear they create. People similar to Bigger Thomas will continue to be created unless society destroys existing class discrepancies that would allow a person to pursue their own individual control over their own life..