Symbols: The Basis of All Literary Works. Without symbols, books become boring and lifeless. The symbols help the reader discover a deeper meaning. In Richard Wright's novel, Native Son, symbols are used to show death, faith, and life in a white-run world. In the first book, readers are introduced to the mouse. Bigger is shown attempting to destroy the rat. When the rat is deceased, it appears as a “flat black body… [with] two yellow fangs” (6). With this death Bigger's series of murders begins. The horrific deaths of Mary Dalton and Bessie Mears are foreshadowed in the mouse's gruesome death. Mary's death, although not gruesome at first, suddenly turns violent as Bigger "sawed the blade into the flesh...[and] sent the ax blade into the throat bone" (92). Although Mary initially died from suffocation, the fact that her head was cut off is as disturbing as the mouse's death. However, Bessie's death was terrifying from the start. Bessie was murdered in the most atrocious way. Bessie is not only raped, but beaten to death by Bigger "[lifting] the brick again and again" (237). Bessie's terrible death is the worst of all deaths. It appears that Bessie has done nothing wrong, yet she is killed at Bigger's hands out of fear. Wright's use of the mouse as a symbol shows how death is a horrendous event in life. Wright's use of the cross helps readers recognize faith. After Bigger is arrested, he is soon visited by his mother's preacher, Reverend Hammond. The Reverend visits Bigger in an attempt to convince him that he must have faith in God. After praying for Bigger, Reverend Hammond "[takes] out of his pocket a wooden cross with a chain on it" (286). The reverend then placed it around Bigger's neck where it "[hangs] close to the skin of Bigger's chest" (286). The cross presented to Bigger is Hammond's attempt to force Bigger to believe and hope for something better. The cross is seen once again when Bigger leaves the Dalton house, but this time it is in a negative light. When Bigger exits the Dalton house, he sees a "[looming]... cross in flames" (337). Bigger questions then whether “white people [wanted] him to love Jesus too” (337). It is only when people shout at him that this is a cross of hate, not of love and faith. When Bigger returns to the van he “[grabs] the cross and [rips] it from his throat” (338).