Native Son

by

Richard Wright

The preacher Character Analysis

An African-American preacher from the Black Belt, the preacher, named Hammond, does all he can to convince Bigger that he will receive salvation for his crimes only in the next life. But after Bigger sees a burning cross, set up by the Ku Klux Klan, in the South Side during his incarceration, Bigger rejects absolutely the preacher’s teaching, believing that God can offer Bigger no support or succor in this life or the next.
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The preacher Character Timeline in Native Son

The timeline below shows where the character The preacher appears in Native Son. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Book 3
Whiteness, Blackness, and Racism Theme Icon
Crime and Justice Theme Icon
Anger and Charity Theme Icon
Death, Life’s Purpose, and the Will to Live Theme Icon
...back down on his cot. A period of time passes, and then an African American preacher from the Black Belt is let into Bigger’s room by the police. There, the preacher... (full context)
Whiteness, Blackness, and Racism Theme Icon
Capitalism and Communism Theme Icon
Crime and Justice Theme Icon
Anger and Charity Theme Icon
Death, Life’s Purpose, and the Will to Live Theme Icon
...Jan asks that Bigger trust Max, whom Jan calls into the cell along with the preacher (whose name is revealed to be Hammons). Max tells Bigger that he’s here to help... (full context)
Whiteness, Blackness, and Racism Theme Icon
Capitalism and Communism Theme Icon
Crime and Justice Theme Icon
Anger and Charity Theme Icon
Death, Life’s Purpose, and the Will to Live Theme Icon
Bigger realizes that the preacher has been waiting for him at the jail , and though the preacher tells Bigger... (full context)