Native Son falls within the canon of social, or "protest novels," which address problems of social, political, or economic injustice. Other noteworthy protest novels include the aforementioned Uncle Tom's Cabin, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Jungle, The Grapes of Wrath, and Giovanni's Room, each having a specific political agenda embedded in the narrative. The Grapes of Wrath, published only a year before Native Son, also provides a broader context of life during the Great Depression and the national background of the story.
Outside of its status as a social novel, Native Son shares its core themes of murder, guilt, and justice with numerous works, including Macbeth, Of Mice and...
