Autsajder

Cross, a postal worker in Chicago, feels trapped in his marriage, his job, and a racist society. After a subway accident that everyone believes is his death, Cross takes on a new identity, fleeing his past. Freed from the shackles of society, he embarks on a series of morally questionable decisions, including murder, to preserve his newfound freedom.

In New York, he associates with communists and other marginalized characters, but his search for meaning leads him into conflicts with ideologies, romantic relationships, and his own conscience. The novel explores how an individual, freed from social norms, confronts moral emptiness and loneliness.

Wright's style is intense, with deep psychological and philosophical reflections. Cross is a complex figure—at once a victim of racism and a self-destructive antihero. The novel criticizes American society, racial injustice, and ideological dogmas, but also raises questions about human freedom and responsibility.