Native Son Post #11-13 Pg. 340

1.) "He had lived and acted on the assumption that he was alone, and now he saw that he had not been" (298).

Bigger had been the blind person the entire time; not his family or the Daltons and Jan. He did not see all the people that actually cared about him and wanted to help him. He was blinded by his own pride to see his family and Jan show their care and concern. Bigger finally realized how many other people he hurt too. He killed the woman that Jan loved and dug a deeper financial hole for his family. Now that he realizes there are people who share his spirit and understand his circumstance, he might want to consider trusting them. If he does, he won't have anything to lose and if he doesn't, he still won't have anything to lose. It would be worth a shot. Through Jan's actions, he has shown a great concern for Bigger's situation and trusting him would not be a bad idea. Even though Jan may be seeking publicity for the Reds, Bigger would be better off trusting him than a man like Buckley.

Will Jan and Max be able to help Bigger?


2.) "Who'll believe you when you say you didn't do it? You killed and raped two women in two days; who'll believe you when you say you didn't rape and kill the others?" (305).

Buckley justifies the unfortunate fact that black people have no say in the white world they live in. One black man's crime labels the entire black race as rapists and black killers. It would be hard to believe that Bigger only raped and killed two women when there have been many other unsolved rape and murder crimes. It would be expected that Bigger raped the other two women Buckley mentioned. The woman that identified Bigger as the rapist would have said the same thing if she was shown any other black man. It is not fair to Bigger because no matter how many times he tells the truth about not raping the other two women, he will still be accused as guilty for doing so. It is easier to blame a crime on a black person, then to take the time to find out who really committed the crime. White people are equally guilty. Not only is the black race accused of wrongdoing, but also the Reds. They have not done anything wrong. People like Jan simply want equality among the blacks and whites. If whites do not feel that a black person has the capability of committing a crime, then the blame goes to the Reds. There doesn't seem to be a need to find the real criminal when there are different groups and races to blame it on.

Will Bigger tell Max or the other lawyers what he has been feeling or will he keep it hidden inside of him?


3.) "Never again did he want to feel anything like hope. That was what was wrong; he had let that preacher talk to him until somewhere in him he had begun to feel that maybe something could happen" (340).

Bigger's hope the preacher gave him diminished as he saw the cross burning in flames. He had gathered enough strength in him to feel a sense of hope in God, but seeing the cross burning made him realize how easily something could be destroyed. Hope wouldn't have done him any good because he knew that the white people would once again crush any light he had. The white people oppressed the black people to the point where they could not even look a white person in the face. Bigger felt a sense of power when he thought he could get away with the murder. He felt pride that he could do something the whites would never have thought possible. It was insulting and hurtful to Bigger as the white people crushed his pride when they thought there was no way an uneducated black man could commit such a murder. Bigger even had the urge to tell them he did it. Bigger can only see his situation in one way; nobody can help him, not even Jan or Max. Bigger is alone. The oppression white people have put upon black people will only hurt them in the end. If black people weren't oppressed and treated equally, then there would a lot less misunderstanding among the races.

What will happen next?