Native Son Essay

Nathaniel Burns-Sarno
English 10 Honors/ Mr. George
May 1, 2009
Native Son Essay Topic 3
Bigger Thomas: The Logic Behind the Lunacy
The world is comprised of three groups of people; the ones whose actions make them seem good, the ones whose actions make them seem evil, and the ones whose actions make them seem between good and evil. In order for either of these three to survive, the other two must exist. There can be no good without evil, just as there can be no evil without good, and no one between good and evil without good and evil to begin with. There three groups of the world seem to be at a constant war with one another, as their views tend to conflict with each other. The evil prey on the good, and the good fend off the evil. Those between good and evil are often tempted by both sides, and thus try to push them away. Both good and evil are at an equal force. However, those who are good are often favored over those who are evil. Good deeds bring about rewards, while evil deeds bring about punishment. So, the question is; Why would anyone choose a life of evil over good? The answer is a simple one: Good and evil are simply a matter of one’s point of view. We can easily judge someone who has committed a crime to be evil. However, they themselves would have seen their crime as an act of good. There is no purely malicious deed. That is, no deed done based on malice alone. A person will do something only if they believe it to be the right thing, at least during the time that they are doing it. With enough thought, criminals can easily justify their actions, and even if their excuses fall upon deaf ears, they can never be proven as being universally wrong(only politically so). Any act can be defended, no matter how heinous. Therefore, no action committed by Bigger Thomas, the main character of the novel Native Son, by Richard Wright, can be deemed evil. Even crimes as horrible as murder, attempted ransom, and running from the police can be justified.
Bigger Thomas murdered two people in the novel Native Son. The first person he murdered was Mary Dalton, the daughter of Mr. Dalton, Bigger’s employer. The murder took place on the night that Mary and Jan, Mary’s boyfriend, took Bigger out for a night on the down. During the excursion, Bigger, Mary, and Jan all drank a lot of alcohol and became drunk. Mary, being too buzzed to even stand up on her own, required Bigger’s assistance in getting to her bed. After Bigger helped Mary to her bed, Mrs. Dalton, Mary’s blind mother, came upstairs to check on her. Bigger knew that if he was found in Mary’s room, he would be accused of rape simply because he was a black man. Unfortunately, due to her drunken state, Mary was unable to keep herself quiet. In a panic, Bigger placed his hand over Mary’s mouth to silence her. When Mrs. Dalton left the room and Bigger was able to remove his hand from Mary’s mouth, he found Mary to be dead. Bigger automatically knew what would happen if people found out about him accidently murdering Mary. He knew that the consequences for his mistake would be ten times worse than the punishment that would be bestowed upon a white murderer. “She was dead and he had killed her. He was a murderer, a Negro murderer, a black murderer. He had killed a white woman. He had to get away from here”(Wright 87). Bigger knew that he had done wrong, and would be seen as a murderer. However, his murder was only a technical one, one that would certainly not be punishable by death if a white man had done it. Knowing that he had to avoid anyone discovering his “murder”, Bigger chopped up Mary’s body and threw the pieces into a furnace. While this act is certainly more heinous than the actual murder, it is easier to justify. Bigger was simply doing what he could to continue his life, as his death would not fix anything.
The other Murder Bigger committed was the murder of Bessie, his girlfriend. The act of killing Bessie was done for the same reason as the act of burning Mary’s corpse; to cover his tracks. He needed to keep Bessie quiet in order to avoid being put to death. She had to die for him to survive. It was simply survival of the fittest.
After murdering Mary, Bigger created a ransom note and sent it to the Daltons, claiming to have kidnapped Mary and offering her return in exchange for riches. While a despicable act when seen through the eyes of the “good”, one must consider Bigger’s position in the world he was living in. As a black citizen(and I use the term loosely), Bigger was given nothing. He was forced to live in a confined area of poverty, and taunted with the images of the world on the other side; the white world. He had done nothing to deserve the lousy hand life had dealt him. The only crime he had committed to end up there was the crime of being black. It is only natural that Bigger would feel entitled to some of what the white people had. So, with Mary’s death and word out of her disappearance, Bigger saw the opportunity to make a better life for himself. He knew that the Daltons were rich enough to gain back whatever they had lost, so they were the perfect target. They would not suffer for having lost money, and Bigger would thrive for having gained money. The only though Bigger had in his mind while writing the ransom note was getting out of the hell that he called a home, and entering something much greater.
When all signs of Mary’s murder pointed to Bigger, Bigger went on the lamb, even going as far to fire his gun at police in order to avoid his capture. While certainly an illegal act, one cannot say that the thought of doing so would not enter their own minds, if placed in that situation. Bigger attempted to kill in order to avoid being killed. Once again, survival of the fittest. While it can often be viewed as a barbaric principle, keep in mind that Bigger was uneducated, and had to work on instinct alone. No one should have been surprised by that.
Bigger’s actions led to his downfall, but they are not without reason. Everything he did, while performed rashly and without thinking first, is understandable. He did what he thought to be the wisest choice, which I’m sure anyone would do in a similar situation. In fact, it is clear that had the “white world” given Bigger more in life, none of these tragedies would have taken place. In a way, the “white world” is just as much at fault for Bigger’s crimes as Bigger, himself. Bigger’s view of right and wrong would not have been so contradictory to their own if they would have treated him properly. Bigger cannot be blamed for thinking what he did to be right. His views were forced on him the moment he was born.

Native Son 4/15/09

Quote: "Back in his cell, Bigger tumbled lifelessly onto his cot. Soon it'll all be over, he thought. Tomorrow might be his last day; he hoped so. His sense of time was gone; night and day were merged now."

Significance:

This passage shows that Bigger has more than accepted his fate; he's now hoping for it. Although he is not happy, or even content with what will happen to him, he still wants it to happen. It will be interesting to see what happens if there are any sudden twists in his fate. Will he be able to accept it as fast, or will he still long for death?

Question:
Will Bigger give the white world the satisfaction of killing him?

Quote: "'I didn't like it. There was nothing in it. Aw, all they did was sing and shout and pray all the time. And it didn't get 'em nothing. All the colored folks do that, but it don't get 'em nothing. The white fols got everything."'

Significance:
This quote shows Bigger's feelings to wards religion directly, coming straight from his mouth. He sees know point in Religion, as it has failed to change his world. No matter how much people prayed, nothing ever got better for them. Bigger's resistance to wards Religion has logic in it, as he focuses on what he can control rather than what he cannot. It leaves me wondering if he has no faith at all, or a faith against faith.

Question:
Did Bigger ever get anything out of prayer?

Native Son Trio Blog 3

Quote: "'Let me be on your side, Bigger,' Jan said. 'I can fight this thing with you, just like you've started it.'"

Significance:

Now that's dedication. Jan's pursuit of justice goes so far that he's willing to defend someone who killed the one he loved just to see that it is carried out. He'd make a good lawyer, that's for sure. Gives me a new respect for this character....unless if this is a ploy to get Bigger in even more trouble.

Question:

What's Jan's plan?

Native Son Trio Blog 2

Quote: "'Mr. Dalton!' Max exclaimed, coming forward suddenly, 'My God man! Will ping-pong keep men from murdering? Can't you see? Even after losing your daughter, you're going to keep going in that same direction?'"

Significance:

Finally, someone stands up to Mr. Dalton over his warped view of what equality means. People don't want material possessions to make them feel equal. They need to be treated equally in order to feel equal. It's a shame that Mr. Dalton doesn't take this to heart, though.

Question:

Will Mr. Dalton ever learn?

Native Son Trio Blog 1

Quote: "I ain't got no soul!"

Significance:

This shows that Bigger plays into the steriotypes of his race far more than the white people orignally intended. Black people in this story are supposed to be compared with animals, but it seems Bigger compares himself with a killing machine.

Question: Does Bigger feel superior, or inferior?

Native Son 4/8/09

Quote: "Bigger felt that if the preacher kept asking he would leap up and strike him. How could he believe in that which he had killed?" (287)

Significance:

Again, Bigger seems to have logic, but no foundation for him. He has not yet explained how God would have anything to do with anything. Of course, it's reasonable for one to think they've killed God through killing another, but only if they believed in God, which Bigger does not. I'm not sure I get this passage.

Question: What did Bigger mean, exactly?

Native Son Pg 270

Quote: "Yes; take the gun and shoot it at them, shoot it empty. Slowly, he stretched out his hand and tried to pick up the gun, but his fingers were too stiff. Something laughed in him, cold and hard; he was laughing at himself." (269)

Significance:

This quote shows that Bigger has gone off the deep end, but still keeps madman logic. His realization that he could use fear as a weapon is one most in that situation would make, but few would actually go through with it. This lad to his capture, and the innevitable fate that stands to befall him.

Question: Will Bigger find a way out of this?

Native Son 4/2/09

Quote: "When Britten's voice ceased Bigger was smiling. Yes, Britten was trying to trap him, trying to make out a case against; but he could not find anything to go upon."(192)

Significance: Bigger comes off as sort of a maniacal genius. He seems to have everything figured out, and made a position for himself where he can't be caught. This shows that Bigger may not have been stupid, or even lazy. It was just the tasks that he decided to focus on in the past that distracted him from trying on what's really important.

Will Jan come for Bigger?

Native Son: April 1rst

Quote: "Bigger felt guilty; Jan's presence condemned him. Yet he knew of no way to atone for his guilt; he felt he had to acts as he was acting." (171)

Significance:
None....



April Fools!

This shows that Bigger actually has a shred of remorse in his body, but just chooses to dismiss it at will. He also understands Jan to be a problem if he wants to continue his charade. It's clear Jan could cause trouble for Bigger in the future...but I have the feeling Bigger will cremate him before that happens.

Question: Will Jan find out the truth before it's too late?