Native Son: 12

"He lay on the cold floor sobbing; but really he was pushing forward with his puny strength against a world too big and too strong for him"(Wright 310).

As Bigger lays in jail, despair and frustration are taking over parts of him that once only knew hate. He now sees not only the error of his ways, but exactly what lead him to do everything. He desperately wants to convey to the outside world what got him here, and his motives, yet he cannot seem to find the words. This frustration leads him to discover that the world is simply too strong, too big, too ready to judge, for him to ever be able to push forth. There is nothing left for him to do but wait and trust, two feelings he is unaccustomed to.

Native Son: 11

"From somewhere in him, out of the depths of flesh and blood and bone, he called up energy to run and dodge with but one impulse:he had to elude these men"(Wright 264).

Bigger cannot think in the same ways that we do. He cannot plan things out with the same consciousness we do. He cannot execute in the moment with the same thoughts for what to do next that we do. But one thing that Bigger can do, and has carried him through his life is survive. No matter what life throws at him, Bigger is able to use his self preservation instincts to survive. From a less than supportive childhood, to finding energy even when his body is an icicle, Bigger lives on. He never gives up, always fights until the end. But how long until the end will catch up with him, he can only outrun the world for so long.

Native Son: 10

"At that moment he wanted to walk out into the street and up to a policeman and say, 'No! Jan didn't help me! He didn't have a damn thing to do with it! I-I did it!'"(Wright 245).

Bigger has an unhealthy tendency to desire telling everyone of his personal triumphs, no matter the horror of them. Instead of being grateful that the idea of Jan has sidetracked the police, and diminished the blame on Bigger's shoulders, Bigger sees it as him not receiving credit for his brilliant actions. Blame versus credit. This difference in thought is a key in what separates Bigger from the rest of the people. While most would think that they had dodged a bullet, Bigger sees that he is again going unnoticed. Bigger does not know how to handle his emotions, in the same way, he does not understand the difference between attention and negative attention. Hungry for attention, recognition, power, Bigger will stop at nothing. Deep emotions which manifest through intense outbursts are results of years of repression and lack of attention, that have finally reared their ugly head.

Native Son: 9

"All you ever caused me was trouble, just plain black trouble"(Wright 230).

Terror has overcome Bigger. Mary's bones have been discovered and now, the only person who knows his secret is questioning their relationship. If Bigger's life was not considered to have entirely fallen apart before, it certainly has now. Even Bessie sees him for what he really is, and all he really ever meant to her. But the most troubling part of her revelation is how she describes him as black trouble. Racism was so far ingrained in the 1930's society that Bessie even uses it against Bigger, as an instinct. Bessie uses the term as if they are one in the same, this speaks to the harsh reality that was 1930's Chicago, the terrible mindset that people were born having to overcome, the bias that existed even among the same race.

Native Son: 8

"It was getting a little chilly, the fire was dying"(Wright 210).

Although literally the fire in the Dalton house was dying, so was the fire within Bigger. At the start of his endeavor, Bigger was invigorated by the feelings brought on by his constant danger. These feelings however seem to be wearing him down, making him more nervous and restless than excited. The drive, the fire to continue is dying out as the world seems to be closing in on him and his crime. The snow that is the white world is putting the fire out, the fire that is the drive is diminishing, it is only a matter of time before Bigger caves in completely and feels the sting of frost bite.

Native Son: 7

"If you killed her you'll kill me"(Wright 178).

Bigger has everything figured out, he thinks. He has a perfect ransom note, a perfect person to blame the crime on, a perfect plan, a perfect life ahead, yet his accomplice has something to be desired. The one weak link in his plan is Bessie. Weak of mind, and easily influenced by alcohol, Bessie was clearly not the person to confide his deepest secret in. The dysfunctional relationship has come to a head through the intensity of his new situation. They have both changed and grown, but their relationship has not. The pressure that he has placed on Bessie coupled with her new found realization as to who he really is, makes for one ticking time bomb.

Native Son: 6

"They wanted him to draw the picture and he would draw it like he wanted it"(Wright 158).

Bigger was the last person to have seen Mary, whatever he says she was doing, everyone must take in blind faith as fact. As he is being questioned, Bigger can say whatever he wants, so long as it is in the realm of possibility, and Mr. Dalton and Britten must trust him, they have no one else. This is the ideal situation for Bigger, he can now direct the blame to Jan, outlining endless possibilities as to what could have happened. Every time he goes to color in his picture, he must be careful to stay within the lines. Any slight story alteration, any deviation from his original story and all the suspicion will be on him in a flash. So for now, Bigger has the power and the ability to draw his picture, but as he goes along, he must make sure that when he starts again, he is still using the same color crayon.

Native Son: 5

"What his knife and gun had once meant to him, his knowledge of having secretly murdered Mary now meant"(Wright 150).

Bigger's gun and knife had once given him a feeling of safety and confidence. As long as he carried them, no one could freely do damage to him. He now sees his secret in the same way. Just knowing something that no one else knew would make him feel powerful, but a secret with this much weight, this much ability to alter his life, gives him not only the sense of power, but a sense of impending danger. The longer he keeps the secret, the greater his feeling of power and the lesser his feeling of danger. This will end badly for him because his new found confidence is making him do things he has never done before, something that is not bad, except when you have just committed a crime and are about to be under scrutiny of the law.

Native Son: 4

"It was the first time he had ever been in their presence without feeling fearful"(Wright 113).

Bigger is a new man. After murdering Mary, he has found a new sense of confidence. A rather odd reaction for someone who must now hide from the truth and constantly live in a lie. Bigger is no longer fearful of people, especially his friends. He acts on impulse still, but now instead of doing so in fear, he does so with a certain confidence, he feels invincible despite his small guilt. Above suspicion for now, Bigger feels on top of the world, but this cannot last for long. While his lies can hold him for now, he will eventually be brought down. His biggest giveaway may end up being his apparent change in manner.

Native Son: 3

"She doubled up with laughter. He tightened with hate"(Wright 81).

Bigger is never at ease with white people, especially Mary. To him she is a ticking time bomb, about to get him fired. Every one of her care free actions make him all the more nervous. This nervous energy comes to a climax when Mrs. Dalton comes in and nearly catches him with Mary. Bigger acts on an impulse. A crazy person needing desperately to survive, Bigger does not know what to do. Rather he knows how to solve his immediate problem, yet not the repercussions. The more the situation spiraled out of control, the less Bigger was able to think clearly. He is numb to all feelings except hate, fear, and tension, and he acts to appease these feelings, no matter the awful terrible results.

Native Son: 2

"But his movement would have called attention to himself and his black body"(Wright 71).


The fact that someone ever had to feel this way is despicable. To think that there was a time when drawing attention to yourself, due to the color of your skin caused a person fear and kept them from moving, is saddening. However, this was Bigger's reality. The massive weight of oppression has shaped Bigger so greatly that he dislikes his skin, and doing anything that would cause others to notice it. Bigger lives his life trying to blend in. Mary and Jan scare him because they allow him to put his guard down and be different. Bigger is torn between living like he always has, being subordinate, and accepting the new freedoms that are being set before him in the name of keeping his job. Being thrust into this situation, and not being equipped with social knowledge or good emotional outlets will prove to be difficult for Bigger to handle.

Native Son: 1

"His entire body hungered for keen sensation, something exciting and violent to relieve the tautness"(Wright 36).

Bigger has no outlet for is feelings. He has neither the words, nor the audience to tell others how he feels. He has neither the money, nor the means to keep himself entertained. With all of this pent up energy, added to an already stressful home situation, Bigger is at his breaking point. He lets his frustration out in short violent bursts that have hurt, and will continue to hurt the people around him. Bigger hungers for something, but he cannot seem to put his finger on exactly what that something is. The future looks bleak for this struggling individual, the reader can only hope he finds something, anything positive with which to release his energy.