1. Describe some of the many ways in which Bessie Mears, Bigger's girlfriend, is trapped in a life that is not of her own choosing (use concrete details).
2. Describe the way Bigger is hunted down after he has fled the Dalton home. How would this manhunt have been different if Bigger were white?
3. Mr. Dalton's private investigator, Mr. Britten, alternately expresses his hatred of African Americans and of Communists. After he interrogates Bigger, Bigger thinks to himself that "Mr. Britten was familiar to him; he had met a thousand Brittens in his life." What is it about Mr. Britten's thinking that makes him so easy for Bigger to understand, and how does Bigger intend to use Mr. Britten's prejudices to his own advantage?
okay
ReplyDeleteBessie is trapped in a life that is not of her own choosing because she has goals and aspirations like Bigger, she jsut doesn't have the resources to chase her dreams. Another reason is that her and Bigger have a mutual relationship instead of a romantic relationship. Him and Bessie have a relationship that revolves around them being in desperation of being starved from money, so they both go on the pursuit on money, both being blinded to everything. Bigger also tries to relieve himself of tension by bring pain on to others and the people he loves. This is inflicting pain on himself because he ultimately brings down
If Bigger were white, this wouldn't have caused as much controversy, but since he was black, it caused a city wide scan for him. This also would have been different because if Bigger was white, there would have been way less controversy. There was also issues with people feeling sympathy for bigger, if he wasn't black, people wouldn't get to see that he was a troubled child with actions (still inexcusable), but they were still something to take in opinion if they were put into Bigger's spot.
He inteded to say that Mr. Britten was just plotting on his downfall because he black and he put things in his mouth. Bigger has talked to many people that were like him. These people judged him before they met him, they assumed he was a bad person before everything and before they got the chance to know him.
1. Bessie tells Bigger, “All I do is work, work like a dog! From morning till night. I ain’t got no happiness. I ain’t never had non. I ain’t got nothing,” (Wright 180). What Bessie is telling Bigger is that she is trapped in a life of endless work, where she has no freedom and no happiness.
ReplyDelete2. Bigger is hunted down by several thousand men after he has fled the Dalton home. This manhunt would have been different if Bigger was white. If Bigger was white, less people would have probably been sent.
3. Bigger understands that Britten is a very racist person and that is why it is easy for Bigger to understand him. Bigger indents to use Mr. Britten’s prejudices against the Communists to his advantage. Bigger mentions Jan, a Communist, to Mr. Britten, and that is all Bigger needs to do because after that, Mr. Britten is dead set on Jan being the guilty party, not Bigger.
Comment By:
Leah Eisenberg
1. Bessie tells Bigger, “All I do is work, work like a dog! From morning till night. I ain’t got no happiness. I ain’t never had non. I ain’t got nothing,” (Wright 180). What Bessie is telling Bigger is that she is trapped in a life of endless work, where she has no freedom and no happiness. Then later when Bigger is trying to force Bessie to get the random money for him, she tells him, “I’ll get caught. But it don’t make no difference. I’m lost anyhow. I was lost when I took up with you and it don’t matter,” (Wright 184). Bessie is trying to tell Bigger that she is lost and trapped in the world, and always has been.
ReplyDelete2. Bigger is hunted down by “five thousand police,” (Wright 242), after he has fled the Dalton home. This manhunt would have been different if Bigger was white. If Bigger was white, less people would have probably been sent.
3. Bigger understands that Britten is a very racist person and that is why it is easy for Bigger to understand him. Bigger knew that Britten was racist, and after Britten violently interrogates him, he thinks to himself, “Britten was his enemy. He knew that the hard light in Britten’s eyes held him guilty because he was black,” (Wright 162). Bigger indents to use Mr. Britten’s prejudices against the Communists to his advantage. Bigger mentions Jan, a Communist, to Mr. Britten, and that is all Bigger needs to do because after that, Mr. Britten is dead set on Jan being the guilty party, not Bigger.
Comment By:
Leah Eisenberg
1. Bessie tells Bigger, “All I do is work, work like a dog! From morning till night. I ain’t got no happiness. I ain’t never had non. I ain’t got nothing,” (Wright 180). What Bessie is telling Bigger is that she is trapped in a life of endless work, where she has no freedom and no happiness. She is also trying to tell him that she has no way out of her dead-end life. Then later when Bigger is trying to force Bessie to get the random money for him, she tells him, “I’ll get caught. But it don’t make no difference. I’m lost anyhow. I was lost when I took up with you and it don’t matter,” (Wright 184). Bessie is trying to tell Bigger that she is lost and trapped in the world, and always has been.
ReplyDelete2. Bigger is hunted down by “five thousand police,” (Wright 242), after he has fled the Dalton home. This manhunt would have been different if Bigger was white. If Bigger was white, less people would have probably been sent. Moreover, the police would have not been as hard to him when they finally caught up with him.
3. Bigger understands that Britten is a very racist person, such as when Britten yells to Bigger, “You are a Communist, you goddamn black sonofabitch! And you’re going to tell me about Miss Dalton and that Jan bastard!” (Wright 161), which is why it is easy for Bigger to understand him. Bigger knows that all racist people view things the same exact way. When Bigger confirmed that Britten was racist after Britten violently interrogated him, he thinks to himself, “Britten was his enemy. He knew that the hard light in Britten’s eyes held him guilty because he was black,” (Wright 162). Bigger indents to use Mr. Britten’s prejudices against the Communists to his advantage. After Bigger mentions Jan, a Communist, to Mr. Britten, that is all Bigger needs to do because after that, Mr. Britten is dead set on Jan being the guilty party, not Bigger. This can be seen when Britten tells Mr. Dalton, “I’ll bet my right arm that goddam Red’s up to something!”
Comment By:
Leah Eisenberg
1. Bessie Mears is trapped in a life that is not of her own choosing because she uses drugs to escape from it all. When people use drugs, it’s to escape the reality that compresses their hopes and desires because they feel that they are trapped and their fate in the life they choose is inevitable.
ReplyDelete2.It would have different if Bigger were white because he wouldn’t have so many cops chasing after him. There wouldn’t have been a city wide search for him either. Another example of this is him realizing he was going to be judged regardless of the intention of his actions. “ He stood and listened. Mrs. Dalton might be out there in the hallway. How could he get out of the room? He all but shuddered with the intensity of his loathing for this house and all it had made him feel since he had first come into it. He reached his hand behind him and touched the wall; he was glad to have something solid at his back. He looked at the shadowy bed and remembered Mary as some person he had not seen in a long time. She was still there. Had he hurt her? He went to the bed and stood over her; her face lay sideways on the pillow. His hand moved over her, but stopped in mid-air. He blinked his eyes and stared at Mary’s face; it was darker than when he had first bent over her. Her mouth was open and her eyes bulged glassily. Her bosom, her bosom, her – her bosom was not moving! He could not hear her breath coming and going now as he had when he first brought her into the room! He bent and moved her head with his hand and found that she was relaxed and limp. He snatched his hand away. Thought and feeling were balked in him; there was something he was trying to tell himself, desperately, but could not. Then, convulsively, he sucked his breath in and huge words formed slowly, ringing in his ears: She’s dead…
The reality of the room fell from him; the vast city of white people that sprawled outside took its place. 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, Page 167)
Bigger realizes he killed Mary on accident and as a black man who has killed a white girl, it didn’t matter that it was an accident because the whites would see him as a guilty criminal and judge him because of his background.
3.Mr.Britten was hired by Mr. Dalton to investigate his daughter’s disappearance. Mr.Britten is prejudiced against both blacks and Communists. He was suspicious of Jan Erlone, he quickly believes that Jan and Bigger planned her death together. he thinks Jan is being the mastermind, especially once the ransom note comes. Though Britten claims that Bigger is okay and favors the theory that the "Reds" are behind Mary’s kidnapping, he plays a big part, Bigger thinks he can fool Britten. Bigger uses Brittens own arrogance help underestimate him to make him think that Bigger wasn’t capable of doing such a crime on his own.
1. Bessie Mears is trapped in a life that is not of her own choosing because she uses drugs to escape from it all. When people use drugs, it’s to escape the reality that compresses their hopes and desires because they feel that they are trapped and their fate in the life they choose is inevitable. An example of Bigger and his mutual intentions with Bessie is: “ I just work. I'm black. I work and I don't bother nobody." (Wright, p. 170) This shows that she doesn’t really want to harm anyone, she doesn’t want to do anything to anybody, she just wants to get things over with. Bessie also mentions that she drinks alcohol because she works very hard all week and wants a way to escape it.
ReplyDeleteIt would have different if Bigger were white because he wouldn’t have so many cops chasing after him. There wouldn’t have been a city wide search for him either. Another example of this is him realizing he was going to be judged regardless of the intention of his actions. “ He stood and listened. Mrs. Dalton might be out there in the hallway. How could he get out of the room? He all but shuddered with the intensity of his loathing for this house and all it had made him feel since he had first come into it. He reached his hand behind him and touched the wall; he was glad to have something solid at his back. He looked at the shadowy bed and remembered Mary as some person he had not seen in a long time. She was still there. Had he hurt her? He went to the bed and stood over her; her face lay sideways on the pillow. His hand moved over her, but stopped in mid-air. He blinked his eyes and stared at Mary’s face; it was darker than when he had first bent over her. Her mouth was open and her eyes bulged glassily. Her bosom, her bosom, her – her bosom was not moving! He could not hear her breath coming and going now as he had when he first brought her into the room! He bent and moved her head with his hand and found that she was relaxed and limp. He snatched his hand away. Thought and feeling were balked in him; there was something he was trying to tell himself, desperately, but could not. Then, convulsively, he sucked his breath in and huge words formed slowly, ringing in his ears: She’s dead…
The reality of the room fell from him; the vast city of white people that sprawled outside took its place. 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, Page 167) Bigger realizes he killed Mary on accident and as a black man who has killed a white girl, it didn’t matter that it was an accident because the whites would see him as a guilty criminal and judge him because of his background.
Mr.Britten was hired by Mr. Dalton to investigate his daughter’s disappearance. Mr.Britten is prejudiced against both blacks and Communists. He was suspicious of Jan Erlone, he quickly believes that Jan and Bigger planned her death together. he thinks Jan is being the mastermind, especially once the ransom note comes. Though Britten claims that Bigger is okay and favors the theory that the "Reds" are behind Mary’s kidnapping, he plays a big part, Bigger thinks he can fool Britten. Bigger uses Brittens own arrogance help underestimate him to make him think that Bigger wasn’t capable of doing such a crime on his own. This quote explains Mr.Brittens “AND FURTHERMORE, BRITTEN MIGHT WANT HIM AS A WITNESS AGAINST JAN. HE SMILED WHILE HE LAY IN THE DARKNESS. IF THAT HAPPENED, HE WOULD BE SAFE IN SENDING THE RANSOM NOTE.” He uses Britten’s prejudice against him and tricks him into thinking he was too stupid to do it on his home.
1.Bessie Mears is trapped in a life that is not one of her own choosing because Bessie works hard, long hours everyday. She only gets Sundays off. She's a young woman who wants to have fun and enjoy herself but her working schedule is to demanding. She does what she can to have fun and her way of relaxation is to drink. At such a young age she's going down a road of alcoholism.
ReplyDelete2. After Bigger runs away thousands of authorities went a mad man hunt for Bigger. The police were disgusted that a black man not only killed a black woman but had the audacity to kill one of their own women. If Bigger wasn't black the man hunt wouldn't be as big and the police probably would have assumed that Bigger and Jan worked together.
3. Bigger understands how Britten thinks because he’s a racist. He knows that Britten looks down on blacks and communists. Since Bigger is black Britten would never think he would be smart enough to pull off a crime like the one he did. Bigger was able to lie to Britten’s face without hesitation because he already knew what Britten was thinking. Bigger also threw in a few comments about Jan being a communist and how he knew nothing about communism.
- Kirsten
1. Bessie Mears is trapped in a life that is not one of her own choosing because Bessie works hard, long hours everyday. She only gets Sundays off. She's a young woman who wants to have fun and enjoy herself but her working schedule is to demanding. She does what she can to have fun and her way of relaxation is to drink. At such a young age she's going down a road of alcoholism. Quoted from the text, “She worked long hours, hard and hot hours seven days a week, with only Sunday afternoons off; and when she did get off she wanted fun, hard and fast fun, something to make her feel that she was making up for the starved life she led.”
ReplyDelete2. After Bigger runs away thousands of authorities went on a mad man hunt for Bigger. The police were disgusted that a black man not only killed a black woman but had the audacity to kill one of their own white women. If Bigger wasn't black the man hunt wouldn't be as big and the police probably would have assumed that Bigger and Jan worked together.
3. Bigger understands how Britten thinks because he’s a racist. He knows that Britten looks down on blacks and communists. Since Bigger is black Britten would never think he would be smart enough to pull off a crime like the one he did. Bigger was able to lie to Britten’s face without hesitation because he already knew what Britten was thinking. Bigger also threw in a few comments about Jan being a communist and how he knew nothing about communism. One of the white officers says, “Aw, he’s a dumb cluck. He doesn’t know anything.” Bigger uses the typical stereotype that whites give the blacks to get away with Mary’s murder.
-Kirsten W.
Bessie Mears is trapped in a life of crime. She is trapped because as a young black girl there aren’t many options available to her. She doesn’t have the opportunity to provide as well for herself as others do because jobs aren’t as open to her race and to her gender. He gets caught up with Bigger thinking that he was the one she needed. She tells him she loves him. This is why she lets him take advantage of her. She would help him steal from her job and now she has gotten in too deep. But this was not of her choosing. She didn’t not choose to be in this murder crime with Bigger, she was forced to. She's too scared to get out because of what Bigger might do to her. She didn’t choose to be the race she is or to be a female.
ReplyDelete- Desiray W
1. Bessie Mears is trapped in a life that is not one of her own choosing because Bessie works hard, long hours everyday. She only gets Sundays off. She's a young woman who wants to have fun and enjoy herself but her working schedule is to demanding. She does what she can to have fun and her way of relaxation is to drink. At such a young age she's going down a road of alcoholism. She does what she has to because she has to take care of herself and she’s on her own. Quoted from the text, “She worked long hours, hard and hot hours seven days a week, with only Sunday afternoons off; and when she did get off she wanted fun, hard and fast fun, something to make her feel that she was making up for the starved life she led.” Bigger used Bessie and Bessie used Bigger. He gave her alcohol and she gave him whatever else he wanted. Bessie didn’t like having to steal from the white families she worked for but she did because she knew that with her stolen goods she could get money. With the money she had she could buy her happiness. She tolerates Bigger’s attitude and rude treatment in fear of life with out him, fear of being alone, and fear of losing someone that she thinks she loves.
ReplyDelete2. After Bigger runs away thousands of authorities went on a mad man hunt for Bigger. The police were disgusted that a black man not only killed a black woman but had the audacity to kill one of their own white women. If Bigger wasn't black the man hunt wouldn't be as big and the police probably would have assumed that Bigger and Jan worked together. Bigger knows that because he is black his penalty would be greater or much worse than one of a white man. Quoted from the text, “There was just that old feeling, the feeling that he had had all his life: he was black and had done wrong; white men were looking at something with which they could soon accuse him, It was the old feeling, hard and constant again now, of wanting to grab something and clutch it in his hands and swing into someone’s face.”
3. Bigger understands how Britten thinks because he’s a racist. He knows that Britten looks down on blacks and communists. Since Bigger is black Britten would never think he would be smart enough to pull off a crime like the one he did. Bigger was able to lie to Britten’s face without hesitation because he already knew what Britten was thinking. Bigger also threw in a few comments about Jan being a communist and how he knew nothing about communism. One of the white officers says, “Aw, he’s a dumb cluck. He doesn’t know anything.” Bigger uses the typical stereotype that whites give the blacks to get away with Mary’s murder. He plays the card of being incapable and lowers himself to the expectation of a white person. This is one of those times where the negative comments and day to day life that Bigger endures comes to his advantage.
^^kirsten :)
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