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).
Bessie is trapped in a life that is not of her own choosing. In a way, she is trapped in a life, just in the identical manner that Bigger is in. She works long and exhausting hours, and is brought down by the white oppressors. Bessie explains to 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 none. I ain’t got nothing and you do this to me. After how good I been to you. Now you just spoil my whole life. I’ve done everything for you I know how and you do this to me….” (Wright 180).
When Bessie explains this to Bigger, one can infer that she is not satisfied, nor at least somewhat happy with her life. She is miserable, as she is trapped within the society that does not allow African Americans to contain equality. The oppression affects her, and is another instinct of her being so self-conscious and her insecurity. Her insecurity is a reason why she is with Bigger. If she did not have this insecurity, she would not need to be with Bigger, and could fight against the oppression. However, she is very insightful and intelligent to where she realizes the tactics and strategies of Bigger’s capability.
Bessie has lived through society’s oppression long enough to know of Bigger’s plots and schemes. However, one could infer that she would not leave him because he would have some money and she hopes that he would finally be able to take care of her. Bigger leaves her the money he stole from Mary’s handbag, and Bessie feels a sigh of relief to have some power and the thought of not living in complete poverty for the rest of her life. She does not necessarily need him, because she has been living independently for a while and has been fine herself. One could think in her perspective that it would be a very nice change if she did not have to slave herself anymore and finally have a man who would take responsibility and take care of her.
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?
The manner that Bigger is hunted down is quite of an unusual aspect for this scenario. Once the investigators found Mary’s body, Bigger decides that he is going to slowly walk away from the situation and the discovery. As Bigger trembles backward to get out of the basement, no one recognizes that he has left. This decision of Bigger’s is a bold movement for his strategic plan; as if he leaves at first with the inspectors then Bigger would have been thought of as a suspect.
Wright explains of Bigger, “To Bigger and his kind white people were not really people; they were a sort of great natural force like a stormy sky looming overhead, or like a deep swirling river stretching suddenly at one’s feet in the dark” (Wright 114).
Bigger consistently explains how he feels tramped and secluded by the oppression of the whites. Because of his color, Bigger always contains a reminder of his ethnicity as a default for all the hardships he holds as a black man living in a separate world. This is the same when the manhunt begins around Chicago as Bigger flees. However, this manhunt would have been much different if Bigger were white. Since Bigger is black, the manhunt is taken to the extreme. There are one thousand people on the Black Belt, and additional white oppressors have volunteered to track Bigger. Furth more, schools were shut down, the borders of the city were blocked, and every black man who resembled Bigger was tormented and interrogated. Bigger detains the entire black community as he creates complete havoc and is wondering around the city searching for an escape.
If Bigger was a white man, I do not think the search would be taken to this extent. The search squad would have not forcefully search the south side of the city, as a white man would never even think twice about going into that section of the city. Therefore, white men would probably not volunteer to search for the murderer. As a white man, he should be confident and powerful to contain ownership and responsibility for his actions. Moreover, the schools or sections of the city would have not been shut down, because if Bigger were white, because in all honesty this society favors the whites. In all, the seriousness would still be held if Bigger were white and the authority would still find him, but the whole dramatization with the search and the city would not exist as it does since he is a black man.
Your Ultimate Decepticon,
Allison
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 Britten’s 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?
Bigger’s thinking about Mr. Britten is certainly familiar indeed to someone like him. As Mr. Britten enters the Dalton house, he immediately turns to Bigger and starts to interrogate him. Mr. Britten wants to know every detail to where Bigger was with Mary and Jan, the times he was out with them, as well as what happened when Bigger brought Mary home from the night. One can see that Mr. Britten is a symbol of an average white oppressor during this time. Mr. Britten does not contain the same values as the Daltons do, who are very understanding and welcoming people. Mr. Britten views blacks to be animals and not helpful to society in any way, as other white oppressors believe.
Wright explains the emotions of Bigger, “He had not thought of anyone would dare think that he, a black Negro, would be Jan’s partner. Britten was his enemy. He knew that the hard light in Britten’s eyes held him guilty because he was black. He hated Britten so hard and hot, while standing there with sleepy eyes and parted lips that he would gladly grabbed the iron shovel from the corner and split his skull in two. For a split second a roaring noise in his ears blotted out sound He struggled to control himself; then he heard Britten’s talking” (Wright 162). In this scenario when Bigger meets Mr. Britten, he recognizes that Mr. Britten is another white oppressor that Bigger has always lived to fell powerless for his entire life. As a black man in the south side of Chicago, Bigger has always admired oppressors like Mr. Britten, and wonder what his life would be like if he was equal to them. Upon his realization, Bigger becomes very angry and his agitation is to the point where if he could defeat the one thing that holds him down, he would instantly. Bigger hates Mr. Britten, as he is hateful towards all the white oppressors in society, who make him, feel trapped and powerless within his life.
Moreover, Bigger thinks to himself, “Unwittingly, Jan’s desire to protect Mary had helped him. Jan’s denial of having come to the home would not be believed now; it would make Mr. Dalton and Britten feel that he was trying to cover up something of even much greater seriousness” (Wright 169). Since Bigger is very familiar to the character of oppressors like Mr. Britten, he strategizes to use his prejudices for his own benefit. Bigger also learns that Mr. Britten highly despises the Reds, who are the members of the Communist Party. As a deed for self-preservation, Bigger concocts a story to blame the murder on Jan. Bigger believes that he can fool Mr. Britten, because he believes that his hatred for communists will be greater than his hatred for blacks. At first, Bigger’s scheme works, as Mr. Britten is determined to find Jan and persecute him for the murder of Mary. However, it is not until he discovers Jan’s innocence that Mr. Britten is led on the path to search Bigger and rightfully convict him for Mary’s murder.
Your Ultimate Decepticon,
Allison
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