I know that we already know that Bigger is a killer, but in this blogpost, I plan to expand on that. I also plan to possibly do an essay on this topic as well. Anyway, Bigger is a killer and he was raised in an environment that only encouraged violence. From the very start of the book, Bigger's thought process can be described as hitting the problem until it goes away.While we aren't given his background in too heavy of detail it is likely due to him being raised in a corrupt city, where the white man controls everything and the only path he knows is the one of violence.
Typically, young men that join gangs are stereotyped as being violent and bigger is no exception. This can be seen when his gang plans on robbing a white man, which in itself is an act of violence (kind of). Instead of voicing his displeasure of the thought of robbing a white man, he decides to just beat up his friends instead. I am not psychiatrist by any means, but I feel as thought his environment has something to do about how he responds to situations. My theory is that Bigger wasn't taught how to vocalize his opinions, a skill that is taught in most schools today. Bigger is denied a lot basic necessities that we take for granted and has a violent/reactionary thought process, just like the mouse her cornered.
I don't know really, I'm just kinda spit balling. However, I do feel like there was something deeper to Bigger's actions throughout the book. Perhaps he wasn't educated enough to make proper decisions, maybe he simply panicked, or possibly he didn't have free will in the first place (and was being controlled by the author). I'm looking forward to possibly writing an essay on Bigger's killings and my thoughts on why they happened/how they are connected.
Typically, young men that join gangs are stereotyped as being violent and bigger is no exception. This can be seen when his gang plans on robbing a white man, which in itself is an act of violence (kind of). Instead of voicing his displeasure of the thought of robbing a white man, he decides to just beat up his friends instead. I am not psychiatrist by any means, but I feel as thought his environment has something to do about how he responds to situations. My theory is that Bigger wasn't taught how to vocalize his opinions, a skill that is taught in most schools today. Bigger is denied a lot basic necessities that we take for granted and has a violent/reactionary thought process, just like the mouse her cornered.
I don't know really, I'm just kinda spit balling. However, I do feel like there was something deeper to Bigger's actions throughout the book. Perhaps he wasn't educated enough to make proper decisions, maybe he simply panicked, or possibly he didn't have free will in the first place (and was being controlled by the author). I'm looking forward to possibly writing an essay on Bigger's killings and my thoughts on why they happened/how they are connected.
Great post! I like how you are more deeply analyzing Bigger's thought process and what lead him to kill. As you mentioned, Bigger is a very reactive character. This can be contributed to many things all falling into the category of his environment. When he killed Mary, it was an unintentional panic. But with Bessie, it's debatable.
ReplyDeleteNice post! I agree that Bigger struggles with vocalizing his opinions and I think that by telling readers that Bigger only went to school through 8th grade, Wright specifically suggests to us that Bigger's education is the cause. I also think the idea that Bigger doesn't have any free will because of the author is really interesting. At the same time though, don't we have to consider the book's place in the real world to get something out of it?
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that Bigger was heavily influenced by the environment he grew up in. Gang violence is common in urban setting, especially when there are few educational and vocational opportunities available. I don't think it is Bigger's fault the way he acted out, but I don't think he was right either. I don't know how that correlates to blame. This novel really turns the black and white of good and bad into something much grayer.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Bigger is a product of his argument, and so does Wright (shown through Max's dialogue). I think something interesting that could be worth looking into is to what extent does his environment shape him. To use the real world example, Richard Wright himself was raised in a poor background, yet became one the most influential writers of his time in writing Native Son. So how much guilt lies on Bigger in his killings?
ReplyDeleteI think that you're right that Bigger is a product of his environment. I think that if he were in an environment that had taught him how to talk about fear or discomfort he would not have had to fight Gus to prevent the robbery and he might not have ended up hating Mary and Jan as much as he did. I think this wasn't just an scchooling issue though, I think that it was also caused by the social situations (working for white people, joining a gang, etc. ) he was forced into by the systematic racism in Chicago.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. Seeing violence your entire life and feeling oppressed takes a toll on someone. Things like that are tough on a person's mind and I think because Bigger was unable to discuss his thoughts, feelings, and problems with someone (this is based on his relationship with his family and friends), the only way he knows to deal with violence. I like your ideas here. Great post :)
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