Question

Does Wright intend us to relate to Bigger as a human being, or has he made him a symbol of oppressive social and political forces? Is there anything admirable about Bigger? Does he change by the end of the book?

Answer 1

Answer&Explanation:

He made him a symbol of oppressive social and political forces.

Throughout this novel , Wright shows us the ways in which oppression by white forces has actual forced and pressured blacks into a dangerous state of mind.

Blacks find themselves in very oppressed economic status and are expected to be subservient Infront of their oppressors, at the same time blacks get portrayed by media as animalistic brutes.

Due to all these pressures , Max argues that it then becomes inevitable for black people such as Bigger to react violently and with so much hatred. Wright also shows us the double-edged effect of racism in which Bigger's violent stirs up racial hatred.

Bigger is indeed guilty of Mary’s murder, as well as Bessie’s,despite that fact the justice system still fails him, as he doesn't get a fair trial nor an opportunity to defend himself.

The newspapers also present him as a murderous animal and Buckley uses this case to advance his own political career.

so we see the effect of oppression and political forces on an individual's action.

Well at the end when he has been given his punishment for all the crimes he has done , he finally comes to realise the effect of what he has done and how bad this racism thing can negatively affect everyone , even the innocent and he comes to terms with own fate.