Native Son Analysis Argumentative Essay Example

Mary's extreme drunkenness, Bigger assists her in reaching her bedroom by assisting her up the stairs.

While placing Mary on her bed, Bigger gets startled by the entrance of Mrs. Dalton, Mary's blind mother. Fearing that Mary might reveal his presence, he covers her face with a pillow, unintentionally causing her death. Unaware of Mary's demise, Mrs. Dalton offers her prayers before exiting the room.

In an attempt to cover up his crime, Bigger decides to burn Mary's body in the furnace belonging to the Daltons. He further tries to divert suspicion by framing Jan for Mary's disappearance. Bigger's girlfriend, Bessie, unintentionally provides him with the idea to extort money from the Daltons. Bigger proceeds to write a ransom letter, signing it as Red, and convinces Bessie to be involved in their plan. However, their plan goes awry when Mary's remains are discovered in the furnace. Fearing that Bessie may expose him, Bigger and Bessie flee to an abandoned building. Overwhelmed by fear of getting caught, Bigger sexually assaults and ultimately kills Bessie by beating her with a brick.

Bigger is being pursued by everyone, as they try to apprehend him and send him to jail. He successfully evades the extensive search for as long as possible, but eventually gets captured after a major shootout. Even prior to his trial commencing, both the media and the general public have already made up their minds that he is guilty and deserves punishment. They all presume that Bigger sexually assaulted Mary before killing her and burned her body in order to conceal any evidence. The white authorities, along with a mob, exploit Bigger as an excuse to terrorize the entire

South Side neighborhood. Jan initially feels profound sadness over Mary's death but later realizes that he also bears some responsibility.

He acknowledges that his expectation for Bigger to treat him differently from other white men was mistaken. Jan also recognizes that he disregarded the established guidelines for race interactions. This disregard frustrates and humiliates Bigger. Jan convinces his friend, Boris A. Max, to provide free legal representation for Bigger.

He attempts to prevent Bigger from receiving a death sentence by contending that Bigger's actions were a result of the environment he was raised in. Max cautions society about the likelihood of more individuals like Bigger emerging if America fails to break the vicious cycle of hatred and retribution. However, despite the trial's conclusion, Bigger is still condemned to capital punishment.