Book 1 Part 4

This forum is for the discussion of Native Son, Book 1 Part 4.

Mary is a trouble-maker. She wants to "learn" about black people. She doesn't realize she is putting Bigger at risk. I don't think Bigger is that intelligent to pick up on it so trouble is coming.

They go to a black restaurant and Mary and her "date" get drunk. Bigger tries to do the right thing and take her home. His male hormones take over and he starts kissing her and everything goes crazy. He ends up killing her with a pillow. He is showing is inhumane behavior when he tries to get rid of the body. He steals her money and then runs home to where he is most secure. He is trying to make up a story and it doesn't seem to far off. So we will see.

He didn't think that the boyfriend knew that Bigger took her home!

I agree Marti, Mary and Jan don't realize what risk they are putting Bigger in by trying to figure out how black people live. I do think that Bigger realizes what a risk he is in, but feels a double edged sword, and doesn't know how to get out of it.
His disposal of Mary is brutal and sad. It is hard to see someone so afraid for thier own life, that they would end up in and follow through with such gruesom acts.

Do you really think that he is afraid of his own life. I don't think he can conceive how precious life is. Environmental influences I guess.

That is a good point. He may not understand the value of life, or may not value it himself. I will have to keep reading to get a better feel of his character.

I think mary had a good heart and probably had a truer nature to help the oppressed than her father. She was just niave and was just beginning to learn about how she might funnel her desires to equalize black and white, poor and rich and may have been enamored by Jans party platform. Unfortunatley she did rather look at bigger and the neighborhood and restaraunt as one might look at a bug under a microscope because no matter what she aspired to be, unpredjiduced, she still felt the underlying difference between them.
as far as biggers fears after killing Mary..I think he very much wants to live and would do anything to cover up his crime, again with no thought to how that will affect Jan an innocent man. He may think 'so what? he's white, it's just paybacks for all the injustices done to me and mine.'