Freewrite: Analyze a character, symbol, paragraph, quotation, or a single word in this section of the novel and discuss its importance.
Directions:
Answer the blog question fully and completely and then reply to one of your classmates' responses.
Use the reply button to reply directly to your classmates' responses.
Jan is an important character at this point in time. Not to say that the other characters aren't important, but Jan is in the "hot seat" right now. Jan is an important character right now because he is trying to figure out what is going on, and just like everyone else, he's trying to discover where Mary is. Everyone is depending on Jan right now to find Mary while Bigger is depending on Jan to continue being a suspect for the reason Mary is gone. I sympathize for him because he doesn't deserve to be accused for something he didn't do. He loved Mary; he wouldn't have hurt her. This reminds me of young people who date someone who their parents don't condone them dating.
ReplyDelete@ Keisha I agree. Jan definitely has a big responsibility now. He has to not only clear himself of the crime, but i believe that he will attempt to help Britten and his true find out what truly happened to Mary.
DeleteBessie has turned into an important character. Her role has turned to someone who was barely mentioned, to someone who now is being forced to help accompany Bigger in a heist. Bessie is terrified of Bigger's plan, but he has now threatened to kill her since she knows to much. She knows that in order to keep herself safe she knows that she will have to go along with Bigger's plan. Even though Bessie is afraid of getting caught, I think that she is still thinking about how much money that can make if they actually get away with the heist.
ReplyDeleteBessie is now one of the major characters. I never thought that she would turn into such a major character. I was kind of shocked when Bigger threatened to kill Bessie, but then I kind of wasn't because he has done it before. I don't think that she will go through with the plan; I think she will find a way to get out of it even if she has to tell on Bigger. I look forward to see what happens.
Delete@ Keisha, I agree as I never thought Bessie would become as important in this story. I am not at all surprised that Bigger threaten to kill her if she does not participate. Bigger always saw himself as a "Killer" and now that he has murdered Mary, it won't be that hard to do another, especially Bessie. In those times Bessie could get murdered and no one would probably care.
DeleteJan is an important character because he's responsible for finding out what happened to Mary. He has put his self in the spot light to be judged and accused for something he didn't do. Instead of Bigger stepping up and taking on what he has done he continues to stay in the background and watch as Jan is being accused. Jan acts as a suspect through out this whole section because of how concern he is and it looks as though he is guilty because he's more concerned than others are even though he's really innocent.
ReplyDeletei thought agree with you Carletha i feel like Jan can be the hero or become an innocent bistandard. Bigger is a coward and not going to take the blame, i even feel like he can watch another man suffer for his own doing. i dont think Jan is a bright kid because he would had put the story together and figure out that Bigger was the one with Mary last, so he should know what happen to Mary.
DeleteIn this section blindness is a prominent symbol in this section. Bigger has spoken about this previously. On his way to see Bessie, the text mentions how Bessie is blind just like is mother and sister. He believes this is not a physical ailment but a mental one because they are unable to understand him or how he feels. This same condition can be found when speaking about Mr. Britten and his team. They are "blind" to the fact that Bigger is lying to them. However, towards the end of the section, Mr. Britten seems to be catching onto Bigger's lies.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you because the way Bigger perceives everyone changed after he murdered Mary. Perception is an important concept in "Native Son" because all the characters have their way of seeing the other characters. For example, Mr. and Mrs. Dalton think that every Negro wants to make a positive change in their life, but sadly, they are blind because they can’t see how greedy, selfish, and violent Bigger Thomas truly is. All they see is a timid, quiet black boy who is supposedly trying to raise money for his family. Another example is Bigger’s family; they perceive Bigger to be violent, hot-tempered, hard headed, and disobedient at times, but they would never imagine Bigger killing a white girl. The reason being is because they think that he’s a black boy who shouldn’t be too close to a white girl nevertheless to kill her. That’s why Bigger also identifies his family to be blind.
DeleteJan is an important character because at this time in the story, everyone is depending on him. I feel all of the people in this story, has an important role. It is sad that Jan is in the hot seat. Bigger, obviously set him up to look like he was the last one to see Mary. Jan does not have a clue at this point as to what's going on. He like everyone else is trying to find out what has happened to Mary. The most horrific part of this is the fact that everyone is counting on Jan to locate Mary. My heart goes out to Jan because he does not deserve this. This is a prime example of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
ReplyDeleteBigger Thomas, a protagonist and main character of the Native Son. Bigger has his perpective on the white society that he kills a white girl. Bigger attitude change from being childish and goofy to a gangster and mean. Mary’s murder makes him believe that he has the power to assert himself against whites. i think Bigger becoming an antagonist because he the opposite of a hero. Bigger also new to the game so he starts off with the same lie but start thinking like a killer when he puts a ransom on Mary. Bigger is transforming into something evil and his lies are tangling that someone will find out the truth of Mary Dalton
ReplyDeleteI agree, but it was not a motive for Bigger to kill Mary Dalton, it was an accident. But he used that against society and made him become more powerful by lying to his manager about his daughter death. He transgress from innocent to experience in this novel because the innocent represented his lack of knowledge and ignorance and the experience represent his deceitfulness as he tries to cover up his mistake. i agree that he is definitely not a hero in this story.
DeleteIn this novel, I think that Bigger will always be the protagonist, antagonist, and just the one that makes this novel ultimately what it is. Bigger is the all-around character in this novel. Bigger becomes the center of attention, the patriarch, and someone who is tryiing to mature. He is like the dot in this society of white people who is becoming a messy mark as the novel proceds into action. I dont think no one in this novel is more important than Bigger, because he makes everybody else in this novel some form or fashion apart of him and how he acts. Therefore, all the other characters actions are based off of Biggers' in my opinion. In the beggining of the novel, Bigger starts out as the patriarch of his home and to some readers the hero of the novel, but now is turning into a cunning serpent. Bigger is the rising action, the climax, and the falling action of this novel; and that's what makes him the most important character in Native Son.
ReplyDeleteJennifer Tran Week 6
ReplyDeleteBigger is finding it harder to cover up his tracks and making sure that everything goes according to his plans. However, the addition of Mr. Britten shakes Bigger up because Mr. Britten was one of his major obstacles. Mr. Britten can be characterized as a white prejudice man; he jumps to conclusions without fully looking at the facts. At first, he suspected Bigger to be an accomplice of Jan and the communist party. Bigger didn't know what to make out of it because he hadn't thought he would be suspected for something like being an accomplice. He also felt hatred for Mr. Britten because he was being racist. "He had not thought that 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" (p. 153.) Then he automatically accuses Jan without letting him defend himself because Jan was a member of communist party. After Mr. Britten told Jan "I know your kind. You like to rush and have things your way," he started to drill Jan and questioned him as if he already knew Jan had taken Mary (p. 157.) Mr. Britten's biggest flaw is his racism; if he would put his opinions aside, maybe then can he find out what truly happened to Mary.
I agree. I also think Bigger felt like Britten was his enemy because Britten had asked a question he was not prepared for. Every other other question he breezed without even having tot hink about an answer, but when that question was asked it caused Bigger to pause and carefully think about his response. That was something that obviously didn't sit too well with him.
DeleteMary Dalton plays a major role in "Our Native Sons," because her character plays a role that is different from the norms. The norms at that time was that the white had more control then the African Americans. Their society viewed them as low class workers who is there to serve them. They are dangerous and worthless. But Mary Dalton treated Bigger like a human being. She did many things that goes against the society: she dated a communist, focused on social issues, and treated the African American people like everyone else. Eventually, she died from being killed by Bigger. She may seem like she was doing a good thing, but she was being innocent. She was being immature and ignorant; thus, this led to her death.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Mary was an innocent and good civilian. She treated everyone equally. Her death has become a big controversy because of her ignorance and carelessness. Bigger started off as a little crazy but when he carried Mary to her room he was just trying to do the right thing. His one mistake has forced him to make more mistakes. The ultimate lesson here is you cant lie because one lie leads to many lies
DeleteMary is very important from the moment we are first introduced to her. I agree that her carelessness is what got her into the situation with Bigger. Had she not been so clueless, she might have been spared.
DeleteBritten is an important character in this section because he's THAT close to finding out that Mary is dead if he continues on questioning the way he does. Bigger can only sustain so much questioning before he cracks and says something that shouldn't be said. Britten and his team are very good interrogators and it won't be long before they have a lead. When Jan asks Bigger why he would lie on him Bigger cannot answer because the guilt is killing him inside. If Britten smartens up and ask Bigger the same question Bigger wouldn't know what to say and you'll have your prime suspect.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the addition of Britten's character is important. I have to admit that I really do not like him of course because of his arrogance towards black people. However if anyone is to figure out who did it it would be him. I just hate how in this case his prejudice against black people will lead him in the right direction.
DeleteJan has become an important character in this section of the story. In the beginning of the book Bigger was kind of upset at Jan just because he was white and it made him uncomfortable. Now it seems as though the roles have been reversed and Bigger is sort of getting back at Jan for doing absoltely nothing to him. They are like mirrored images of each other because Bigger was angry with Jan because he was confused as to why he was being so nice to him. Jan is upset with Bigger because he is lying on him to Mr.Dalton and Britten.
ReplyDeleteI feel that Jan has become and important character in this story now. When he was first introduced I did not think much of him except that he was more of a third party character at the time. But now poor Jan is in trouble. He is being looked at as a prime suspect in Mary's disappearance. He would never hurt Mary and I wish people would realize that. Bigger I think is just a bad guy now. He uses Jan to frame him so he can get more money out of all the suspicion being off of him. I felt bad for Jan when he was being question because when he denied his story at first and then changed it when the pamphlets were presented that only mad him look more guilty. He did not even do anything. I think that somehow Jan will try and put two and two together and figure out that Mary is dead and it is Bigger's fault.
ReplyDeleteAt this point, Mary has become one of the most important characters. Once Bigger killed her, he started to play a more dominant role. It's ironic the way Write incorporated that into the novel. When everyone is questioning what happened to Mary, Mary becomes more alive. This section of the novel is centered around her. Her character, from the first time she was introduced, had always been important. Write made it a point to show her in a positive light, trying to make Bigger feel like an equal and never looking down upon him. The killing of Mary sparked something in bigger. The way Mary was killed says something about her character as well. Bigger was kind to her, as she had always been kind to him.
ReplyDeleteI have to say I agree with this because although Bigger is the criminal being tried and the person who committed the crime, even in death Mary as a person plays a more significant role in society than Bigger would ever play. It speaks to who society values at that time period.
DeleteEver since our class discussion I find it impossible to not consider Bessie and her role in the novel. It made me sick to read the parts where Bigger dragged her into his problem prior to the discussion but after discussing my disdain for Bigger's action has grown. His murder of her represents far more than his ruthlessness and stupidity, it shows the role black women play in our society. Even in the mind of someone she "loved" all she could be was an object. Bessie, in comparison to Mary, lacked the right to decide what happened in her own life. It's also awful that Bessie didn't even have time to define her own life before allowing her man to do so. It also shows that the black woman of that time had to grow far quicker than her other contemporaries. Neither Bigger, Mary, nor Jan appeared to have to slave to survive, but poor Bessie worked her entire life.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your analysis of Bessie in this section of the novel. It does show a deeper meaning of a woman and even a black woman than just her as Bigger's girlfriend. She was just an object to Bigger and it as very unfair to her because all she did was love him for who he was.
DeleteJan has become an important character in this particular part in the novel because of his new role. He has taken on the responsibility of finding out what happened to Mary. This in return is making him look like the bad guy due to his concern for her, although e as the audience know he did not harm her nor would he ever. Jan has progressed from a small extra character to a highlighted important character. This is unfair to him because he is being used by Bigger in a sense so that Bigger is taken out of the spotlight concerning Mary's death.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete