Native Son pages (62-93) 3rd Essay Prompt
When Bigger is around Jan and Mary he gets furious and is filled with hatred, anger, and fear. It says, "He felt he had no physical existence at all right then: he was something he hated, the badge of shame which he knew was attached to a black skin."(Wright 67) Bigger feels this way when Jan confronts him on calling him "sir," when Mary says, "I'm on your side," (Wright 64) and when Jan and Mary believe they are going to turn the whole world's racism around towards blacks. Bigger knows they can't do anything to stop the equality in the world, he says, "There's a lot of white people in the world," (Wright 75) which confirms his believe about how Jan and Mary's efforts are useless and in a way degrading towards Bigger because they think they understand his feelings. "They were never on a common level." (Wright 72) The quote shows that Bigger was never comfortable with them because of the way they treated him and because he was black. His skin color separates him the most. It says, "If he were white, if he were like them, it would have been different. But he was black. So he sat still, his arms and legs, aching."(Wright 69) He would never feel comfortable with them.
Mary and Jan also treat him like an object. Mary says, '"They have so much emotion! What a people! If we could ever get them going..."We can't have a revolution without 'em." Jan said. "They've got to be organized. They've got spirit. They'll give the party something it needs."'(Wright 77) I find it very disrespectful how Mary and Jan talk about Bigger's race. They talk about the issue like a joke. This quote pissed me off a good amount because of how Mary and Jan stated their words and it obviously pissed Bigger off. They might have feelings for the black race, but they are on a totally different level. They have to realize that they will "never" understand what black people go through. In this time period, white people are white, and black people are black, nothing is similar between them, but Jan and Mary believe there is no barrier.
http://jg007kill.blogspot.com/ Joey Guerra
Monday, April 11, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
2nd period pages 97-156 Joey Guerra
2nd period pages 97-156 Joey Guerra 3rd Essay Prompt
I hate Bigger. He is too caught up in himself and doesn't care about others. He is happy about Mary's death, it was not an accident he says, "No; it was no accident, and he would never say that it was. There was in him a kind of terrified pride in feeling and thinking that some day he would be able to say publicly that he had done it."(Wright 106) He just wants attention and revenge on the white race. He feels pride with murdering someone higher in class with him. He wants others to know about. He is out of his mind. After a killing her the book says, "It was the first time he had ever been in their presence without feeling fearful,"(Wright 113) "He was full of excitement"(Wright 141) and "He felt that he had his destiny in his grasp. He was more alive than he could ever remember having been; his mind and attention were pointed, focused towards a goal."(Wright 149) These quotes prove that the deed that Bigger has done has made him feel more alive, better about himself, and without fear. It does not matter how he feels, he still killed an innocent girl.
He thinks he is dodging everyone, he says, "Jan was blind. Mary had been blind. Mr. Dalton was blind. And Mrs. Dalton was blind; yes, blind in more ways than one."(Wright 107) This quote shows that Bigger thinks that no one knows or will find about about what he has done. He seems cocky. He even decides that he wants to write letters to Mr. Dalton from Mary to get thousands of dollars. It's obvious he will not get away with doing all this. He is so short minded. He only cares about money and himself.
I feel like everything Bigger has done has been completely wrong. He could have not put Mary in the furnace and maybe brought her to the hospital to try and revive her. He could have not suffocated her in the first place and he should not have drank so much that night when he was on the job. He is lying to everyone, showing off his big chunk of bills, and is digging himself into a bigger whole. Someone will catch Bigger and he will be completely screwed.
http://jg007kill.blogspot.com/ Joey Guerra
I hate Bigger. He is too caught up in himself and doesn't care about others. He is happy about Mary's death, it was not an accident he says, "No; it was no accident, and he would never say that it was. There was in him a kind of terrified pride in feeling and thinking that some day he would be able to say publicly that he had done it."(Wright 106) He just wants attention and revenge on the white race. He feels pride with murdering someone higher in class with him. He wants others to know about. He is out of his mind. After a killing her the book says, "It was the first time he had ever been in their presence without feeling fearful,"(Wright 113) "He was full of excitement"(Wright 141) and "He felt that he had his destiny in his grasp. He was more alive than he could ever remember having been; his mind and attention were pointed, focused towards a goal."(Wright 149) These quotes prove that the deed that Bigger has done has made him feel more alive, better about himself, and without fear. It does not matter how he feels, he still killed an innocent girl.
He thinks he is dodging everyone, he says, "Jan was blind. Mary had been blind. Mr. Dalton was blind. And Mrs. Dalton was blind; yes, blind in more ways than one."(Wright 107) This quote shows that Bigger thinks that no one knows or will find about about what he has done. He seems cocky. He even decides that he wants to write letters to Mr. Dalton from Mary to get thousands of dollars. It's obvious he will not get away with doing all this. He is so short minded. He only cares about money and himself.
I feel like everything Bigger has done has been completely wrong. He could have not put Mary in the furnace and maybe brought her to the hospital to try and revive her. He could have not suffocated her in the first place and he should not have drank so much that night when he was on the job. He is lying to everyone, showing off his big chunk of bills, and is digging himself into a bigger whole. Someone will catch Bigger and he will be completely screwed.
http://jg007kill.blogspot.com/ Joey Guerra
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Native Son pages 62-93
Native Son pages 62-93 2nd period
Mary is kind, careless, and misguided. She is kind to Bigger because of his position in society. She wants to help him and she wants them to be friends. She says, "I can trust you...I'm on your side." (Wright 64) As soon as she meets Bigger she wants to let him know that she will trust him and that he will trust her. She is starting to build a foundational friendship with him. She also says, "That's what we Communists are fighting. We want to stop people from treating others that way. I'm a member of the Party," (Wright 75) and "we'd like yo be your friends." (Wright 75) Mary is very kind because she wants to stop the inequality between the black and the white races, but she does not understand the concept of connecting with black people. Jan and her take him out to dinner in his neighborhood, buy him alcohol, and treat him like a human, but even though these are very kind moves from a white person to a black person it does not change how Bigger sees himself. He will always see himself through white eyes.
Even though Mary is kind to Bigger, she is careless about her actions and consequences for others. She tells Bigger to lie to her father, to go to a different location than before, and she also gets completely hammered. She shows here carelessness when she says, "I want you to drive me to the Loop. But if anyone should ask you, then I went to the University, see, Bigger?"(Wright 64) This shows that she is only caring about herself, if she gets caught by her father it's no big deal, but if Bigger gets caught lying, larger consequences would occur. She is only focused on the point of not getting caught by her dad. By the time she gets home she is completely gone because of all the alcohol she had consumed. By doing this she puts all the responsibility on Bigger to make sure she gets to bed safely without waking her father up. I just feel like Mary is crazy and always wants to be on the non-common side of the spectrum. She just wants to be different and have fun. She is a lying Communist getting drunk with a black man at night. Then she lies dead at the end of Book One. Her craziness, carelessness, and Communistic ideas killed her.
The most obvious point about Mary, is that she is misguided. She tries to feel for Bigger because of the way society is against him, but it is impossible. She thinks African Americans are a different being in my mind. She says, "They have so much emotion, what a people! What a people! if we could ever get them going...They've got spirit. they'll give the Party something it needs. And their songs- the spirituals! Aren't they marvelous?" (Wright 77) When Mary says this it seems like she thinks of blacks as materials and that she thinks blacks need help to start there life. She is generalizing the whole black race. She doesn't know anything about them. She only feels bad for them because her father is taking all their money and letting her spend it. Bigger doesn't feel connected at this point, "never were they on a common level." (Wright 72) He can't feel like she understand because she is white. She never will understand because she is rich and white. He is black and poor. Bigger wants to be white but he never will be. Kindness, carelessness, and misguidance characterize Mary, but by the time Bigger cuts her head off and throws her into the furnace her white ghost is only left to haunt him.
http://jg007kill.blogspot.com/ Joey Guerra
Mary is kind, careless, and misguided. She is kind to Bigger because of his position in society. She wants to help him and she wants them to be friends. She says, "I can trust you...I'm on your side." (Wright 64) As soon as she meets Bigger she wants to let him know that she will trust him and that he will trust her. She is starting to build a foundational friendship with him. She also says, "That's what we Communists are fighting. We want to stop people from treating others that way. I'm a member of the Party," (Wright 75) and "we'd like yo be your friends." (Wright 75) Mary is very kind because she wants to stop the inequality between the black and the white races, but she does not understand the concept of connecting with black people. Jan and her take him out to dinner in his neighborhood, buy him alcohol, and treat him like a human, but even though these are very kind moves from a white person to a black person it does not change how Bigger sees himself. He will always see himself through white eyes.
Even though Mary is kind to Bigger, she is careless about her actions and consequences for others. She tells Bigger to lie to her father, to go to a different location than before, and she also gets completely hammered. She shows here carelessness when she says, "I want you to drive me to the Loop. But if anyone should ask you, then I went to the University, see, Bigger?"(Wright 64) This shows that she is only caring about herself, if she gets caught by her father it's no big deal, but if Bigger gets caught lying, larger consequences would occur. She is only focused on the point of not getting caught by her dad. By the time she gets home she is completely gone because of all the alcohol she had consumed. By doing this she puts all the responsibility on Bigger to make sure she gets to bed safely without waking her father up. I just feel like Mary is crazy and always wants to be on the non-common side of the spectrum. She just wants to be different and have fun. She is a lying Communist getting drunk with a black man at night. Then she lies dead at the end of Book One. Her craziness, carelessness, and Communistic ideas killed her.
The most obvious point about Mary, is that she is misguided. She tries to feel for Bigger because of the way society is against him, but it is impossible. She thinks African Americans are a different being in my mind. She says, "They have so much emotion, what a people! What a people! if we could ever get them going...They've got spirit. they'll give the Party something it needs. And their songs- the spirituals! Aren't they marvelous?" (Wright 77) When Mary says this it seems like she thinks of blacks as materials and that she thinks blacks need help to start there life. She is generalizing the whole black race. She doesn't know anything about them. She only feels bad for them because her father is taking all their money and letting her spend it. Bigger doesn't feel connected at this point, "never were they on a common level." (Wright 72) He can't feel like she understand because she is white. She never will understand because she is rich and white. He is black and poor. Bigger wants to be white but he never will be. Kindness, carelessness, and misguidance characterize Mary, but by the time Bigger cuts her head off and throws her into the furnace her white ghost is only left to haunt him.
http://jg007kill.blogspot.com/ Joey Guerra
Monday, April 4, 2011
Native Son pages 34-62 Question 2nd period
Native Son pages 34-62 Question 2nd period
Bigger is a very confusing character to look at. He is "selling out" to the Dalton's, and he seems to be surrendering because of his attitude to the white Dalton's when he speaks to them, but when he is by himself in his room he seems to be destructive with his own fantasized dreams. Getting back to the idea of Bigger "selling out," he mentions many times that he is happy with his new life at the Dalton's because of all the new food, money, warmth, and the presence of a new different acting rich girl, Miss Dalton. he says, "She was rich, but she didn't act like she was rich...Maybe she was all right."(Wright 59) This quote symbolizes Bigger's thoughts towards Miss Dalton, he does not hate here like other rich girls because of the way she acts towards him. In a way he feels different, and on kind of a stretch, connected. He also says, "This is not going to be bad at all" (Wright 59), “There were a lot of new things I could get” (Wright 59), and "This would be an easy life" (Wright 59). All these quotes show that Bigger has been "sold out." In just a few hours he already seems to believe he is in a better life than before, he thinks its going to be easy, and that he knows he will be able to by many things. The fact that his whole mind has changed from, "terrible life as a black person" to "great life no matter the skin color." He surrenders whenever he is talking with one of the white folks by only saying, "Yessum" to every single order he gets. He says, "Ill be careful" (Wright 61) when she talks to him about the car. But when he is in his room he has the total opposite idea of being safe. He says, "What make of car was he to drive? He had not thought to look when Peggy had opened the garage door. He hoped it would be a Packard, or a Lincoln, or a Rolls Royce. Boy! Would he drive! Just wait! Of course, he would be careful when he was driving Miss or Mr. Dalton. But when he was alone he would burn up the pavement; he would make those tires smoke!” (Wright 59) This shows that Bigger seems to be surrendering to the Dalton's when he is talking to them face to face and he seems responsible, but when he is alone and is thinking in his fantasy world, he only thinks about himself and all responsibility is lost. Bigger is pretty happy with his new lifestyle and is ready to take advantage of what the Dalton's are giving him. He is in for a brand new journey with white people. Everything he does is on the line.
http://jg007kill.blogspot.com/ Joey Guerra
Bigger is a very confusing character to look at. He is "selling out" to the Dalton's, and he seems to be surrendering because of his attitude to the white Dalton's when he speaks to them, but when he is by himself in his room he seems to be destructive with his own fantasized dreams. Getting back to the idea of Bigger "selling out," he mentions many times that he is happy with his new life at the Dalton's because of all the new food, money, warmth, and the presence of a new different acting rich girl, Miss Dalton. he says, "She was rich, but she didn't act like she was rich...Maybe she was all right."(Wright 59) This quote symbolizes Bigger's thoughts towards Miss Dalton, he does not hate here like other rich girls because of the way she acts towards him. In a way he feels different, and on kind of a stretch, connected. He also says, "This is not going to be bad at all" (Wright 59), “There were a lot of new things I could get” (Wright 59), and "This would be an easy life" (Wright 59). All these quotes show that Bigger has been "sold out." In just a few hours he already seems to believe he is in a better life than before, he thinks its going to be easy, and that he knows he will be able to by many things. The fact that his whole mind has changed from, "terrible life as a black person" to "great life no matter the skin color." He surrenders whenever he is talking with one of the white folks by only saying, "Yessum" to every single order he gets. He says, "Ill be careful" (Wright 61) when she talks to him about the car. But when he is in his room he has the total opposite idea of being safe. He says, "What make of car was he to drive? He had not thought to look when Peggy had opened the garage door. He hoped it would be a Packard, or a Lincoln, or a Rolls Royce. Boy! Would he drive! Just wait! Of course, he would be careful when he was driving Miss or Mr. Dalton. But when he was alone he would burn up the pavement; he would make those tires smoke!” (Wright 59) This shows that Bigger seems to be surrendering to the Dalton's when he is talking to them face to face and he seems responsible, but when he is alone and is thinking in his fantasy world, he only thinks about himself and all responsibility is lost. Bigger is pretty happy with his new lifestyle and is ready to take advantage of what the Dalton's are giving him. He is in for a brand new journey with white people. Everything he does is on the line.
http://jg007kill.blogspot.com/ Joey Guerra
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