Bigger’s friends Jack, G.H., and Gus cause Bigger to try and hide his fears and act differently several times in the novel. The way Bigger copes with his fears is by trying to blame them on others. Early on, Bigger and his friends discuss robbing Blum’s store and Bigger has several fears concerning this dangerous job. He normally doesn’t feel this way because they always have robbed other blacks, however this time they’ll be robbing a white man. When confronted with this fear, Bigger reacts with violence, and tries to hide h

Bigger’s family causes him to do things and feel certain ways that he is uncomfortable with. A general statement Bigger makes throughout the novel is how much he hates his family and wishes he didn’t have to deal with them. However, Bigger does show that he has some sense of loyalty and love for his family. “He hated his family because he knew that they were suffering and that he was powerless to help them” (13). Even though the quote states that he hates his family at first, he shows he really does care about them. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t care that they were suffering. This insight Bigger gives helps in understanding why Bigger does certain things throughout the novel. He works for the Dalton’s in order to provide for his family who needs the money. He also tries to serve as a good role model for his brother Buddy several times as well. A time when Bigger first shows his care for his family is while he’s awaiting his trial. While his family visits him in jail, Bigger’s mother asks one thing of him, to pray. After several times of telling her to forget him, he’s finally hit with the realization that this is his mother’s last wish of him. Even though he knows it’s a lie, he shows compassion for his mother. “His hands finally touched her face and he said with a sigh (knowing that it would never be, knowing that his heart did not believe, knowing that when he died, it would be over, forever): “I’ll pray, Ma”” (278). Through this quote, Bigger shows that even though he knows it’s over, he still has some sense of loyalty and love for his family. He didn’t have to say he’d pray, but knowing that it was his mother’s last wish for him, he did it for her. Through this action, he shows he can react to a difficult situation i

Some topics in this essay:
Bigger Instead, Bigger Gus, Bigger Thomas, Richard Wright, GH Gus, Dalton Bigger, William James, Gus Bigger, authority figures, bigger thomas, GH Jack, throughout novel, loyalty love family, causes bigger, getting caught, gus bigger, bigger planned, richard wright, dalton bigger, sense loyalty love, tries hide fear, kills mary,