1. What are some of the reasons that Bigger begins to trust Jan and Boris Max?
2. Why does Bigger attack Reverend Hammond and discard the cross Hammond has given to him?
3. What two incidents in the novel indicate that the author believes that the psychiatric profession has contributed to racism?
FIRST RESPONSE ~WHOLE GROUP~
ReplyDelete1. What are some of the reasons that Bigger begins to trust Jan and Boris Max?
Some of the reasons Bigger felt trust towards Jan and Boris Max because they treat him like an equal. Jan came to Bigger, after Bigger was arrested, and said, “I’m not angry and I want to let me help you.” (pg.287) In book one Bigger told Jan that he was blinded by the world. Jan says, (in book three pg.287) “Well, you jarred me…I see now. I was kind of blind-,” Bigger begins to trust Jan because someone of a greater stature in life listened to what Bigger had to say and Jan took Bigger’s advice to heart and changed. Bigger trusts Max because he is the only one to help Bigger when he knows it is a lost cause but Max tries all he can to help Bigger.
2. Why does Bigger attack Reverend Hammond and discard the cross Hammond has given to him?
Bigger attacked Reverend Hammond and discarded the cross Hammond gave to him because Bigger felt that God couldn’t help him anymore and that Bigger was on a trial to nowhere but the electric chair. Mr. Max is the one who gives Bigger hope when Bigger yells that he cannot win against this, but Max keeps telling him to keep going and trying.
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ReplyDeleteAVERY DARGIE ~SECOND TIME~
ReplyDelete1. What are some of the reasons that Bigger begins to trust Jan and Boris Max?
Some of the reasons Bigger felt trust towards Jan and Boris Max because they treat him like an equal. Jan came to Bigger, after Bigger was arrested, and said, “I’m not angry and I want to let me help you.” (pg.287) In book one Bigger told Jan that he was blinded by the world. Jan says, (in book three pg.287) “Well, you jarred me…I see now. I was kind of blind-,” Bigger begins to trust Jan because someone of a greater stature in life listened to what Bigger had to say and Jan took Bigger’s advice to heart and changed. Jan was being a bigger man because Bigger had first told the police that Jan had been the killer of Mary Dalton, and the police took Jan into custody where he was questioned for days. Bigger trusts Max because he is the only one to help Bigger when he knows it is a lost cause but Max tries all he can to help Bigger.
2. Why does Bigger attack Reverend Hammond and discard the cross Hammond has given to him?
Bigger attacked Reverend Hammond and discarded the cross Hammond gave to him because Bigger felt that God couldn’t help him anymore and that Bigger was on a trial to nowhere but the electric chair. Mr. Max is the one who gives Bigger hope when Bigger yells that he cannot win against this, but Max keeps telling him to keep going and trying, even though throughout the book there are countless numbers of references to God and religion to which his family supports thoroughly.
1. Some of the reasons that Bigger begins to trust Jan and Boris Max because they treated Bigger as if he were a white person. Also, Jan told Bigger that he is not angry at him. As Bigger sits in his jail cell, Jan says to him, “‘I’m not angry and I want you to let me help you. I don’t hate you for trying to blame this thing on me…’” (page 287.) Jan, being a communist, believes that all races have the same amount of rights and amount of wealth. He is still a little angry with Mary’s death, however deep down inside, he knows for a fact that he made Bigger uncomfortable when he first met him. While arguing with Buckley, Boris Max said towards him, “‘I reserve the right to whether I should defend him or not,’ ” (page 293.) Max himself had a terrible time with discrimination in America because he is Jewish. So to Bigger, he believes that he has finally found someone who truly understands him. As Bigger sits in his jail cell solemnly, Max tells Bigger, “‘Listen, Bigger, you’re facing a sea of hate now…you’ve got to fight.’ ” (page 346.) To Bigger, Max represents hope towards him. In other words, he is like Bigger’s “Jimmy Cricket” or his conscious.
ReplyDelete2. Bigger attacks the Reverend and discards the cross the reverend gave him because he feels that the reverend cannot help Bigger. As the reverend gives Bigger the cross, Bigger thinks to himself, “He was feeling the words of the preacher, feeling that life was flesh nailed to the world…”(page 286.) To the preacher, death is like a portal towards a new life. To Bigger, death is simply filled with nothing but emptiness. As Bigger watches the Ku Klux Klan cross burn, “He had a cross of salvation round his throat and they were burning one to tell him that they hated him!”(page 338.) To Bigger, the cross symbolizes the white’s discrimination dominating over the African Americans. Also, the Reverend represents a welcome towards death. After speaking with the preacher, Bigger thinks to himself,” As he gazed at it (the burning cross) he remembered…how the lowly Jesus had carried the cross, paving the way, showing how to die…”(page 337.) Bigger starts to lose his belief in God because he feels that God is not someone who can protect him and make him happy (just like with Elizer in the novel, Night.) Also, to Bigger, even if he did somehow gain “another life”, he would feel like that his “next life” would still be just as miserable as his current one. (Athena Baker, second time, part one.)
3. The two incidents that happened in the book that indicate that psychiatric professions has contributed towards racism are when Bigger meets the African American who claims to tell on the president on the problems of racism and when Max makes his speech in front of everyone in the trial. As the police take an African American intellectual to Bigger’s jail cell, “You can’t cover up your crimes! I’ll publish them to the whole world! I know why you’re putting me in jail!”(page 343.) To many African Americans at the time, it seems natural that the white people get all the power. However, to the yelling man and Bigger, it is not since they know they deserve to have as much rights as white people. After seeing how intense the yelling man is, “They (the police)…grabbed the yelling man…and carted him away. Bigger sat up and stared before him, hopelessly.”(page 344.) For the first time in Bigger’s life, he has come to realize that there are other people in his race who despised the discrimination from the whites. Also, when Bigger meets the yelling man, he starts to feel as though that perhaps white people really are born to have power over African Americans. During Bigger’s trial in court, Max announces to everyone, “‘The hate and fear which we have inspired in him, woven by our civilization…have become the justification of his existence.’”(page 400.) African Americans typically feel powerless around white people because for so long the white people have oppressed them. According to Max, he believes that it is human nature for discrimination to happen because for so long, whites and African Americans had different ways of living and have lived in different regions. (Athena Baker, second time, part two.)
ReplyDelete1. Some of the reasons that Bigger begins to trust Jan and Max are because they treated Bigger like an equal person, they are like role models to Bigger, and they, like Bigger, have all been oppressed by other white people. While arguing with Buckley, Boris Max said towards him, “‘I reserve the right to whether I should defend him or not,’ ” (page 293.) Max himself had a terrible time with discrimination in America because he is Jewish. So to Bigger, he believes that he has finally found someone who truly understands him. As Bigger sits on the cot in his cell, Jan tells Bigger, “ ‘I was in jail grieving for Mary and then I thought of all the black men who’ve been killed…I thought that if they could stand it, then I ought to.’ “(page 288.) Bigger finally realizes that perhaps not all white people like to oppress African Americans. He knows that Jan is telling the truth because of how serious he talks when he tells Bigger about his experience in jail(which also gives Bigger a bit of hope inside him.) As Bigger sits in his jail cell solemnly, Max tells Bigger, “‘Listen, Bigger, you’re facing a sea of hate now…you’ve got to fight.’ ” (page 346.) To Bigger, Max is like Bigger’s “Jimmy Cricket” or his conscious. Max helps Bigger give him back his dignity because without his dignity, Bigger would die like an animal with no feelings or sense of mind whatsoever.
ReplyDelete2. Bigger attacks the Reverend because he feels that the Reverend (as well as God himself) cannot provide him hope. As Bigger watches the Ku Klux Klan cross burn, “He had a cross of salvation round his throat and they were burning one to tell him that they hated him!”(page 338.) To Bigger, the cross symbolizes the white’s discrimination dominating over the African Americans. Also, to Bigger, the Reverend and his cross represents a welcome towards death. As Max talks with Bigger about the crime he has committed, Bigger replies towards him, “‘Well, they (the white people) own everything. They choke you off the face of the earth. They like God…’ “(page 353.) Bigger believes that God cannot help him because just like Elizer in the novel, Night, he feels that God is not someone who can protect him and make him happy in his current human form. Knowing the terrible oppression he and other African Americans have faced for a long time, Bigger does not have any reason as to why he should still believe in something that cannot even protect him from the evils of the Earth(such as the white oppression.) After watching the Ku Klux Klan cross burn, Bigger shouts to everyone, ‘I can die without a cross!’”(page 338.) A cross to Bigger represents nothingness (including without dignity.) To him, if he dies with a cross, then he would prove to the whole world that he and other African Americans that they are nothing but animals without a soul. (Athena Baker, third time, part one.)
3. The two incidents in the novel that indicate that the author believes that the psychiatric profession has contributed to racism are when Bigger notices the Ku Klux Klan cross burning and when Max makes his speech during the trial. During Bigger’s trial in court, Max announces to everyone, “‘The hate and fear which we have inspired in him, woven by our civilization…have become the justification of his existence.’”(page 400.) African Americans typically feel powerless around white people because for so long the white people have oppressed them. According to Max, he believes that it is human nature for discrimination to happen because for so long, whites and African Americans had different ways of living and have lived in different regions. As he gazed at it (the burning cross) he remembered…how the lowly Jesus had carried the cross, paving the way, showing how to die…” (page 337.) The belief of Jesus Christ originally came from the white people’s (mainly) Christian religion. So to Bigger, the burning of the cross symbolizes the hatred the white people feel for Bigger and his people. Max claims to the entire court, “It is because of the almost instinctive nature of these crimes that I say that the mental and emotional life of this boy is important…” (page 377.) Bigger is confused about the crime he has committed and tried to escape from. Since he and other African Americans at the time did not have the same education as white people did, it is clearly obvious that they will be likely to get themselves into situations in which none of them know how to get out of. (Athena Baker, third time, part two.)
ReplyDelete3. The two incidents in the novel that indicate that the author believes that the psychiatric profession has contributed to racism are when Max makes his speech in front of the entire court and when Bigger meets the African American who claims to tell on the president on the problems of racism. During Bigger’s trial in court, Max announces to everyone, “‘The hate and fear which we have inspired in him, woven by our civilization…have become the justification of his existence.’”(page 400.) African Americans typically feel powerless around white people because for so long the white people have oppressed them. According to Max, he believes that it is human nature for discrimination to happen because for so long, whites and African Americans had different ways of living and have lived in different regions. After seeing how intense the yelling man is, “They (the police)…grabbed the yelling man…and carted him away. Bigger sat up and stared before him, hopelessly.”(page 344.) For the first time in Bigger’s life, he has come to realize that there are other people in his race who despised the discrimination from the whites. Also, when Bigger meets the yelling man, he starts to feel as though that perhaps white people really are born to have power over African Americans. As the screaming man continues to demand the police for his release, one of the police men reply replies, “‘He says he’s got to the bottom of why colored people folks are treated bad…He’s nuts.’”(page 343.) The reason why African Americans did not have the same education as white people at the time is because white people are afraid that the wiser the African American, the more likely the African American will rebel against the white people and perhaps change the whole American government system. Even though the yelling man did not really give Bigger back his dignity, he did however show Bigger why is it important to still keep on fighting for what a person believes is right. (Athena Baker, third response for this question.)
ReplyDelete3. The two incidents in the novel that indicate that the author believes that the psychiatric profession has contributed to racism are when the yelling African American man is placed in Bigger’s cell for a temporarily amount of time and when Bigger reads the newspapers about his cases/crimes. After seeing how intense the yelling man is, “They (the police)…grabbed the yelling man…and carted him away. Bigger sat up and stared before him, hopelessly.”(page 344.) For the first time in Bigger’s life, he has come to realize that there are other people in his race who despised the discrimination from the whites. Also, when Bigger meets the yelling man, he starts to feel as though that perhaps white people really are born to have power over African Americans. As the screaming man continues to demand the police for his release, one of the police men reply replies, “‘He says he’s got to the bottom of why colored people folks are treated bad…He’s nuts.’”(page 343.) The reason why African Americans did not have the same education as white people at the time is because white people are afraid that the wiser the African American, the more likely the African American will rebel against the white people and perhaps change the whole American government system. Even though the yelling man did not really give Bigger back his dignity, he did however show Bigger why is it important to still keep on fighting for what a person believes is right. As Bigger reads the newspaper, he notices the words, “ Still another psychological deterrent can be attained by conditioning Negroes so that they have to pay deference to the white person…”(page 281.) The white people think it is scandalous for African Americans and white people to be together because then segregation cannot be done. Also, the inference being made from the quote is that fact that many white people at the time thinks that all African American men are rapists. (Athena Baker, fourth time for this question.)
ReplyDeleteAVERY DARGIE ~THIRD TIME~
ReplyDelete1. What are some of the reasons that Bigger begins to trust Jan and Boris Max?
Some of the reasons Bigger felt trust towards Jan and Boris Max because they treat him like an equal. Jan came to Bigger, after Bigger was arrested, and said, “I’m not angry and I want to let me help you.” (pg.287) In book one Bigger told Jan that he was blinded by the world. Jan says, (in book three pg.287) “Well, you jarred me…I see now. I was kind of blind-,” Bigger begins to trust Jan because someone of a greater stature in life listened to what Bigger had to say and Jan took Bigger’s advice to heart and changed. Jan was being a bigger man because Bigger had first told the police that Jan had been the killer of Mary Dalton, and the police took Jan into custody where he was questioned for days. Bigger trusts Max because he is the only one to help Bigger when he knows it is a lost cause but Max tries all he can to help Bigger.
2. Why does Bigger attack Reverend Hammond and discard the cross Hammond has given to him?
Bigger attacked Reverend Hammond and discarded the cross Hammond gave to him because Bigger felt that God couldn’t help him anymore and that Bigger was on a trial to nowhere but the electric chair. Mr. Max is the one who gives Bigger hope when Bigger yells that he cannot win against this, but Max keeps telling him to keep going and trying, even though throughout the book there are countless numbers of references to God and religion to which his family supports thoroughly.
3. When an African American man who is considered insane by the white authorities is put in the same cell with Bigger; is implying that all black men are insane and really can’t be told apart from one that is actually considered insane by a physician. When Bigger reads newspapers about his case/crimes, psychologists are quoted as saying that African American men cannot resist white women; this is saying that every single black man in America would prefer to engage in a sexual intercourse or be with a white woman because they are unavailable and they always want what they can’t have. This is an awful statement to say one because no black men are exactly alike in what they prefer and they just used Bigger court case to get the word out there that the blacks should still be kept apart from the white race.