1. At the beginning of the novel, we are introduced to the Thomas family. Describe this family and the conditions in which they live? Be descriptive and use concrete details!
2, The title of Book One is Fear, how is this title symbolic and prophetic at the same time? What was Wright's intention with this title?
3. What initial event happens in the beginning of the novel that is clearly a foreshadowing of events to come?
4. How does Bigger feel about his home and its surroundings?
5. Who are Bigger's friends and what event takes place that creates a level of aggression with these friends?
6. Who are the Dalton's, and where and how do they live?
Grigg-
ReplyDelete1. The family is very disjointed and poor. They are living in a one room apartment and have little money. Their house is overrun with rats, and this shows how poor their living conditions really are, “A huge black rat squealed and leaped at Bigger’s trouser-leg and snagged it in his teeth, hanging on.” Bigger does not get along well with the rest of the family: “You scared your sister with that rat and she fainted! Ain’t you got no sense at all?” Bigger teases his own sister and doesn’t treat his family like they are his family. The women of the family are deathly afraid of rats.
2. A lot of Bigger’s fears are seen in this book. His fear of oppression is eminent. This is symbolic because his personality is very rebellious and is prophetic for the revolt to come. His anger and fear of the white race is expressed through the quote: “‘I could fly a plane if I had a chance,’ Bigger said ‘If you wasn’t black and if you had some money and if they’d let you go to that aviation school, you could fly a plane.’” Bigger is getting fed up with the restrictions and this anger is prophetic to what he will soon do.
3. I think the initial event that foreshadows the bad that Bigger will soon do is when he turns on his friends and attacks Gus. “The muscles of his body gave a tightening lunge and he saw his fist come down on the side of Gus’s head; he had struck him really before he was conscious of doing so… ‘You done spoiled things now,’ G.H. said ‘I reckon that was what you wanted…’” This shows how Bigger acts out of fear and on impulses. It says how he is unconscious of what he is actively doing. He betrays his friends and this shows that he isn’t compassionate about anyone.
4. Bigger really hates his family. He doesn’t like that he can’t do anything to help them. It says in the book, “He hated his family because he knew that they were suffering and that he was powerless to help them…So he held toward them an attitude of iron reserve; he lived with them, but behind a wall, a curtain.” I think that he despises his family because of a personal conflict. I think he would love them so much more if he offered the support financially and emotionally that he knows they deserve but he can’t offer.
5. Bigger is in a sort of gang; his friends are Gus, G.H., and Jack. He feels pressure to act tough and surely around them. It says: “He hoped the fight he had with Gus covered up what he was trying to hide. At least the fight made him feel the equal of them.” Bigger is trying to hide his fear of robbing the white people. He attacks Gus with a knife and thus betrays his friends forever. They will never trust him again.
6. The Dalton’s are the family that Bigger takes a job from. They are a very anti racial family and Mr. Dalton says: “You see, Bigger, I’m a supporter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.” The family is very supportive of this anti-racial group promoting blacks. Also it says, “He gave over five million dollars to colored schools.” The Dalton’s are a very nice and kind family. They live very moderately and not with the glitz and glam that other whites families of their financial state to. Peggy, one of their servants says, “Everything’s simple and nice around here…They’ve got millions, but they live like human beings. They don’t put on airs and strut. Mrs. Dalton believes that people should be that way.
Grigg- 2nd analysis
ReplyDelete1. They are living in a one room apartment and they sleep in only two beds even though there are four of them. There isn’t a father figure and Bigger’s mom expects him to be this. His mom treats him like a kid yet expects him to provide for the family and be a father figure. Bigger is childish, and he dangles a rat in front of his sister and makes her faint. He is emotionally immature. He can’t mature emotionally when there is no male figure modeling emotional maturity. It is very difficult for a woman teach a man to be a man. He has no model of the father figure that his mom expects from him. He puts up an iron curtain.
2. At the end of this book Bigger is running from the law. He has great fear that he will get caught and possibly executed. This title is prophetic because it foreshadows Bigger’s demise. Without fear being evoke the reader loses the connection with Bigger. Wright wanted to engage the audience into Bigger’s fear so an intense emotional connection is felt with Bigger.
3. After class today I now believe the initial event that foreshadows events to come is the demise of the rat. The rat and Bigger have many parallels. The rat is cramped into the apartment just like Bigger is cramped in society. The rat is merely looking for an escape, but is caught by Bigger. Bigger is also looking for a way out but is suppressed by the white oppressor. In the book it says, “The rat’s belly pulsed with fear. Bigger advanced a step and the rat emitted a long thin song of defiance, it black beady eyes glittering, its tiny forefeet pawing the air restlessly.” This quote shows how the rat is frozen with fear, cognizant of his demise. This foreshadows Bigger’s own demise. The rats not only dies but is crushed by Bigger. Something similar surely will happen to Bigger.
4. Bigger does not enjoy his home life. He feels his powerlessness and struggles to change. Inside he really only wants to be a child. He does not want to be the father figure his family expects from him. It is evident that Bigger seems very tough, annoyed and frustrated when he is at home around his family. This is in stark contrast to the “childlike wonder” that Bigger seems to be around his friends. Bigger puts up an “iron reserve” around his family.
5. Bigger acts very innocent and childlike when he is around his friends. This is something that is unseen when Bigger is around his family. Wright explains in the introduction: “He had become estranged from the religion and the folk culture of his race.” This shows that it was imminent for Bigger to revolt against his friends and become a loner.
6. The Dalton’s are a very kind family. Mr. Dalton is very nice and a member of the NAACP. Mrs. Dalton is blind but comes from a very rich family. This is much of the reason the Dalton’s can give so much to the poor. Young Ms. Dalton is wild and a rebel: “…She’s kind of wild, she is. Always in hot water. Keeps her folks worried.” She goes out drinking when her parents think she is at a lecture. She gets herself so drunk and passes out. Her behavior leads her to her own downfall.
Allegra Post 1
ReplyDelete1. The Thomas family lives in very poor conditions. They have two iron beds and four family members. Their poor conditions are perfect examples that show the oppression of African Americans in this society. From the beginning it is clear that there is a lack of a father in the house. This means that Bigger is forced to be the father figure and be "cheated" on his childhood. Bigger is not emotionally ready to take on such a big role, shown in the quote, "You scared your sister with that rat and she fainted! Ain’t you got no sense at all?" However, when he is around his friends he is different. He likes to make fun of white people and think about what he could be doing if they weren't oppressed. He tries to act tough and courageous and shows violence. Ultimately, Bigger is a father, dreamer, friend, and brother. He violent, immature, child-like, and tough traits.
2. Fear is what his family and many African Americans are living under. Also, it seems like the book will end with the reader fearing for Bigger. Wright's intention was to set the mood of the story.
3. When Bigger kills the rat, it is foreshadowing events to come. The rat is black, which is ironic. The rat is living in a confined space and is fearful and wants to escape. Bigger blocks its only way out and throws a skillet at it. After it is already dead, Bigger makes it a priority to smash its head in.
4. Bigger just wants to escape. He feels like he is cheated out of his childhood and doesn't want to be the father figure.
6. The Daltons are who Bigger is going to work for as a driver. Their top priority is to help African Americans. I think Mrs. Dalton wants Bigger to go back to school, too. They are not racist, and their daughter is a rebel just like Bigger.
Allegra Post 2
ReplyDeleteI would like to add to my question one that Bigger just wants to escape his life.
Allegra Post Tres
ReplyDeleteKUDOS GRIGG. I AGREE WITH YOU ON YOUR ANSWER TO QUESTION 3. NICE JOB KIDDO. KUDOS.
Allegra Post 4
ReplyDelete2. Fear is what Bigger's family and many African Americans are living under. I think the name of the book foreshadows what happened in the end. It leaves the reader fearing for Bigger and his life. However, the quote, "He eased the covers of the bed back and slipped beneath them and stretched out beside Buddy; in five minutes he was sound asleep," makes it seem like Bigger wasn't afraid for himself after killing Mary.
I think Wright's intention was to set the mood of the story. He uses a very simple adjective that contributes so much to the story. It foreshadows future events and sets a mood to the story.
Grigg- 3rd analysis
ReplyDelete1. There are many significant physical aspects of the Thomas family as well. The obvious is that the family is African American. The mom and sister are described as: “With their arms entwined about each other, the black mother and the brown daughter gazed open-mouthed at the trunk in the corner.” I think that the darker shades of the mom are symbolic to everything she has been through. The daughter is still innocent and hasn’t lived through some of the horrors her mom has. Bigger is a very tough and frustrated man at home. Buddy is a younger brother that tries to be like his older brother, Bigger. He attempts to help Bigger in killing the rat but is unable to provide much support. He is still very young.
2. I agree with you Allegra. That quote seems like Bigger doesn’t have any guilty conscience. He doesn’t seem to be scared for his life like most people would be after killing someone, especially a white woman in those times.
3. Richard Wright starts off his novel with explicit foreshadowing right from the beginning. When Bigger crushes the rats head and extends his death: “Bigger took a shoe and pounded the rat’s head, crushing it, cursing hysterically.” I think that this single crushing of the head shows how Bigger will be tortured to a disturbing and cruel death. Bigger is the oppressor of the rat and the white population is the oppressor of Bigger.
4. Bigger is not in favor of getting a job and does not want to be the provider for the family. In the story it says, “As he ate he felt that they were thinking of the job he was to get that evening and it made him angry; he felt that they had tricked him into a cheap surrender.” Bigger knows that his home life is very bad and his family is living in a cramped one room apartment but he does not want to give up his childhood to get a job and make a change for his family.
5. Bigger’s friends seem to be rebellious like him, but do not have the courage to initiate any plan of action. His friends seem to want a change but don’t want to get caught doing something against the law. Bigger is the extreme rebellious one.
6. Mrs. Dalton sent the last African American Chauffeur to night school to promote his education (he is nice very successful). I think that she has the same plan for Bigger. Ms. Dalton is a wild rebel and trouble is sure to come. Her personality is much like Bigger’s and I think between the two of them something terrible will happen.
Post #1 Part 1
ReplyDeleteArianna Amini
1. The Bigger family is very unique yet uniformed at the same time. The father’s walked out and the mother is left so support 3 kids. Bigger, being the older of the children has been put in the position as the father hood figure. There are 4 members in the Thomas family. There is the Ma, who is the mother figure of the family. Ma seems to be a kind, but stern mother. She is trying to raise a family without a husband and is struggling to get by. She treats Bigger as the father figure and holds him responsible for the money their family needs. She is always pushing Bigger to do better and warning him that he will regret the path he is following. “Some of these days you are going to wish you had made something out of yourself, instead of just a tramp. But itll be too late”. Ma is constantly yelling at Bigger and taunting him with words like these that only make it angrier. Bigger’s siblings Vera and Buddy are both just along for the ride. They follow Ma’s orders and also encourage Bigger to get his life together, but in kinder words. All 3 of Bigger’s family members constantly criticize Bigger’s way of life and his actions. He is constantly under pressure by his mother and siblings to get a job and succeed in life. “Naw! Nothing like that even bothers you! All you care about is your own pleasure! Even when the relief offers you a job you won’t take it they threaten to cut off your food and starve you! Bigger, honest, you the most no-countest man I’ve ever seen if my life!”(Wright,9). As you can see the pressure is on Bigger to do well in life because of how bad his living conditions and family conditions really are.
2. As I was reading this book I began to count the number times fear was talked about and after a while made the connection. This first book shows the many fears of Bigger including his fear to steal, fear to fail, and fear of no change. This whole “book” is in assence a symbol of all the different fears Bigger keeps inside. The first example of Bigger’s fear is when he is discussing stealing from the store with Gus and the gang. “He walked home with a mounting dealing of fear. When he reached his doorway, he hesitated about going up. He didn’t want to rob Blum’s; he was scared”(Wright, 35). This is a clear example of the fear Bigger holds inside him. The strong and violent face he puts out is just a cover, a cover of his true feelings of fear inside. Another example of Bigger’s fear is when he goes to his new job, in a white neighborhood. He is scared and unfamiliar with white people therefore takes procautions by carrying his gun. “he was going among white people, so he would take his knife and gun; it would make him feel that he was equal of them, give him a sense of completeness”(Wright, 43). This gun comforted his fear because it made him sure that no one could touch him and get away with it.
3. In the beginning of the novel, the Thompson family is woken up by a rat. Ma and Vera are both very scared of the rat and they tell Bigger and Buddy to trap him and kill him. “Buddy ran to a wooden box and shoved it quickly in front of the gaping hole in the molding and then backed again to the door, holding the skillet ready”(5). It is ironic how they are trapping the rat in the house to kill him when it is almost like Bigger is trapped in his life without a way out. He is trapped inside of this apartment with guilt that he is the reason his family is doing so bad and there is no way of escaping. I believe that the rat represents Bigger in this scene and how he is trapped in his own world
Arianna Amini Post #1 Part 2
ReplyDelete4. I think that Bigger is both ashamed and embarrassed about his home. I think he feels the poverty his family faces is because of him. “He knew that the moment he allowed himself to feel to its fullness how they lived, the shame and misery of their lives, he would be swept out of himself with fear and despair”(10). I feel that this quote pretty much sums up his feelings about his home. I believe that he associates himself with violence and gangs to get his mind off the poverty and despair he faces at home. I think he does whatever he pleases not to have to go home and face his family and the misery he believes he caused them. I also think he does not want to get a job and step up to the plate because then he will officially have full responsibility of his family.
5. Bigger has three good friends that are all part of his “gang”. This first friend we meet is Gus. At first Gus comes off as a tough guy who doesn’t let anyone step all over him. We hear about the many robberies and illegal things Bigger and Gus have done which puts off how tough Gus us. After Gus refuses to rob the store with the rest of the gang, Bigger accuses him of being scared when Bigger is really the scared one. He is using Gus as a scapegoat and praying that if he doesn’t show up they wont have to rob the store, but when Gus does show up it shows his commitment to promises. “The suddenly, he felt sick. He saw Gus coming along the street. And his muscles stiffened. He was going to do something to Gus; just what, he did not know”(37). In the end Bigger was the real coward who picked a fight with Gus just to avoid the robbery. His other 2 friends are G.H and Jack. They are not as bold as Bigger or Gus and kind of just stay in the background. They really just end up doing what Bigger and Gus agree on. As I talked about before, when Bigger realizes that Gus is going to help them rob to store he has to think of something that will put off the robbery. He then picks a fight with Gus that brings our aggression is all of these friends.
6. The Dalton’s are a rich white family that Bigger is going to chauffer. The father, Mr. Dalton, owns a real estate company and works most of the day. Mrs. Dalton stays at home and watches the maid and sometimes there daughter. There daughter’s name is Mary and she is blind. Mary seems to be quite the rebel as we see throughout Book One. “Mary Dalton, daughter of Chicago’s Henry Dalton, 4605 Drexel Boulevard, shocks society by spurning the boys of La Salle Street and the Gold Coast and accepting the attentions of a well-known radical while on her recent winter vacation in Florida…”(32). This situation proves that Mary does not like to be like her family and tends to rebel. Mary’s parents understand that she is headstrong and it seems like they let her get away with these kinds of things. They know they cannot stop her and fight her rebellion with kindness
Arianna Amini
ReplyDeletePost #2
1.The Thompson household is not one of great beauty. It is a one bedroom apartment in which the family has to share beds. In the first scene the family is introduced to an unexpected visitors; a rat. Seeing that there is a rat running around there apartment shows the harsh conditions they live in. Also the fact that they are a African American family without a father trying to live in the South does not make the situation any better. The Negros society is completely isolated from the whites and live in very cruel neighborhoods compared to the white. These two societies do not mix and the negroes find themselves wishing they were white. “I could fly a plane if I had a chance’ said Bigger. ‘If you wasn’t black and if you had some money and if they’d let you go to that aviation school, you could fly a plan”(Wright, 17). It is truly sad that Bigger is denied of things he wishes he could do like fly a plane just because of his skin color. I believe it is the source and his anger which can be a trigger in the dysfunction of his family.
2. I think that Wright’s main intension with the title was to show the reader of the many fears Bigger has. Bigger in the introduction was put off as a strong man who let no one get in his way. Now when we start this book we feel that Bigger does have fears and is not invisnble. He is an average negroe man and like his society he is afraid of many things in his society. I think it grounds that reader into making them believe that Bigger is not some super-human, but just like any one of us with fears and nerves.
3.Another way the rat represents Bigger is the fact that in the end the rat is smashed and killed. “Bigger took a shoe and pounded the rat’s head, crushing it, cursing hysterically”(6). It is ironic how the rat symbolizes Bigger, but in the end it is Bigger that kills him. I think it represents that in the end it will be Bigger’s actions that lead to his ultimate demise. This scene sets the reader up for the story they are about to read and shows that Bigger might in the end receive his karma, when he is killed.
4. Bigger does not live in the best home and does not have the best surroundings. I believe that the corrupt society he lives in and the poverty he faces only brings Bigger more hate and sadness. In his surroundings he tends to surround himself with gangs and violence. Bigger and his gang are constantly goofing off, stealing, and smoking which will not help Bigger’s home life. It only worries his mother more and puts his family in more debt since he really is the only one that can make money.
5.
Elaborating on the fight of the friends, it all starts because Bigger does not want to rob to store. It is a delay to the robbery, because we know Bigger is really too scared to rob a white man’s store. The fight all starts when Bigger takes the first punch because he doesn’t want to rob the store. Bigger ends up egging on Gus and he eventually fight back. He blames his whole attach on the fact that Gus was late to the fight. After knifes are pulled and tears are shed the fight finally ends and G.H yells, “You done spoiled things now,” G.H said. “I reckon that was what you wanted…”(40). In the end Gus and the guys called Bigger out and Bigger was sent home, but none of it mattered to Bigger. He had successfully delayed the fight.
6. Even though the Dalton’s are rich and white, they still treat everyone with respect. “This is a swell place’ Peggy said. ‘bout as good as youll find anywhere. The last colored man worked here for 10 years”(Wright,55). I feel like this household is just one big family. Even though the maids are not as wealthy and provident as the Daltons they are still treated like equals. This is very unseen in this time period because of all the racism against color and social class. It shows that even in the worst of times, there a good people who are kind to all.
Arianna Amini
ReplyDeletePost #3
1. In the end Bigger’s family and living conditions are not the best. This is a family that is struggling to get by which is jeopardizing the relationships they have with each other. One part in the book Bigger says, “He hated his family because he knew that they were suffering and that he was powerless to help them”(Wright, 10). If this family was living under different conditions I believe that they could be functional and live a better life, but taking into accordance of the situation it is truly sad how this family must behave in order to survive.
2.
Besides the fear of robbing and white people, I believe Bigger has many other fears. I believe Bigger fears letting down his family. He knows he cant do anything to save their situation and he feels tht they are in such poverty because of him. When they put pressure on him it only makes him want to rebel more because the stakes have been hired. Bigger is also afraid of his new job. You can tell that he is willing to do everything and even steal from a store to save him from working with whites. Lastly, after Bigger accidently murders a white girl his nerves and fear kicks in. He is left not knowing what to do and where to turn. “it was unreal. Like a nightmare. He has to lift a dead women and was afraid. He felt that he had been dreaming of something like this for a long time, and then, suddenly, it was true”(Wright, 89). It was almost like this murder awakened all his bad dreams and turned them into reality.
3. Grigg, I agree with both of your 2nd analysis on question 3. The killing of the rat does foreshadow his ultimate demise and that the rat does represent Bigger. The rat represents Bigger’s fear and his eagerness to explore. I love the quote about the “rat pulsing with fear” because in the end the whole Book One is titled Fear.
4. Allegra, I agree with what you say about Bigger wanting to escape. I also feel that he has had such a bad childhood that he wants to avoid the role of the fatherhood figure and just have fun. I don’t think he really wants to grow up and wants to stay a kid and innocent. When him and Gus are imagining about flying planes is a clear example Bigger’s innocence and trying to keep his youth alive. I just don’t think he is mature enough to grow up.
5.During the fight, the aggression came out of all four or these boys, but especially Gus and Bigger. G.H and Jack just kind of stood in the back and let it all happened, but the other two went full force ahead. The situation only got worse when Bigger pulled out his knife on Gus. “He stooped again and placed the knife at Gus’ throat. Gus did not move and his large black eyes looked pleadingly. Bigger was not satisfied, he felt his muscles tightening again”(38). We see the anger in Bigger’s eyes throughout this fight and the true fear that is felt in Gus’ eyes.
6.Grigg, I agree with what you said about the Daltons. They are very open to all skin colors, but not open to different beliefs. For example they do not approve of Communism and that is why they make sure Bigger is not a Communist even though they hired him knowing hes an ex convict