Native Son end of book 2

4/7/09

"Kill that black ape!"(270).

This is significant because it relates back to when Jan and Mary were driving through the "black" side of Chicago near where Bigger lived. His neighborhood was kind of like a zoo, and Mary and Jan were the tourists looking at the human exhibits. When they say to "kill that black ape" it is because that is all the white people know them as. Black people sort of live in a cage in their society and get kept in that cage by the white "force." What also surprises me is that some of the black people where Bigger lives are sort of stooping themselves to the white level. Some people think that Bigger should suffer for his crime and others do not, and that it is because of people like Bigger that black people have a bad reputation. I think that this is what also drives Bigger insane, is that he doesn't really know what he is. Whether he is an "ape" or an average Negro/human being.

What do you think might happen to the black community if they find out that Bigger killed Mary?

Do you think Biggers mother and or family would agree with the white people or some of the black people on Biggers stance?