Native_Son Blog

Bigger Thomas was tried for the murder of Mary Dalton. During the trial, Bigger was defended by Max, a lawyer who was to help Bigger the best he could. Bigger did kill Mary Dalton, there was no denying such a fact which was already proven. However, Max tried to get the courtroom as to understand why Bigger had done it. Bigger was forced into a life he could not change by any means. Max pointed out that African Americans were forced to live a life of poverty, and resort to crime for a chance at a better life for themselves, and maybe even their families. In the room of Mary Dalton, Bigger was given a choice to either make Mary exist no more, and hide her death as best he could, or to knowingly turn himself in for her murder, and likely be hung for it. Bigger however, was still a criminal in the eyes of the whites. Although Max's sound argument in defending Bigger brought many new thoughts whites had not considered before, Bigger Thomas was only given the death penalty for his crime.