native son p.97-156

In the beginning, Bigger was frustrated and didn't know how to deal with the white supression.  “Every time I get to thinking about me being black and they being white, me being here and they being here, I feel like something awful’s going to happen to me….” (20). After Mary's murder, Bigger realizes that he can use the negative affects of white superiority to his advantage because blacks are viewed a certain way in society. Blacks are invisible because they are be supposed to be inferior to whites. Blacks were not looked at to commit such a crime. "Jan was blind.Mary had been blind. Mr.Dalton was blind. And Mrs. Dalton was blind..." (107) Mrs. Dalton was oblivious to the fact that Bigger was in the room with Mary that night because it did not cross her mind that a black man would do such a thing.
Bigger now has confidence and he feels like he has control.  "The thing to do was to act just like others acted, live like they lived, and while they were not looking, do what you wanted. They would never know, "(106) Bigger now knew how to use their blindness to his advantage. He feels like he can get away with anything because he will never get caught. The Daltons will not suspect Bigger of murdering Mary because he is black. It would be out of social norms for a black person to have enough courage to commit such a crime in a white society.

native son-part 2

In the beginning of the novel, Bigger has no pride and his self worth is measured by how whites view him. Bigger expresses his feelings by saying "..me being black and they being white,...I feel like something awful's going to happen to me."(20) Gus tells him to brush it off and just accept it because there is nothing they can do about it. Bigger does not know how to deal with this fustration. Bigger "sells out" by taking the job the Daltons offer him because it was a way for him to earn money and have better living conditions. His condition did not give him a choice but to take the job so he can earn money to gain a better life. After he murdered Mary, his attitude and life changed. Bigger used the black "societal role" to his advantage.
“Jan was blind. Mary had been blind. Mr. Dalton was blind. And Mrs. Dalton was blind; yes in more way than one… he was black and would not have figured in her thoughts on such an occasion. Bigger felt that a lot of people were like Mrs. Dalton, blind…” (107)Blacks were invisible and inferior to whites. Bigger had no remorse for mudering Mary. He used her murder to his advantage. "It was a kind of eagerness he felt, a confidence, a fulness, a freedom; his whole life was caught up in a supreme and meaningful act,"(116) now he gained confidence and he felt like he had control of his life now.
Bigger had no remorse for Mary's death. In fact, he actually tries to use the murder to his own selfish advantages. Now he feels impowered and he has gained confidence which he lacked. "Next time things would be much different;he would plan and arrange so that he would have money enought to keep him a long time," this can be an indication that Bigger might murder again. He has the confidence that he can get away with it because he uses the fact that he is black and white people would not suspect him. I think this is a dangerous way for Bigger to gain confidence and control of his life.

native son p.34-62

Bigger is selling out. He now can earn money to buy material things that he wants. "A dollar watch was not good enough for a job like this; he would buy a gold one..this would be an easy life." Bigger is taking the easy way out and with his new job he also has a place to stay. Now bigger has hope for a better life and has a chance for education because Miss Dalton gave education to the last black man who worked for her. Bigger is taking this opportunity for his own benefits. His living conditions will be better and now his mother gets sent twenty dollars and he gets five dollars for himself. White people still make him uncomfortable "he had not expected anything like this; he had not thought that this world would be so utterly different from his own that it would intimidate him." Bigger is still not comfortable with being around white people and he still feels like he has to measure up to their standards. "But when he was alone he would burn up the pavement; he would make those tires smoke," Bigger will take the chauffeuring job but he still will do what he wants and he doesn't take the job too seriously.