Native Son #7

"Unwittingly, Jan's desire to protect Mary had helped him. Jan's denial of having come to the home would not be believed now; it would make Mr. Dalton and Britten feel that he was trying to cover up something of even much greater seriousness" (Wright 169). Bigger's plan was working out perfectly at this point. He knew Jan was going to try his hardest to stick up for Mary and keep her out of trouble, which would consequently lead him to looking even more guilty. Everyone's focus would then turn to Jan, giving Bigger time to find Bessie and complete the ransom note plan. He did not even think twice as to whether or not Bessie would go through with helping him because he knew how well he was doing at tricking everyone. To the Mr. Dalton and Britten, he succeeded in making himself simply look like a confused black man who was overwhelmed with the situation and didn't know what to say. To Bessie, he was doing the right thing that would bring them both more money. Overall, every part of Bigger's plan was working perfectly. Although Jan's desire to protect Mary helped Bigger look innocent, it also made him feel increasingly guilty each time he tried to stick up for the woman he loved. Overall, Bigger's success in this situation was only making him more uneasy and angry as a person, most likely leading to more mistakes or crimes later in the story.