Book 2: Flight Summary

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

The following morning, Bigger wakes up at home and is filled with horror and distress about what he has done. Despite feeling constantly overwhelmed by fear and the desire to flee, he remains committed to his original plan. He disposes of Mary's purse and a blood-stained knife by discarding them in a nearby trash bin, but he decides to keep the money she had with her. While he is gathering his clothes from his house, his mother wakes up. Although she is happy about his good job, she is puzzled by his melancholy demeanor and his insistence that he arrived home at 2 a.m. even though she knows he actually came home at 4 a.m.

Bigger dines with his family, but his brother Buddy senses that something is amiss, especially after he finds a bundle of cash that Bigger dropped. Bigger instructs Buddy not to reveal anything about the money and then takes his suitcase and goes to the Daltons' residence. Before arriving, he briefly stops at a pharmacy on the corner where he runs into Gus, G.H., and Jack, his friends. Bigger reconnects with them and with the money he received from Mary, he purchases beer and cigarettes for them and gives each of them a dollar bill.

Bigger arrives at the Dalton residence and discovers that Peggy is the only one who is still up. Since it's Sunday morning, Mr. and Mrs. Dalton are still sleeping. Peggy asks about the car parked in the driveway, and Bigger explains that Mary instructed him to leave it there, and Jan was present at that time. Bigger inspects the furnace and confirms that Mary's body has been incinerated overnight, which puts his mind at ease.

Peggy is confused when she finds out that Mary is not at home, as she is aware that Mary has to catch a train to Detroit soon. Despite this, she instructs Bigger to take Mary's trunk to the train station, which he does. Mrs. Dalton becomes anxious about Mary's absence and questions Peggy before speaking to Bigger, who has just returned from the station. Her worry intensifies when Bigger reveals that Jan had been at the house the previous night. However, she does not suspect Bigger and grants him the remainder of the day off.

Bigger visits Bessie, who initially feels envious of Mary. However, Bigger assures her that the white people he was with at Ernie’s Kitchen Shack the previous night are only his employers, which makes Bessie feel better. They have a romantic encounter, but Bessie becomes suspicious of the money Bigger shows her. She comments oddly that the Daltons live in the same neighborhood as Richard Loeb, one of the wealthy teenagers who committed a notorious murder in 1924 and attempted to extort ransom money from the victim's father.

Eventually, Bigger informs Bessie that Mary has run away with her Communist partner and her parents have no knowledge of her whereabouts. Additionally, he proposes that they could follow in the footsteps of Leopold and Loeb and try to extort money from the family. Bessie becomes increasingly anxious about what Bigger may have done to Mary and begins to weep. Despite her reluctance to participate in Bigger's criminal plan, she feels like she may be pulled into it. Bigger tries to reassure her that everything will be fine before leaving for the Dalton house.

Mr. Dalton continues to question Bigger, but Mrs. Dalton gestures to him to cease, feeling ashamed that their African-American employee has witnessed Mary's inebriated state. The Daltons then direct Bigger to go back to the train station and collect Mary's unclaimed trunk. During the ride, Bigger devises his scheme to demand a $10,000 ransom from the Daltons.

After Bigger brings back the trunk, he is questioned again, but this time by Mr. Britten, a private investigator employed by Mr. Dalton. Bigger pretends to be an unintelligent servant and uses Britten's dislike of Communists to make him believe that Jan Erlone is accountable for Mary's absence. When Britten angrily accuses Bigger of being a Communist, Mr. Dalton comes to Bigger's defense and assures Britten that it is untrue.

After Bigger retreats to his room, he has a terrifying dream about his situation. Later, Britten and Mr. Dalton come to his room and bring Jan along. Jan is surprised to learn that Bigger has lied and confesses to Britten and Mr. Dalton, but they don't trust him. Mr. Dalton proposes paying Bigger to bring Mary back safely, but Jan is furious and leaves in a rage.

After Britten and Mr. Dalton depart, Bigger chooses to visit Bessie and start executing his plan to demand a ransom. However, as soon as he steps outside, Jan confronts him and questions him about Mary's whereabouts and his lies. In response, Bigger brandishes his firearm and scares Jan away. Once he arrives at Bessie's place, Bigger takes his time crafting a ransom letter and signs it with the name "Red," including the hammer-and-sickle symbol of the Communist Party as part of the signature.

Bessie is now aware that Bigger killed Mary. This has filled her with fear, but she has accepted that she must assist Bigger with his plan, even though she believes it will result in her imprisonment. Bigger has located an unoccupied building in a rundown neighborhood to use as a lookout for the exchange of ransom money. Bessie is not enthusiastic about it, but agrees to accompany him to collect the money the next night.

After leaving the Dalton house, Bigger returns and puts the note about the kidnapping under the front door. Later, Britten questions Bigger again in the presence of his assistants. Suddenly, a group of journalists enters the Dalton basement and announces that Jan has been taken into custody, and that news of Mary's disappearance has already made headlines. They also inform everyone that Jan is now openly accusing Bigger of being untruthful.

After Mr. Dalton arrives, he informs the media that he has instructed Jan's release, and also reveals that his daughter has been abducted, and he plans to comply with the kidnappers' demand for ransom, as stated in the ransom note. However, following Mr. Dalton's departure, the journalists find out that Jan is unwilling to leave prison while doubts remain about his involvement and claims to have multiple witnesses to corroborate his account.

Bigger manages to deceive both Britten and the journalists by assuming the role of a fearful and uninformed servant, responding to their inquiries with reluctance. By playing into their prejudice, he's able to buy himself some additional time.

Peggy appears and instructs Bigger to clear out the furnace since there isn't enough warmth upstairs. However, Bigger becomes apprehensive, fearing that Mary's body might be concealed in the ashes, and instead chooses to add more coal to the fire, causing it to suffocate and filling the basement with smoke.

While choking on the smoke-filled air, the reporters present take notice of the chaotic Bigger and one of them takes action by grabbing a shovel and emptying the furnace's ash-bin. During this process, the reporter uncovers some unburnt human bones and an earring within the ashes, and alerts the others to come and see. At this moment, Bigger becomes aware of the trouble he is in and quickly leaves the Dalton house after grabbing his gun.

Immediately, he goes to Bessie's place to cancel the plan to demand a ransom, and confesses that he has been caught for his crimes. Bessie is now extremely scared and convinced that she will be arrested. Bigger exploits her fear to keep her close to him, and they escape to an abandoned, bitterly cold building. Eventually, Bessie realizes that she is blameless and that Bigger is the source of her troubles. Nevertheless, Bigger determines that she is a hindrance, since he is being pursued by the police. He sexually assaults her and then viciously murders her, before throwing her body down the airshaft of the building.

Bigger becomes aware that he possesses only seven cents as he realizes that he had neglected to remove Mary's cash from Bessie's dress pocket before pushing her down the airshaft. In an attempt to get some information, he steals a newspaper and peruses its sensationalized, discriminatory articles regarding his wrongdoing. The ghetto is being besieged by around five thousand police officers who are engaged in a door-to-door quest. Mobs have subjected black people to physical assault.

The authorities are setting up groups of citizens to assist in their search, which is causing great concern for Bigger. What's even more unsettling for him are the reports that suggest the police believe he raped Mary, killed her, and then set fire to her body to cover up the crime. Bigger has become aware that if he is caught, he will be killed by the police. He can tell from a newspaper map of the search that it won't be long before he is apprehended.

Bigger decides to relocate to an unoccupied apartment in a building where he can feel more secure and keep warm. He obtains another newspaper and comes across photos of himself, accompanied by sensationalized accounts of how the entire black community in the city is being hunted by a large, violent white mob. While going through the newspaper, he suddenly hears a neighbor in the adjacent apartment shouting, "They're coming!"

As the group of vigilantes gets closer, Bigger has no choice but to climb up to the snowy roof. He takes cover there, but it's not long before the vigilantes discover his hiding spot. Bigger still has his gun and he manages to knock out the first vigilante who comes his way. However, more vigilantes soon arrive, and Bigger is no longer able to remain hidden. When one of the vigilantes shoots at him, he runs and jumps over adjacent rooftops while being pursued by searchlights.

Finally, Bigger finds himself trapped and climbs up a tall water tower, where he becomes the target of gunfire and tear-gas canisters. Despite being freezing cold, he fights back, making sure to keep count of his bullets so he can use the last one on himself. But his pursuers spray him with a hose, causing him to lose his gun, and he plummets from the icy ledge of the tower to the roof beneath. As his captors shout for his death with cries of "kill that black ape!", Bigger is violently dragged down to the street.

Get Ahead with eNotes

Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Previous

Book 1: Fear Summary

Next

Book 3: Fate Summary

Loading...