Native Son

While Bigger is on trial, his lawyer, Max, tries to persuade the court to give him life in jail rather than the death penalty.  I think that Max takes Bigger's case not only because he himself has been treated horribly because he is a communist, but also because Max thinks that society shaped the way Bigger acted.  He said that Bigger being looked down upon and treated unfairly by whites was the reason that Bigger had felt the need to act the way he had that night.  Because there was no other option for Bigger in that moment of fear.  Max defends Bigger by saying that all blacks are treated this way by whites and that they even cornered black people to certain places that they wanted them to live in, rather than letting people live wherever they wanted.  Realtors would not sell black people houses/apartments except in the neighborhoods where other black people lived.  Despite the effort that Max made for Bigger to be put in jail for life, he was still found guilty and given the death penalty.