The question is based on Richard Wright’s Native Son Bigger kills Mary due to______?

Analyze the question: It asks about Bigger Thomas's motive for killing Mary Dalton in Richard Wright's Native Son.

Explain the concept: In the novel, Bigger is a young Black man in 1930s Chicago, living in a society shaped by racism. He takes a job as a chauffeur for the wealthy white Dalton family. His life is ruled by the fear of what white society will do to him if he is found in a compromising situation with a white woman.

Show the solution:

1. Mary Dalton gets drunk, and Bigger helps her to her bedroom.
2. Mary's blind mother, Mrs. Dalton, enters the room.
3. Bigger panics. He knows that if he is found in the bedroom of a white girl, he will be blamed and punished.
4. Mary is drunk and might make a sound that gives him away, so he presses a pillow over her face to keep her quiet.
5. He smothers her, and she dies accidentally.

So the killing is not planned. It is a reaction of panic, driven by fear of being discovered and punished. Wright himself explains that Bigger's fear is the central force in his life and actions. Later, he kills Bessie deliberately, but that is a separate act, also driven by fear of being exposed.

Check the other options:

• Hatred: Bigger does resent the system, but he doesn't kill Mary out of personal hatred. She is actually kind to him.
• Envy: He is aware of the Daltons' wealth, but envy doesn't cause the killing.
• Distrust: He is wary of white people in general, but that is not the immediate cause.

Answer: The correct option is A. Fear.

Tip: For Native Son, remember the book's three parts: "Fear," "Flight," and "Fate." Part One, "Fear," includes the killing of Mary, so whenever a question asks about Bigger's motives in the early chapters, think fear first.