At a glance, the characters of Gunnar Kaufman and Bigger may not seem to share a multitude of characteristics, however upon closer inspection their stories are a lot more similar than they may appear. They are both characters in coming-of-age stories with twists, whose lives are presumably cut short. While they also share many differences, they are at their core disenfranchised young men, who are pushed into bubbles based on their racial identity, restricting their ability to live full lives.
Gunnar is certainly much more educated and I dare say intelligent than Bigger, in addition to being more outwardly rebellious. However, he too finds himself surrounded by white people who all seem to want something from him. He is praised by white people for his talents, whereas Bigger is hated. However, is that really so different, neither of them are seen as individuals, merely as men defined by a few actions and accomplishments, or in Bigger's case crimes. Neither lives a satisfactory life, or is able to exist in a fashion of their own design.
Gunnar is a lot more self-aware and in many ways it seems like he has not let the system define or influence him. However, by the end of the book it seems as though he is being worn thin by the constant oppression he receives at the hands of society and those around him. He chooses a shocking way to oppose this, the mass suicide of African-Americans, however this separates him from Bigger who never chose to act against tyranny, it just sort of fell in his lap. While these characters have their differences, they certainly share similarities, you just have to read between the lines.
Gunnar is certainly much more educated and I dare say intelligent than Bigger, in addition to being more outwardly rebellious. However, he too finds himself surrounded by white people who all seem to want something from him. He is praised by white people for his talents, whereas Bigger is hated. However, is that really so different, neither of them are seen as individuals, merely as men defined by a few actions and accomplishments, or in Bigger's case crimes. Neither lives a satisfactory life, or is able to exist in a fashion of their own design.
Gunnar is a lot more self-aware and in many ways it seems like he has not let the system define or influence him. However, by the end of the book it seems as though he is being worn thin by the constant oppression he receives at the hands of society and those around him. He chooses a shocking way to oppose this, the mass suicide of African-Americans, however this separates him from Bigger who never chose to act against tyranny, it just sort of fell in his lap. While these characters have their differences, they certainly share similarities, you just have to read between the lines.
I think that there is definitely a parallel between Gunnar and Bigger. Despite their different paths, they do share many similarities. One that stood out is the moment of epiphany. An earlier blog I read mentioned that Bigger’s moment of epiphany is at the free throw line where he realizes that he can control people by doing something so insignificant. For Bigger, it is moment after he murders Mary and realizes how he can manipulate the people around him. I feel like Gunnar and Bigger are essentially the same character. Their paths may be different, but they eventually come to the same realization of their world.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that there is a connection between Gunnar and Bigger. They both have very different stories, one is a murderer and one is a poet, but they do have similar experiences of being black in America. Both Gunnar and Bigger are forced into their positions because of the environments around them. Gunnar is forced into his identities of being a basketball player and a poet by his black surroundings. Bigger is controlled by white society and that is why he does what he does to Mary. Both character's environments makes a significant change on the faith of the two.
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