Bessie Deserves Better

 Bessie Deserves Better 

Addison McClure

Bessie does not have a character development in the novel Native Son. She really only appears in book 2. Bessie and Bigger do not have a healthy relationship to begin with. They seem to be with one another to get something for themselves, Bigger wanting sex and Bessie wanting liquor. The treatment that Bessie receives and the little acknowledgment of the horror of Bigger does to her is disgusting. Bessie is treated like nothing to everyone and she deserves to be talked about more and her little representation in the novel reflects the little representation that black women get in real life. 

There is something intensely disturbing about the way that Bessie is used by everyone. Bigger rapes her and violently murders her by smashing her head with a brick. Her body is brutalized with no respect whatsoever. This is a moment where I felt nothing, but hatred for Bigger. To rape someone is so violating and then to dispose of their life so quickly is just incredibly disrespectful. Bessie being both black and a woman faces so much that the novel does not touch on very much, we only see how she is treated, not the way she feels about it. Then later when Bigger is on trial the court treats her as a piece of evidence. 

Bessie’s character brings up so many issues that are not at the forefront of people's minds. She represents the importance of acknowledging intersectionality. We see that she is treated as less than because she is a black woman even in her death. Mary is treated with higher priority and more seriousness even though Bessie’s death was more brutal and intentional. She is also treated with less respect by Bigger because she is a woman. He feels that she is a burden to him and he violates her. I hope that others reading Native Son can recognize the importance of Bessie and the discussion of intersectionality. 

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