Because suddenly, in act three, no one behaves realistically. I agree with James Baldwin that its function as a protest novel compromises both its artistic value and its understanding of human character.
But then the book falls apart in part three. An interesting idea for a thriller, and riveting to read. So, it's a Bluebeard tale from Bluebeard's point of view. Yes, we should take pity on him for his plight as a black man in America. Then the defense lawyer makes a long speech about why we need to take pity on him. The prosecution calls him an ape, a monster etc., and it's disgusting and you can't hear it. Indeed, Bigger gets more and more excited and high by his (view spoiler) It gives him a surge of euphoria and power.
"I hungered for the sharp, frightening, breath-taking, almost painful excitement that the story had given me." The "whispered story of deception and murder" feeds a "thirst for violence" and "for intrigue, for plotting, for secrecy, for bloody murders."" -Maria Tatar, Secrets Beyond the Door: The Story of Bluebeard and His Wives The European folktale about Bluebeard elicits what is described as a "total emotional response." When Wright's grandmother cuts the narrative short, denouncing the tale as "Devil's work," the boy is distraught. "In this coming-of-age portion of Wright's autobiography, we learn how the folktale about Bluebeard introduces the boy growing up in the Jim Crow South to the world of adult secrets and intrigue. Then I thought: aha, Bigger Thomas is a modern-day Bluebeard! I couldn't quite put my finger on it until I read that Richard Wright was galvanized by the Bluebeard tale in his youth. At first I thought that this was one of the most incredible things I'd ever read, a non-stop nightmare of youthful hopes shattered by ugly racism, and edge-of-your-seat entertainment told with deftness and skill.
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