Native Son discussion

At the beginning of book 3, we see Bigger in prison. He was finally caught and he appears to have given up. He feels as if he has no purpose anymore. He sees no point in fighting the charges leveled against him, and he freely admits to everything that he did to the state's attorney, David Buckley.
- If you were in Bigger's situation, would you try and fight the charges, or would you give up and accept whatever fate is decided for you by the judicial system? Why or why not?

It's an interesting question, because we know that Bigger did murder the two women. He's not in any way innocent, and he knows this. His attorney knows this. The Daltons know this. I don't see there's anything left to fight, except maybe the death sentence (which at the end I believe his lawyer does plan to fight the death penalty and ask for life in prison..?) I still have mixed feelings about this book. It made me ponder a lot...looking forward to reading Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin to see his thoughts.

@Kelsey: Notes of a Native Son isn't actually Baldwin's response. He mentions the book in passing, but it's more a selection of Baldwin's essays in regards to his experience and perception as a PoC. He has quite a few interesting takes on Europe, which, when combined with interviews, show he gained a new perspective, or outlook on life and the whole race struggle, while here.

As for the guilt, Native Son is all about the role society plays in the acts of others. Bigger kills the girl out of fear, not out of some sense of violence or evil, but as an instinctive measure to protect himself, once that crime has been committed it sets a ball rolling. In the end, whether he killed the girl or not, he would have been guilty in the eyes of society because of the colour of his skin. So there is everything to fight for, he becomes the martyr to show the extent of society's ails. He will ultimately be damned, but he can be so whilst pointing a few things out, in the hope of making things better for those who follow.

God damn its hard too get passed 2 dead girls. And see any positive in the after events.