Wright's 1940 original novel followed a poor, 20-year-old black Chicagoan, Bigger Thomas, as he takes a job as a chauffeur for the wealthy, white Dalton family. When Thomas accidentally mits an act of violence against a member of the family, he engages in an elaborate cover-up scheme that begets more crimes. Wright emphasizes throughout the novel that society has been set up to make Thomas what he bees.
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