Wright's1940originalnovelfollowedapoor,20-year-oldblackChicagoan,BiggerThomas,ashetakesajobasachauffeurforthewealthy,whiteDaltonfamily.WhenThomasaccidentallymitsanactofviolenceagainstamemberofthefamily,heengagesinanelaboratecover-upschemethatbegetsmorecrimes.WrightemphasizesthroughoutthenovelthatsocietyhasbeensetuptomakeThomaswhathebees.
