Book 3 Summary

In the early days following his capture, Bigger remains lost in a sort of trance, not speaking, not eating, barely moving. He is shuttled from one police station to another for questioning, but he gives no answers and rarely thinks about the murders at all. Instead, he gives himself over to a state of philosophical, poetical introspection, not about his past but about his future. He has long since renounced the trappings of formal faith, and disdains those who believe in God for their weakness and lack of vision, but he ponders the forces from within and considers that it might be best to kill the one who failed him: himself, and his own instincts and actions. He longs for another chance at living a life "with pride and dignity," but recognizes that such a chance is probably impossible for him.

After several...