Bigger’s defense attorney at his trial, Max is a Jewish-American Communist who believes that the oppressive white majority of Chicago does all it can to “keep down” people of color and members of trade unions. Max sympathizes with Bigger because he, too, is a victim of discrimination, based on his political and religious beliefs. Although Max does not succeed in helping Bigger avoid execution, Bigger is nonetheless grateful to Max for speaking to him as a human being.
Max Quotes in Native Son
The Native Son quotes below are all either spoken by Max or refer to Max. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Note: all page and citation info for the quotes below refers to the Harper Perennial edition of Native Son published in 1993.
Book 3
Quotes
Now listen, Mr. Max. No question asked in this room will inflame the public mind any more than has the death of Mary Dalton, and you know it. You have the right to question any of these witnesses, but I will not tolerate any publicity-seeking by your kind here!
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Get LitCharts A+Isn’t it true that you refuse to rent houses to Negroes if those houses are in other sections of the city?
Why, yes.
Why?
Well, it’s an old custom.
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Max Character Timeline in Native Son
The timeline below shows where the character Max appears in Native Son. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Book 1
...fees, probably having to do with the Communist party, and Jan says that his friend Max is the best lawyer the party has in Chicago. Bigger does not understand much about...
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Book 3
...but Bigger realizes that Jan wants to help; Jan asks Bigger if he can send Max, the Communist Party lawyer who is also a public defender, to be Bigger’s lawyer; although...
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...on a poster in the beginning of the novel, walks into the cell as well. Max tells Buckley immediately that Bigger will be signing no confessions; Buckley, who is contemptuous of...
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...of crimes on them, but the boys wouldn’t confess and were helped by Jan and Max, who have also volunteered to defend the gang. Ma pulls Vera, Buddy, and Bigger into...
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...best thing to do is to confess to everything, avoid trial, and receive his punishment. Max and Jan also leave the cell, with the preacher and the members of the gang....
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...events of the night in question; soon after the deputy coroner begins his interrogation, however, Max objects aloud, saying that Jan is not on trial, and that the fact that Jan...
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...questions about the nature of his charitable work in the African American community in Chicago. Max then rises to cross-examine Dalton; he asks whether it’s true that Dalton owns the South...
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...the mutilated body of Bessie, about whom Bigger has thought very little since her murder. Max and Bigger are both shocked that this is possible; many in the room are shocked...
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...life, even while incarcerated. A guard comes buy and gives Bigger a newspaper (sent by Max) and tells Bigger that Max has also arranged for Bigger to get new clothes while...
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Bigger is told by a guard that Max is here to see him; Bigger is taken to an interview room where he and...
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Max asks if Bigger raped Mary, and Bigger repeats that he did not, although he considered...
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Max asks Bigger if he went to church, if he believes in God, and Bigger says...
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Max goes on to ask Bigger if Bigger has ever voted, or cared about politics in...
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Max tells Bigger that they will begin by entering a not-guilty plea at Bigger’s arraignment, followed...
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...says that he has been. Bigger receives another newspaper, sent to him in jail by Max, which shows that the Governor of Illinois has ordered the National Guard to protect the...
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Max arrives on the day of Bigger’s trial, tells him to straighten his tie and look...
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Buckley, as State’s Attorney, is representing the prosecution, and Max, as Bigger’s attorney, enters officially a plea of guilty, which is a change from the...
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...his back,” hoping that “justice is served” in Bigger’s case. Buckley makes it seem that Max is putting forward an insanity defense on Bigger’s behalf (to which Max vociferously objects), and...
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Buckley asks the judge, before Max begins his statement, that Buckley be allowed to call sixty witnesses for the prosecution against...
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...of witnesses, that the facts of the case have been established, rests his case, and Max agrees, as the defense, that the facts Buckley has presented are true (if overwhelming in...
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The case recommences the next day. Max begins a long, impassioned speech on Bigger’s behalf, arguing not that Bigger deserves total clemency,...
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Max then begins a long, lyric disquisition on the nature of injustice in the United States....
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Max states that killing Bigger will not solve the larger problems that face Chicago and the...
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Max says that Bigger did not state, in his deposition at the inquest, or in his...
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Max closes his argument by stating that sending Bigger to prison would be an act of...
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...of Bigger’s crimes (while saying that he will not rehearse these details); Buckley also attributes Max’s motive, in his plea for Bigger’s life, not to a general humanistic spirit but to...
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Bigger and Max are called back into court after recess, and the verdict is delivered swiftly and as...
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Max visits Bigger in his jail cell in the days before his execution. Max apologizes to...
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Max is greatly moved by Bigger’s sentiments, and he takes Bigger to a window in his...
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As Max is getting ready to leave, Bigger says that he’s not sure why he killed, but...
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