comment on the treatment Bessie recieved from Bigger. Is what he does to Bessie worse then what he did to Mary?

Bigger is supposed to care about Bessie; she's his girlfriend, even if they do have a rather nonchalant relationship. Mary's death have given Bigger a sense of power, for some reason he believes himself to "be someone," that he suddenly has an identity.

Bessie makes the mistake of getting involved in Mary's murder cover-up. She induces Bigger to pretend Mary has been abducted......... then the two of them can collect the ransom. Bigger incinerated Mary's body, so her parents don't actually know she's dead, only that she's missing. He writes a ransom note, and because Bessie has put her own two cents in, bullies her to help him in the ransom scheme. But their plan goes awry when they find Mary's bones in the furnace.

Now for Bessie's treatment; they run away and hide in an empty building, where Bigger rapes Bessie......... but it gets worse. Worried she'll turn him in........ he waits for her to fall asleep and then bludgeons her to death with a brick.

Is it worse than what he did to Mary? Well, it's definitely more painful and violent........... but the end result was the same. I'd have to say yes based on the fact that Mary's death was an accident. Bessie's death was cold blooded murder.