Ask students whether Bigger Thomas is responsible for what he does, and the room splits quickly. Some say the killing was an accident and the rest followed from fear. Others say a person is always accountable for their choices. The essays that come out of this debate are among the most heartfelt you will read.

They are also the most likely to fall into slogans. "Society made him do it" and "He is a murderer and that's that" are both easy to write and hard to defend. The point of the assignment is to test reasoning, not to choose a side.

Feedback needs to press on the reasoning. What does the student mean by responsibility? Is it legal, moral, or something else? Without a working definition, arguments talk past each other and the essay drifts.

It is also worth distinguishing the two killings. Mary's death and Bessie's death are different acts with different circumstances, and essays that treat them as one event lose important detail. Strong papers notice the difference and let it shape their claims.

Push for Definitions and Distinctions

Ask students to state what they mean by guilt and responsibility early in the essay. A short definition anchors the rest and makes the argument easier to evaluate. It also exposes assumptions the student may not realize they are making.

• Define responsibility in a way that can be tested against the text
• Separate what Bigger does from what he intends at each moment
• Treat the killings of Mary and Bessie as distinct events
• Consider what choices the novel shows Bigger actually having
• Address the strongest opposing view instead of dismissing it

Keep the Conversation Text-Based

The temptation in these essays is to argue about real-world justice in the abstract. Keep pulling students back to the novel. Ask which lines in Book Two or Book Three support their view of what Bigger understood and intended.

A rubric row for text-based reasoning makes the expectation explicit. Students learn that passion is welcome, but proof is required.

Respond With Care and Rigor

These essays often carry strong emotion. Acknowledge that in your comments before turning to critique. A line like "You take this question seriously, and now the argument needs to catch up" preserves trust while raising the bar.

Draft comments from a tool like GraideMind can handle the structural notes, such as missing definitions or counterarguments. You then add the tone and context that make the feedback feel human.

Turn the Debate Into a Revision Task

After the first draft, ask students to write a paragraph defending the opposite view as strongly as they can. Then have them revise their original argument in response. The exercise builds the habit of testing ideas before committing.

Grade the revision as a separate piece. It rewards intellectual flexibility and tends to produce noticeably better final essays.