Mr. Buckley

Character Analysis

Buckley, the State’s Attorney, uses devious tactics to gain a confession from Bigger. Despite the fact that Bigger pleads guilty, Buckley calls all individuals connected with the case in any way as witnesses. Though Buckley could be seen as simply doing his job, it’s clear that he’s racist and appealing to mob mentality to ensure Bigger receives the death penalty. Because he’s running for re-election, he uses Bigger’s case to appeal to voters.