Society is about 70% responsible for what happened at the end of book one, or at least that is what I think. I say that because bigger thinks it himself. While he is in Mary's room, and trying to 'quiet' her, he is thinking of how bad it is for a man like him to be in the room of, and in this case bed of, a white woman. Before Bigger went in the house with Mary and he picked up her hat, the book stated his thoughts: ' As he picked it up he wondered what a white man would think seeing him here with her like this. Suppose old man Dalton saw him now?'. That passage shows just how much pressure was on Bigger at the time, built up through a lifetime of discrimination and being strongly stereotyped. Another passage reads, 'she was dead; she was white; she was a woman; he had killed her; he was black; he might be caught; he did not want to be caught; if he were they would kill him.' This also points to society's pressures, especially towards blacks. It was still partially Bigger's fault though, as she was killed by him, and they were both drunk(that was his choice to get drunk, but he was slightly pressured by Jan and Mary).