我读《土生子》续（三）

再如：
“See all those buildings, Bigger?”Max asked, placing an arm about Bigger’s shoulders. He spoke hurriedly, asthough trying to mild a substance which was warm and pliable, but which mightsoon cool.
“Yeah. I see’em….”
“You lived in one of them once,Bigger. They’re made out of steel and stone. But the steel and stone don’t hold’emtogether. You know what holds those buildings up, Bigger? You know what keepsthem in their place, keeps them from tumbling down?”
Bigger looked at him, bewildered.
“It’s the belief of men. If menstop believing, stopped having faith, they’d come tumbling down. Thosebuildings sprang up out of hearts of men, Bigger….” ^[17]426
这是马克思（Max）和别格之间的一段对话，出自小说的第三部分“命运”。这段话的背景是：别格被捕，收监关押，后出庭受审，因无辩护律师，故马克思（一位信奉共产党的白人律师）自愿免费为其出庭辩护。上文正是别格庭内受审，马克思为其辩护失败后两人的一次交谈。
语篇开头，站在窗口的马克思询问别格此刻是否能看到外面的高楼建