In A Lesson Before Dying, Jefferson the man who is on trial for the murder of a white store owner, is compared to a "HOG" while he's in court. But why? Why compare a man to a wild animal,an animal who's dirty, who kills, who runs wild...... Back in the south in the 1940's racsim was a huge thing. Blacks were only allowed to do certain things, and like most Jefferson grew up working on the plantation with his family. Back in those times blacks were slaves and worked for the white man, therefore white people thought "blacks" were inferior to them.
His defense attorney did it for sympathy, he simply said it to make the people feel bad for jefferson, to make the people think that a stupid man couldnt possibly commit something like this. He wanted the people to let him off the hook, because a black man back then to everyone else was just ignorant....stupid.....a hog. To Ms.Emma and Tante Lou this was deep. It made them feel helpless, How could someone just call another human being a "hog" just because of his race? Jefferson was also hurt but what could he do? His fate was already decided.... He was a man who was trapped because of the color of his skin.
His defense attorney did it for sympathy, he simply said it to make the people feel bad for jefferson, to make the people think that a stupid man couldnt possibly commit something like this. He wanted the people to let him off the hook, because a black man back then to everyone else was just ignorant....stupid.....a hog. To Ms.Emma and Tante Lou this was deep. It made them feel helpless, How could someone just call another human being a "hog" just because of his race? Jefferson was also hurt but what could he do? His fate was already decided.... He was a man who was trapped because of the color of his skin.
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