What Is Symbolism In A Lesson Before Dying
Death is a phenomena defined as the end of living. It is the reflection of one’s life, its meaning and worth. In the novel, A Lesson Before Dying, the author, Ernest J. Gaines, uses symbolism to weave the theme and the story. Such technique add depth and meaning to the story. The story involves a twenty one year old protagonist with a bit of mental disability, Jefferson, who is involved in an unfortunate crime that has led himself in a sentencing to death. The hog, notebook and chair are the few symbols that represented most of the events in Jefferson’s reckoning days. The story revolves around his trial and final days, which is when the symbolic figures are introduced.
Jefferson is compared to a hog by the people in the story. Why, I would just as soon put a hog in the electric chair as this (Gaines 8). As the attorney degrades Jefferson in front of the city, his speech still had profound effects on the people who listened. White people, which is mostly consist of the jury, have belittled Jefferson besides his poor mentality, but also because of the color of his skin. According to the white …show more content…
In the novel, A Lesson Before Dying, the injustice of a wrongfully accused man convicted of murder is sentenced to execution. The portrayal of the black men has fear caused by the white supremacy in the prejudice community. The men of color were looked down and treated like hogs in slaughter houses. The death of Jefferson showed that a hog was gone leaving the body of a man, who walked with two feet. At the end of the story, Jefferson succeeded to become a man before his death, which adds meaning to the worth of his life, and become a heroic figure to everyone in the community. Jefferson found his significance to the city and the people through dying. As he reflected upon his life and his stage to manhood, he found his