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Analysis of claude mckay's if we must die. pdf
Analysis of if we must die by Claude McKay
Analysis of if we must die by Claude McKay
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Jefferson’s execution day is set and everyone is waiting for the inevitable and to see if Jefferson and Grant can prove the whites wrong, that Jefferson is not a ‘hog’ but a man. Jefferson holds his head up high as he is lead to his execution and proves he is just as much a man as anyone,
This novel talks about how the jury wrongfully accused Jefferson of murdering Old Grope and the Bear Brother and later the jury assigns Jefferson a death penalty with the electric chair. Jefferson’s attorney has called Jefferson a hog and those words has haunted Jefferson in his mind. Miss Emma, Jefferson’s godmother, asks an educated teacher named Grant to help Jefferson to die like a man instead of a hog. Throughout this novel, Grant deals with a lot of responsibilities that’s being thrown at him such as helping Jefferson. A Lesson Before Dying has a universal theme of obligation because it is seen throughout the novel as it relates to Grant being forced to do things for the sake of others.
September begins and Dill leaves Maycomb to go back to the town of Meridian. Scout feels sad but is excited to go to school for the first time. She has been longing to go to school and in the past would spy on the school children through a telescope. However, on her first day of school she gets assigned to Miss Caroline Fisher who is unaware of the Maycomb customs because she is from north Alabama. Miss Caroline Fisher is not very pleasant with the children and becomes extremely upset with Scout when she learns that Atticus has taught Scout to read.
This seems to be a key motivator to not only fight, but to value one’s honor over their own life. Evidence for this philosophy is provided by the phrase “Death before dishonor”, stated in several accounts according to McPherson (77). McPherson also explores the idea that soldiers feared showing any sort of cowardice or fear, going as far as to participate in combat when they were in desperate need of medical attention. This motivation, McPherson argues, increased as the war went on, peaking in 1864. An account from a Yankee veteran aids in confirming this stance, as it states that “I would rather go into fifty battles and run the risk of getting killed than as to be a coward in time of
“Am I supposed to tell someone how to die who has never lived?” 31 Grant uses an apostrophe to convey the impact of the situation of changing Jefferson from a hog to a man. 15. “We’re teachers, and we have a commitment…. Commitment to what—to live and die in this hellhole, when we can leave and live like other people?”
Imagine being in a situation where there are a limited number of options and your life can only go in one direction. Has this ever happened to you? Either way, this is the predicament that the character of Jefferson faces in A Lesson Before Dying, who is sentenced to death for crimes that he did not commit. Although Jefferson has only thirty days left to live, he learns three valuable lessons that he carries with him into his final hours. This includes learning to open up to the people closest to him, showing kindness and love to those who have shown kindness to him, and finding self-worth in the age of Jim-Crow.
Jenna Ball Mrs. Nienstedt Civics 9 9 February 2018 Lord of the Flies Essay Franklin D. Roosevelt once stated, “The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a president and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country” (Brainy Quotes). The concept of authority being ruled by its followers, giving it power is highly depicted in the film Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Stranded on an island, a party of boys go back and forth between two rulers, each wanting power over the other. Roosevelt 's statement of how giving power to authority is a necessity is demonstrated throughout the film.
If Jefferson dies proving himself as a strong man, he is doing the unthinkable by taking a stand against the whites. A real
Throughout history, there have been several discriminatory actions and abuse targeted to a particular race that destroyed their progression towards equality. Renowned author Ernest J. Gaines depicts this unfair harassment through his work of literature “A Lesson Before Dying,” to which he exposed the racial injustices to his audience. The audience was introduced to a man by the name of Grant Wiggins, who was given the task of turning Jefferson into a man after he was said to be a hog. Jefferson, whom at the time was on death row, waited for his punishment for a crime he did not commit. Throughout the story, Grant was rather stubborn in teaching Jefferson this overarching concept.
Towards the end of the story, although Jefferson has come a long way, he still does not fully understand who he is. So Grant states,“ The white people are out there are saying that you don’t have it- that you’re a hog, not a man.
Death is something that will eventually happen to everyone, but there are so many different ways of people that deal with death around them. There are some people who don’t deal with death well, so they become mentally and emotionally unstable for their entire life. On the other hand, there are people who accept death for what it is and take the necessary steps to become more tolerant to it. In Being Mortal, by Atul Gawande, he speaks about the various aspects (such as the cost of taking care of elderly people) that surround death that people often neglect. Death can be a very taxing area of discussion, but once people accept its cruel nature they can overcome the burden it brings.
Every human being is born into this world with one guaranteed fact: that the life they were just given will one day end. Another guaranteed fact is that it will not be easy, and we will face struggles every day. Claude Mckay’s poem, “If We Must Die,” expresses the idea that since we are all going to die one day, we should go down fighting for what we believe is right. Mckay uses figurative language and literary devices to convey the oppression African American’s faced in the early 20th century.
This will make him a hero, and therefore a man, because it will show the world that people of different races are equal. This helps to show the importance of dignity in that it illustrates that Jefferson, dehumanized to the level of a hog by his attorney, can gain enough dignity to be seen as a man. This evidence illustrates that Jefferson’s act of brave defiance in the face of death was in part due to the fact that Grant introduced the concept of heroism to him. Another quote that supports the fact that the actions of Grant played a role in the transformation of Jefferson from a hog
(p.) As realization sinks in, Jefferson becomes aware of his position and his ability to challenge prejudiced white beliefs. In Jefferson’s diary to Grant, Jefferson writes, “good by mr wigin tell them im strong tell them im a man” (p. 234). In, A Lesson Before Dying, Jefferson experiences a transformation that entitles him a hero on behalf of the black
Miss Emma and Tante Lou want Jefferson to die not like a hog but like a man. They persuade Grant, a teacher, to use his influence to convince Jefferson that he is indeed a man, and his life is more valuable than that of a hog. During an exchange with Grant in the kitchen, Miss Emma and Tante Lou confront Grant about what they want. The author illustrates the blunt approach the two women take as they discuss the matter with Grant:
