Rayan Demikhovskiy
Professor Broadous
Pan African Studies 113B
25 April 2012
The Symbol of Racism:
How Color portrays on where you
stand in Society
In the book, “A lesson before dying”, by Ernest J. Gaines tells a story that is
set during late 1940’s. The story is focused on the interaction between Jefferson,
a young and barley literate African American man, who is sentenced to death for
an unjust crime, and Grant Wiggins, a teacher that wants to help Jefferson, but
doesn’t know how. The story is told through the eyes of Wiggins. The main focus
in this book was Grant and Jefferson’s relationship to transform each man
throughout the story and teach each a lesson about human dignity. The most
important character is Jefferson’s defense attorney, he was the reason that let
Jefferson lose his dignity and self respect. Jefferson’s attorney is the symbol
of society’s racism due to him defending Jefferson as a “hog” because he sees
him as one, he automatically assumes he is guilty because of his race, and even
though the lawyer is assigned as an attorney to “protect” him, he does not care
about the man one way or the other.
During the 1940’s were times that were
based on segregation and racism. During that period African Americans had no
say in society. For example, in the book “A
lesson before dying” shows Jefferson in the court room getting prosecuted
for something that he didn’t commit. As the attorney said himself in the
beginning of his case that, “The Defense argued that Jefferson was innocent
from all charges except being at the wrong place at the wrong time” (Gaines pg.7).
This meant nothing to the jury due to the time period in this book. From the beginning
of the case, it showed many ways that the attorney defending Jefferson did not
believe this man was innocent due to the color of his skin. When the attorney
said “I would just as soon put a hog in the electric chair as this”(Gaines pg: 8)
is a perfect example of how much dignity he has for Jefferson and how he
defends him by dehumanizing him such as using the term “this.”
The environment during that time period
also played a huge role in society. During the court scene in the book contains
all whites which are the race that runs society. Society saw African Americans
as unintelligent, therefore the attorney defends Jefferson the way society sees
him. An example would be when the attorney states, “He does not even know the
size of his clothes or his shoes” (Gaines pg: 8). another example of the
attorney seeing Jefferson as unintelligent was when he stated “Ask him to quote
one passage from the constitution or Bill of Rights.” (Gaines pg: 8). When the
defense stated, “What you see here is a thing that acts on command.”(Gaines pg:
7) Shows that the attorney does not show any sign of respect he has for
Jefferson’s dignity.
Throughout generations, during the slave
trade whites believed that African Americans were considered animals, which is
why the attorney used Jefferson as an example of a “hog” to symbolize him as an
animal. “A concord animal to strike quickly out of fear, a trait inherited from
his ancestors in the deepest jungle of blackest Africa” ( Gaines pg: 7). This
is a perfect example of the way the attorney sees Jefferson because he compared
the man to a scared animal that inherited these traits from his ancestors from Africa. Jefferson’s attorney doesn’t even see
him as a man; instead he kept calling Jefferson a “boy” and a “fool”. The attorney
showed a lack of respect for Jefferson by always apologizing when he would call
him a “man” rather than a “boy.” He would use this tactic to prove the
difference between a “boy” who could not do such a crime to a “man” that could
do such a crime. Another example would be when the attorney said, “Look at the
shape of this skull, this face as flat as the palm of my hand, look deeply into
those eyes, do you see a modicum of intelligence?” (Gaines pg: 7). This shows a
clear understanding of how he uses Jefferson’s looks as a reference of how
unintelligent he is. In this situation it was a case of “preaching to the
quire”, mainly because since the jury, which is the quire already knew the
verdict and the attorney, preached the way he perceived Jefferson which is
guilty.
Color during the 1940’s defined
everything in society. Just by being darker already put you as only two thirds
of a human. Since, Jefferson was black the attorney as well as the jury already
saw Jefferson as guilty due to the color of his skin. If Jefferson was not
black he would have a fair trial, where the jury would do their best to make an
honest verdict. Jefferson’s race had to do with everything in the court room as
well as the case because whites saw African Americans as nothing but cotton
pickers and for a black man, such as Jefferson. During that time frame, if you were
black and ended up in a scene where two men are dead already sets that you are
guilty through society’s eyes. In the end of the case stated that “The judge
commended the twelve white men for reaching a quick and just verdict” proves
that verdict already knew that Jefferson was guilty.
During the court scene Jefferson’s
attorney showed no real evidence that he is innocent, instead he used pity as
well as degradation as his tactics. If the attorney didn’t assume that
Jefferson was guilty he would use real facts, as well as a good argument for
his case. An example would be when the attorney states, “Gentlemen of the jury,
who would be hurt if you took this life.” (Gaines pg: 8) Since the attorney
doesn’t use real facts towards Jefferson’s case shows how he feels about the
case and Jefferson such as being guilty. For example, when the attorney used
Jefferson’s family as an example of why Jefferson should be innocent, stating “Take
this away from her, and she has no reason to go on living.” ( Gaines pg: 8)
There are many situations throughout the
story that portrays the attorney already seeing Jefferson as guilty because of
his race. Not only did the attorney use no real evidence to support his case
towards Jefferson but the attorney also was not confident in his case. In one part of the court scenes Jefferson’s
attorney states “He is innocent from all charges against him. But let’s just
say he was not. Let us for a moment say he was not. What justice would there be
to take this life?” ( Gaines pg: 8) This is a perfect example on how the
attorney believes Jefferson is guilty in his case because in the end he gave
the jury a mental image for a moment to vision Jefferson being guilty and then
comparing the relationship on whether it matters to keep this man alive or not.
All the evidence the attorney had to
present Jefferson’s defense showed how much of a difference it is to be black
rather then white in the community.
When Jefferson was found guilty society
accepted it with silence. This showed that African Americans had neither
freedom of speech nor the power to fight for their beliefs. In the book towards
the end of the case described the judge as, “A short, red faced man with snow
white hair and thick black eye brows,” (Gaines pg: 9). This shows that this
judge has been around racism his whole life which he sees also Jefferson as
guilty. Because of Jefferson being black it oversees a judge blind to justice,
and a jury deaf to the truth.
What really happen during the shoot out
at the liquor store was clear yet, the attorney didn’t use any evidence to
support Jefferson’s case, and instead he used pity. The lawyer was assigned to “protect”
Jefferson yet the attorney showed a clear image throughout the court scene that
he does not care about the man one way or the other. For example, when the
attorney describes Jefferson as “A thing to hold the handle of a plow, a thing
to load your bales of cotton, a thing to dig your ditches, to chop your wood,
to pull your corn,” (Gaines pg: 7) proves that the attorney does not have a
desire to really help Jefferson.
Throughout Jefferson’s case the attorney
showed no characteristic that he cares and wants to save Jefferson’s life which
shows a lot about the attorney from the tactics he used such as pity and
complete dehumanization. An example to prove this was when the attorney started
questioning the verdict with question like, “Do you see anyone here that can
plan a murder, a robbery, can plan—can plan—can plan—can plan anything?” (Gaines:
7) Another example would be when he questions the jury stating “Ask him to name
the months of the year. Ask him does Christmas come before or after July? And
see whether the eyes will show one moment of recognition.” ( Gaines pg: 8) With
questions like that it leaves the jury to believe that Jefferson is nothing
more than a “hog” that deserves to be guilty as charged.
From all the information that the
attorney that the attorney used for Jefferson’s case shows the lack of time and
effort he put into this case, which all ties down because Jefferson is black.
The attorney’s best argument towards this case was the degradation towards
Jefferson’s looks, intelligence and dignity. The attorney shows no sign of
actually protecting Jefferson because he used every negative aspect of Jefferson
and compared it to how he could never do such a crime due to being stupid.
Proving this the attorney’s best argument was when he stated “To plan,
gentlemen of the jury? No, gentlemen, this skull here holds no plans.”(Gaines
pg: 7)
Overall the attorney doesn’t care about
Jefferson whether dead or alive. He doesn’t consider him as a person instead he
sees him as an “it” who implies you as a thing, rather than a human. When you
defend someone as an “it” or a “thing” gives a clear image on how much respect
you have for someone which the lawyer did not showed throughout the whole case
defending Jefferson. It also shows that the attorney is not on Jefferson’s side
because he himself works for the government being a public defender so it wont
matter to the attorney if he is guilty or not. Overall from both the prosecutor
and the attorney showed similar traits in their case on Jefferson because both
sides degraded him, with the intention that he is indeed guilty.
In conclusion, the attorney represents
what society viewed black people as, which was close to nothing. He represents
racism through society’s eyes, therefore he is the symbolic character Ernest J.
Gaines used to represent the racist community that it is and the difference
between being black verses being white in that time period. Gaines used this
character to show that it’s based on the color of your skin to determine
whether you get a just or unjust case, and whether you are a free man or not.
Gaines used many examples that were used to emphasis the community as well as
the court room. For example, by describing the judge’s appearance in the end of
the court room scene so promptly gave a clear image on how Racist society was
towards African Americans because it represents on what race is dominant over the
other. Jefferson’s Attorney is a symbol of society’s racism due to him
defending Jefferson as a “hog” because he sees him as one, he automatically
assumes he is guilty because of his race, and even though the lawyer is
assigned as an attorney to “protect” him, he does not care about the man one
way or the other.
Work’s cited
1)
"Ernest J. Gaines." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed.
Jeffrey W. Hunter. Vol. 300. Detroit: Gale, 2011. Literature Resource Center.
Web. 12 Apr. 2012.
2)
Gaines, Ernest J., and Anne Gray Brown.
"The Scribe of River Lake Plantation: A Conversation with Ernest J.
Gaines." Southern Quarterly 44.1 (Fall 2006): 9-31. Rpt. in Short
Story Criticism. Ed. Jelena O. Krstovic. Vol. 137. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Literature
Resource Center. Web. 24 Apr. 2012.
3)
Sheppard, R. Z. "Review of A
Lesson before Dying." Time 141.13 (29 Mar. 1993): 65-66. Rpt.
in Children's Literature Review. Ed. Jennifer Baise. Vol. 62. Detroit:
Gale Group, 2000. Literature Resource Center. Web. 24 Apr. 2012.
4)
Gaines, J Ernest. “ A Lesson Before Dying” New York 1993.
5)
FOLKS, JEFFREY J. "Communal
Responsibility in Ernest J. Gaines's A Lesson before Dying." The
Mississippi Quarterly 52.2 (1999): 259. Literature Resource Center.
Web. 24 Apr. 2012.
