A Lesson Before Dying

The hog symbolizes the historical and systemic dehumanization of Black people by white people. The hog is a common animal raised on the farms in rural Louisiana. The hog is not a thinking creature and exists exclusively as a food source for the community. In the opening scene of the novel, Jefferson’s own attorney argues that the all-white jury should view Jefferson like a “hog” and not a man. The comparison dehumanizes Jefferson and feeds the stereotypes the white men already have about Black people in general. To view Jefferson as a hog is to deny his humanity and validate the stereotype that Black people are not fully “people” at all. Somehow, Grant must find a way to prove to Jefferson that despite how he is being treated, he is not an animal but a man.

The flags fly over the courthouse and serve as a symbol of the former confederacy, white supremacy, and the characterization of the “justice” system. Despite slavery and reconstruction being over, the flags demonstrate that the culture of white supremacy remains: The flags proclaim that no Black man will find justice here. Every time Grant visits