61 pages • 2 hours read
Ernest J. GainesA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
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
By Ernest J. Gaines