Hog: a domesticated pig reared for slaughter. Now who would want to be compared to a hog? No one, especially not Jefferson. A hog being such a dirty, degrading animal makes it so wrong and upsetting to see that someone would even want to compare another person to that type of animal. And that is what exactly happened in court. The defense attorney even though is suppose to be on Jefferson's side, defends him by degrading him as a man. "Gentlemen of the jury, look at him- look at this. Do you see a man sitting here? Do you see a man sitting here? I ask you, I implore, look carefully- do you see a man sitting here? 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?" (7) Well if he isn't a man, than what exactly is Jefferson? The attorney basically made Jefferson feel as if he wasn't human, and more as an animal. He also degrades Jefferson by saying be doesn't have an ounce of intelligence in him. The attorney probably felt as if the only way to defend Jefferson was to make him look worthless and isn't capable of doing anything.
As Miss Emma sits in the courtroom and watches her son getting degraded as a man it affects her deeply. No mother wants to see their child being convicted for something they didn't do and will soon have to face the consequences. In this case it is through the electric chair. And what makes it worse is that Miss Emma had to sit in the court room and witness what they were calling her own son a hog. Probably the worse and shameful animal to be compared to. Miss Emma being a mother that sees potential in her son wants him to get educated and become a man before he is executed. She then asks Grant to do her a favor to help her son who is now in jail. Grant isn't so excited about the idea that he was asked to teach Jefferson because he wanted to leave Louisiana so badly and now he was given this task which is a burden for him leaving. This affects Grant from leaving the South and having to stay in a place he's been trying to flee for a long time.
When Miss Emma goes to visit Jefferson in jail she always brings him a basket of food to make sure her son in never hungry while he is locked up. Jefferson doesn't eat anything but asks Miss Emma if she brought corn with her. He then starts calling himself hog which frustrates Miss Emma. "Corn for a hog? A hog, Jefferson? You ain't no hog, Jefferson. You ain't no hog" (122) She repeatedly tells him he is not a hog and refuses to bring corn for her son knowing that he will feel degraded to a hog.
As Miss Emma sits in the courtroom and watches her son getting degraded as a man it affects her deeply. No mother wants to see their child being convicted for something they didn't do and will soon have to face the consequences. In this case it is through the electric chair. And what makes it worse is that Miss Emma had to sit in the court room and witness what they were calling her own son a hog. Probably the worse and shameful animal to be compared to. Miss Emma being a mother that sees potential in her son wants him to get educated and become a man before he is executed. She then asks Grant to do her a favor to help her son who is now in jail. Grant isn't so excited about the idea that he was asked to teach Jefferson because he wanted to leave Louisiana so badly and now he was given this task which is a burden for him leaving. This affects Grant from leaving the South and having to stay in a place he's been trying to flee for a long time.
When Miss Emma goes to visit Jefferson in jail she always brings him a basket of food to make sure her son in never hungry while he is locked up. Jefferson doesn't eat anything but asks Miss Emma if she brought corn with her. He then starts calling himself hog which frustrates Miss Emma. "Corn for a hog? A hog, Jefferson? You ain't no hog, Jefferson. You ain't no hog" (122) She repeatedly tells him he is not a hog and refuses to bring corn for her son knowing that he will feel degraded to a hog.
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