July 12, 2011
Pages 168 - 186
Chapters 22 - 23
Jefferson has finally had a change in attitude. When Grant goes to visit him, he speaks to Grant, sort of makes him feel welcome, and speaks of some things he desires to have. Most importantly, when Grant buys Jefferson a radio, Jefferson finally makes a connection with his humane side. Maybe it's the fact that Jefferson knows how long he has to live, it makes it real and official. Now he can try to tie up loose ends. When he was ignoring the fact that he was human, maybe he was thinking that if there was no date set, it wasn't real. He could pretend to be something he's not and it will all go away. But now there is no avoiding it. He is set to die and he has to accept it.
I've also noticed some similarities between Jefferson and a child. He wants a gallon of ice cream as his last meal, he likes to listen to music, he appreciates the pecans Grant's students picked for him, but not the meals Miss Emma cooks for him. I'm thinking it's this child like innocence that allowed Jefferson to play his game of pretend for so long, but now is the time for him to grow up. To die a man.
So how is this transition from animal to human child significant? Do you think that Jefferson will eventually transition into adult?
ReplyDeleteI think it's significant because, as far as we know, animals have no mind control. They act solely on instinct. Children have some, but not a lot. Still they act on instincts a lot, and only as they get older do they learn. So by saying Jefferson has gone from a hog to a child is saying he's not just acting on instinct, or the motions of life, as I'm considering it. Meaning he's actually beginning to live, to see stuff, to hear what is being said to him. Not life when Grant first began to visit and Jefferson would sit with a blank look on his face, and not really hear what was being said to him. So I think this shows how he is growing mentally.
ReplyDelete