Read the poem "If We Must Die" by Claude McKay at the following link: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15250In two to three well-supported paragraphs, discuss the thematic connections between this poem and A Lesson Before Dying.
Post by Sunday, November 4, 2007 at 8:00pm.
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One idea that has been floating around for a while but never really in-depth is standing strong when you are being put down, or the clichéd “don’t put up with put downs.” The poem alludes to how the Caucasians have put down the African-Americans time and time again, not only in the book, but throughout history as well, and maybe even in today’s society. There are several key words that reference to the book. For example, “inglorious” in line 2, in its denotative form, refers to the prison cell that Jefferson has been staying in. However, connotatively, it can refer to the entire history and situation where blacks were oppressed by whites over the course of centuries.
“While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs, Making their mock at our accursed lot” refers to the suppression of blacks from whites. African-Americans faced discrimination. In the poem, the speaker (An African-American man), states that “If we must die—oh, let us nobly die.” No one would enjoy “dying” as a “hog,” and would rather go down proud and victorious, knowing that life was worth living to its fullest extent. Again, standing strong in the face of death is one way of showing a person’s “don’t put up with put downs,” especially if being taunted by an opposing force that you will knowingly die, as in the case of Jefferson.
The speaker keeps an optimistic outlook on being “put down.” Despite being “far outnumbered,” he or she would stand up to meet such peril with a courageous heart. Even if he or she did fail to stand up against the opposing danger, he or she would “let us show us brave” and “Like men we'll face the murderous, cowardly pack, Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!” The speaker’s optimistic tone on “losing” denotes that even in frigid times, he or she would be able to take defeat and yet be satisfied knowing that he or she made a stand against what he or she thought was right. In a sense, the speaker is not “putting up with put downs.”
The idea of dying nobly is portrayed through out the novel. When Grant is explaining to Vivian why it is so important that Jefferson turns into a man in the eyes of Miss Emma, he says, “No, she wants memories, memories of him standing like a man. Oh, she wants memories, if only for a day, an hour, here on earth.” Miss Emma wanted Jefferson to be remembered in both parts of society. Miss Emma wants to see Jefferson in a different light meaning she wants to see an improvement that she did not waste her time on earth. The word “dogs” in the poem is another reference to African Americans being portrayed as animals. They had no hope for themselves because they grew up knowing that they could never break the cycle of becoming more than what was known. How could they have pride when the only people higher than them tell them that it is impossible to ever cross over?
The poem states, “If we must die let it not be like hogs”. This line from the poem means that people higher then animals and to be compared to that is the worst. When Jefferson was called a hog in the court room it made him feel like he was nothing. A black man called an animal by a higher social class made him feel less confident about himself, it came to the point were he was questioning if he was even human. For example, “I’m go’n show you how a old hog eat, he said. He knelt down on the floor and put his head inside the bag and started eating, without using his hands.” Jefferson was so hurt by what he they being the whites said that he gave on himself.
It’s Death that makes life worth living for. “I don’t want them to kill no hog,” she said. “I want a man to go to that chair, on his own two feet.” (A Lesson Before Dying, Gaines 13) After the judge’s condemnation, Miss. Emma requests Grant to perform a favor for her; to teach Jefferson how to die as a man. Similarly, the poem, If We Must Die, by Claude McKay, starts of the very first line; "If we must die--let it not be like hogs/". This reflects directly to how Miss. Emma believed that Jefferson had to die as a man and not as a hog. Miss. Emma’s strong view on the way Jefferson had to die as a man, clarifies the distinct differences of a hog and a man. It is obvious that being conveyed as a hog is a terrible insult. Furthermore, by accepting to die as a hog resembles how one has no dignity. Therefore, as Jefferson draws closer to his execution day, he understood that he had to and will die as a man. Jefferson realizes that on his dying day will he be able to make his impression on the world. If he was to die as a hog, people would only remember him as a hog. On the other hand, by dying as a man, the black community would be proud that someone had finally stood up for their race and prove the whites wrong. Dying as a man informs the racist society that Jefferson will remain strong even though he was wrongly accused and accept his faith but in a way a man should.
“Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot,/ While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,/ Making their mock at our accursed lot.” (McKay ll 2-4) This expresses how even dogs will come to insult and “mock” humans that choose to die as a hog. In the same way, the defense for Jefferson states, “Oh, sure, he has reached the age of twenty-one, when we, civilized men, consider the male species has reached manhood, but would you call this – this – this a man? No, not I.” (Gaines 7) Since the defense was a white man, he tries to argue on side with Jefferson but in a way that sways to proving how stupid black people are. This shows the mocking of the white people towards the black.
“If we must die--oh, let us nobly die,/ So that our precious blood may not be shed/ In vain” (McKay ll 5-7) Going back to a theme of Death making life worth living, this clearly shows that by dying nobly, one would be certain that their life was not “shed in vain”. This further comes to show Jefferson’s need to die as a man since dying shows a person’s whole life.
If we Must Die, by Claude McKay, and A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest J. Gaines both share a similar theme: die not as a hog under suppression, but as a man with nobility. Essentially, both authors say that under suppression or subjugation, accepting your imposed view of being inferior does absolutely nothing. Rising against the imposed perception is what will make you noble and unlike their view of you.
In McKay's poem, he writes directly of resistance by dying nobly, against the common perception of their kind as "hogs": "If we must die--let it not be like hogs...If we must die--oh, let us nobly die" (McKay, If We Must Die 1-5). McKay pleads to his people, to not accept their "hog"-like image, but to defy the enemies, as a sort of resistance. It is this resistance that will surprise the "monsters" and let them "be constrained to honor us though dead!" (McKay, If We Must Die 8). Gaines also supports this view of resistance but takes it a step further. In Jefferson's walk to the chair, Paul, remembers that because Jefferson was walking like a man, and not on all fours like a hog (not literally), Jefferson was consequently "the strongest man in that crowded room" (Gaines, A Lesson Before Dying 253). It was Jefferson's "march", if you will, that struck the audience as the surprising, strong, and sturdy resistance against the image of the "hog". Gaines not only writes about Jefferson's resistance with great praise, but also demonstrates that this resistance by dying nobly, is really the "one deathblow" "for their thousand blows" (McKay, If We Must Die 11). The impact of resisting is so profound, that it is indeed, the best action for it is noble and inspirational to see someone rise up against the enemy.
Besides the similarities in theme, McKay and Gaines both address a similar issue: the subjugation of a certain people by another. McKay writes that hogs are "hunted and penned in an inglorious spot, / While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs, / Making their mock at our accursed lot" (McKay, If We Must Die 2-3). Gaines also address this ridicule and subjugation via the mulatto bricklayers at the Rainbow Club and through the white population of Grant's world. They all mock the black population, they push them down and treat them as animals, controlled so that they cannot escape (even Grant cannot escape with his "white" education). In short, both Gaines and McKay, address the same ideas and thoughts concerning the subjugation of a certain people.
The idea of the poem is that a person should die with dignity and honor. They shouldn’t be lowered to the standards of a hog. In the novel, A Lesson Before Dying, the author is basically stating the same idea. In the very beginning of the book the reader can see that Jefferson is already being treated like a hog. The defense attorney is calling him a hog and the whole jury agrees with him. Jefferson is sentenced to death for his crime which he probably didn’t commit. Now Jefferson has this idea in his mind that he is nothing but a hog. He let the white man win and he lost his dignity. While Jefferson was in jail he barely talked and he barely moved. He was already dead emotionally. He didn’t care for anything or anybody anymore because he knew he was going to die. His aunt Miss Emma wanted Jefferson to stop thinking of himself as a hog and wanted him to be a man. She wanted him to die with dignity. She wanted him to die knowing that the white establishment couldn’t keep him down because he was a man.
Grant helps in the process of Jefferson turning into a man and by the end of the book Jefferson gains his dignity and dies with honor. At first Grant didn’t know what he was doing. He didn’t know how to be a man or anything about life. “I still don’t even know if the sheriff will let me see him. And suppose he did; what then? What do I say to him? Do I know what a man is? Do I know how a man is supposed to die? I’m still trying to find out how a man should live. Am I supposed to tell someone how to die who has never lived?”(Page 31). Grant is talking with Vivian here and he is telling her that he doesn’t how a man is supposed to live his life or how a man is supposed to die. By the end of the book Jefferson learns a thing or two about life and that running away doesn’t solve anything. He is able to help Jefferson feel that he is a human being and that he is a man and that he should die “nobly”. The author of the poem uses the word nobly. He is saying that a person should die with honor.
“If we must die--let it not be like hogs.” Claude McKay is saying that if we are to die we should not die like hogs. As stated before Jefferson is put to death thinking he is a hog and not a human being. However by the end of the book he becomes a man and he knows that he is a human being not a hog. When Jefferson is put to death he knows that he is dying nobly and no one is mocking him or calling him a hog. “If we must die--oh, let us nobly die.” The poem and the novel are respectably the same when it comes to death. Both poem and novel are saying that a person should die nobly. The poem is saying that if a person is to die they should not be ridiculed and mocked when dying. They should be treated with respect. “Though far outnumbered, let us show us brave.” The poem is saying that when a person is about to die they should show no fear and be brave. In the book Jefferson enters the electric chair with no worries and no fears. The poem states that people should fight back no matter what the situation is.
Dying like a man is portrayed throughout the whole novel "A Lesson Before Dying". Miss Emma gives the assignment of turning Jefferson into a man before he dies to Grant. Miss Emma wants to see him as a man before he dies. In the beginning of the book Jefferson is called a hog. This leads him to believe that he is a hog. Miss Emma says he should feel like a man if he is going to die. That he deserves to feel like a man. She wants to see that everything she had done for him had meant something. Miss Emma wanted Jefferson to die with pride.
In the poem by McKay "If We Must Die", many of the same things are portrayed. The first line "If we must die--let it not be like hogs" is saying that they want to die with pride. McKay then refers to the animal, a wild dog, leading me to think that McKay is talkin about white folks. Saying the wild dogs mock at them and how they have humiliated them. McKay says how the blacks must die nobly so that the "wild dogs" will then too have to honor them even though they are dead. The poem "If We Must Die" is saying that the blacks must die nobly and with pride.
Both the book and the poem portray the same things. They both say that even though the blacks have suffered many blows, humiliations, and more that they must die nobly. They must show that they are men, and women. It portrays that they are not hogs, but just as good as any other race. The similarities between what is portrayed in the book and what is portrayed in the poem are extreme.
In Claude McKay's poem If We Must Die, the speaker talks about a group of people, most likely African Americans, standing up for themselves against their oppressors. McKay says that if they have to die, "let it not be like hogs/ hunted and penned in their inglorious spot" (McKay lines 1-2). They shouldn�t die defenseless in a humiliating situation. Instead they should die with a cause in mind so their lives "may not be shed/ in vain" (McKay lines 6-7). People should go to their deaths "like men...dying, but fighting back" (McKay lines 13-14).
The poem relates to A Lesson Before Dying because in the book, Grant teaches Jefferson how to be a man and, by doing so, has him stand up for the entire black community. In the beginning, the defense attorney describes Jefferson as "a cornered animal" who would "strike quickly out of fear" (Gaines 7). Jefferson was, in McKay's terms, a hog who was "hunted and penned" into a trial which he was never going to win. Before Jefferson is put to death, Grant tells Reverend Ambrose that he "won't tell him [Jefferson] to kneel" (Gaines 216) and he will "try to help him stand". Jefferson walks to the electric chair and helps "deal one deathblow" (McKay line 11) to counter the "thousand blows" of white domination.
Both the poem and the text believe that African Americans should rise up against the years of white oppression they have faced. Instead of being pushed into dying with shame, they should fight back and try to pave a better future for the rest of their race.
Both texts, A Lesson Before Dying and If We Must Die, share the same theme. Throughout the whole book (A Lesson Before Dying), Grant tries to make Jefferson a man. He tries to help him gain respect and prove all those who underestimate him wrong. In A Lesson Before dying, Jefferson is called a hog, just as the poem says, “If we must die--let it not be like hogs”. Both texts share the theme of proving yourself to others, and being all you can be regardless of what others say. The poem says, ”If we must die--oh, let us nobly die,” this means to die with honor and respect. Jefferson has no choice whether he will be killed or not, but he does have the choice to make a difference. He can approach his death like the “hog” many believe him to be, or the man that he truly is.
The poem also talks about how they are “far outnumbered” just as Jefferson and Grant are. They are not outnumbered by population, but people willing to fight for themselves. The white men out number the black men. They are not better people, but they all stand together to fight for the world they want to live in. Although this world is not right, many of the black men will not fight against it. This is probably because they will face harsh punishment, or possibly something worse. However, the only way they can make any change is if one person is brave enough to stand out. That person is Jefferson. The spirit of one man may be what the others need to stand up for their rights. They need to join together, because the truth is, the white men are bigger cowards than they are. “Like men we'll face the murderous, cowardly pack, Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!”
If We Must Die by: Claude McKay presents the idea that everyone must die, but we can chose how we die. McKay presents the ideal that if someone, “nobly die…then even the monsters we defy shall be constrained to honor us though dead”. He tries to show that death is inevitable for everyone, and that no one is an exception to this fate. However, he tries to show that choosing how to die shows a final statement of how someone chose to live, and that dying with dignity and holding one’s own ground will force people to see that they had such resolve for the way they lived that they would hold onto it literally to death.
In A Lesson Before Dying by: Ernest J. Gaines the same message is seen in the struggle of the character Jefferson who is called a “hog” multiple times throughout the book by many of the whites who see Jefferson as inferior to them because of his skin color. Grant tries to teach Jefferson that he isn’t a hog, and repeatedly tries to tell him that he’s a man and wants him to, “show them the difference between what they think you are and what you can be” (Gaines, 191). He thinks that this kind of self respect being seen in a man condemned to die would show that Jefferson is not a hog, and that race does not make someone inferior to anyone else. This show of dignity would also show the black community that they are not forced to be stuck in the vicious cycle of oppression and that it can be possible to escape it. That if they do stick to their path to be regarded as equals and are willing to risk their lives nobly to do it, and then they can succeed.
Overall, both the book and the poem show that once the reality that death is coming and it can’t be avoided, the only thing that will separate their death from that of a hog is to die in such a way that no one can refute the courage and honor of them. To this way of acceptance and continual resistance can help change the world, because by one person, “face the murderous, cowardly pack, pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!”, then it will inspire others to stand up and face the savage injustices of the world as well. Nothing will ever change if no one acts, and the message that the poem and the book try to show is that the first act will not come unless someone acts and tries to tell people to speak out and voice their objections to the way things are, otherwise no one else will.
The main idea of both the poem “If we must die” by Claude McKay, and the novel A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines is that African-Americans have always been treated as if they were “hogs” by the Caucasians, and they should never be put down by this supremacy. If it leads them to their death, they should die with dignity, knowing that they did their part to prove that they are also human beings and are not inferior to the white people. In other words, the African-Americans should never lower their heads to the white supremacy that ruled the world, and if they are to die, they should die like men. Jefferson, from the novel by Ernest Gaines, fits perfectly with the idea of the poem. He is sentenced to death and when he is going to be killed he proves to be just as a human being as any other white person in that room, by standing tall, and dying with dignity and without fear.
This idea has been used throughout history to end, or at least lessen prejudice and discrimination. Many African-Americans fought for their rights and were killed by the whites, but at least they died fighting, and gave courage for other African-Americans to put their heads up and prove they are human beings and not “hogs”. These stories are catalysts to courage and revolt to the African-Americans to fight for their rights.
The notion of facing death with dignity and pride has always been considered a noble and proud gesture. With Claude McKay's poem If we must die, it represents how if one must meet their doom, to do it with their pride intact and don't give the executioners the satisfaction of taking their life. This theme is very relevant with both If we must die and in A lesson before dying because in both stories the characters are expected to face their deaths with honor. By doing so, they can set a good example of how one must face any challenge with honor no matter how dire the situation is. Jefferson is a good example of how this lesson can be applied, he has to face a hopeless obstacle that he knows he won't survive but he must do it with his honor intact.
Along with the noble death, the poems also mentions a “common foe” and again this is relevant to A lesson before dying because like the poem, Black people in general have their backs against the wall. They have a common enemy, the oppression of the white people. They know that throughout the years, the oppression has been so fierce that many have an inferiority complex because of it. Thats why Jefferson has to face his death as a proud black man to show that Black people have a backbone and that no matter how bad the odds are, they are more than willing to fight.
In A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest J. Gaines, Grant is obligated by Tante Luo and Miss Emma to teach Jefferson how to become a man. The ideas behind the poem “If We Must Die”, by Claude McKay, seems to be the lesson that Jefferson is supposed to learn before his impending death. Both texts convey the idea of using death to make a difference and that the overall fight against oppression may be difficult, but it can still be won.
Death is an inevitable event in everyone’s life, sometimes occurring too sudden and unfairly, which seems to be the case in A Lesson Before Dying. Jefferson was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. In his final attempt to win the case, Jefferson’s defense attorney degrades Jefferson completely, referring to his client as being a fool and stating, “A fool does not know right from wrong” (Gaines 7). His attorney also goes on to call him a “hog” (Gaines 8). After this public humiliation, which was supposed to prove his innocence, he is condemned to death as punishment. Once he is condemned, there is nothing anybody could do to change that. Since he has no choice in the matter of living or dying, the only choice he is left with is to choose how he would die. Would he die insignificantly like one of a million animals butchered for meals each day, or would he make his death a significant one by dying as a “man”? Throughout the whole story, Miss Emma looks on to Jefferson to be that one of a million to make the difference, give hope to others in changing society, to show the courage the black community needed to gain in making a difference. To accomplish this, Jefferson could not have just accept what people labeled him to be based on his color, he had to die in a way that would show defiance to the oppressing force of the community. In the poem McKay writes “If we must die--oh let us nobly die/ so that our precious blood would not be shed in vain” (McKay 5, 6). This directly relates to Jefferson’s case. This line emphasizes that if a person has to die, that person should die honorably because, in the end, that person would not have wanted to waste their lives for nothing. Jefferson hasn’t lived a long life and will not get the chance to live one. So, he should at least show the injustice in his death sentence by trying to make a difference.
In both the story and the poem, it is clear oppression is present and that getting rid of it is a difficult task. Oppression streams from the laws of society; therefore fighting against oppression would be going against society. Society, in itself, is a force not to be reckoned with, controlling how people act and live. It is difficult to go against society because society is made of a whole mass of people while there is only a small number in the group opposing it. This is evident in the poem from the eighth line: “Though far outnumbered, let us show us brave” (McKay). Strength may come in numbers, but it can also come from the great belief of importance of the cause. The poem talks of how the audience should not allow themselves to die like hogs “hunted and penned in an inglorious spot” (McKay 2) as others scorn at their “accursed lot” (McKay 4). This suggests that the people being oppressed should not allow or give reasons for people to oppress them as they are dying. By Jefferson dying like a man in the story, it shows that he did not allow himself to die in a way that permitted people to still hold the same judgment of him even after his death. The speaker of the poem goes on to say that they should die nobly so “then even the monsters we defy/ shall be constrained to honor us though dead” (McKay 7, 8). If the oppressed people were able to get the oppressors to actually respect them, they have won the fight, because in respecting someone, you are no longer oppressing that person. This proves Jefferson to be successful in this fight against oppression, because he got Paul, a white man, to respect him after his death and so many people both white (oppressor) and black (the oppressed) to be concerned with it.
Both the poem If We Must Die by Claude McKay and A Lesson Before Dying address the idea that the blacks need to fight back and even if it means dying, dignity of the person shall remain. The first line of the poem strongly emphasizes the importance of self-dignity: “If we must die—let it not be like hogs” (Claude McKay 1). Since Jefferson has already been sentenced to die he has nothing to lose and nothing else to fear. They can’t punish him any worse than they already have, so he is free to act however he chooses. Moreover, he is free of the expectations that constantly burden Grant. The bar is set so low for Jefferson that anything above hog-like behavior would surprise everyone, which is why his show of bravery during his execution has such a profound effect. Both Jefferson and Grant are initially trapped by their fatalistic worldview. They believe there’s nothing they can do to change things. The poem on the other hand encourages the blacks to fight back and show their bravery: “Oh, Kinsmen! We must meet the common foe;/ Though far outnumbered, let us show us brave,” (Claude McKay 9-10). But when Grant watches Jefferson transform into someone who can go heroically to the chair, he realizes he can also make changes and defy what is expected of him. He can chip away at the myth of white superiority and show everyone - both white and black - that he is a man.
“Do you know what a myth is, Jefferson?” I asked him. “A myth is an old lie that people believe in. White people believe that they’re better than anyone else on earth - and that’s a myth. The last thing they ever want is to see a black man stand, and think, and show that common humanity that is in us all. It would destroy their myth. They would no longer have justification for having made us slaves and keeping us in the condition we are in. As long as none of us stand they’re safe. They’re safe with me. They’re safe with Reverend Ambrose. I don’t want them to feel safe with you anymore.” (Page 192)
As Jefferson and Grant walk around the day room, out of ear-shot of Miss Emma and Reverend Ambrose, Grant explains what is expected of Jefferson in his last few weeks. He admits himself to be a slave, because he fails to challenge the white discrimination. But Jefferson can do a lot to defy the myth of white supremacy by going to the chair like a man. Similar to the quote from A Lesson Before Dying, the poem further highlights the value of self-respect and the assertiveness in combating injustice : “If we must die—oh, let us nobly die,/ So that our precious blood may not be shed/ In vain; then even the monsters we defy/ Shall be constrained to honor us though dead!”
Claude McKay’s poem “If We Must Die” is very similar to the novel A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J Gaines. Both writings share the same theme that African Americans need to stand up for something or they will fall for anything. Both writers believe that African Americans should be noble and have integrity no matter what the circumstances are; even death. In the poem McKay states that “if we must die—let it not be like hogs”. He is saying if black people are going to die then let’s not go out the way they want us to leave this earth; which is like a selfish, gluttonous, filthy person also known as a hog. Then a few lines later he goes on to say “if we must die --- oh let us nobly die. That word nobly just means so much right there. Nobly means being brave and courageous and most importantly honorable. McKay believes that if you just lay down and die then your giving them what they want, but if you die nobly believe it or not you will die with dignity which is something they can’t take away from you.
In the novel A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J Gaines also is trying to teach the same message. Grant is trying to help Jefferson understand that although he is in jail he is still a man. Jefferson for awhile begins to get down on himself and refer to himself as being a hog. This just enrages Grant because he knows that it is the sheriff and the attorney who put this idea into his head. Grant wants to show Jefferson although he is going to put to death the noble thing to do is to die with honor. Because they may have taking his freedom away they can’t take away the fact that he is a man with dignity. Grant wants Jefferson to go out knowing that he put up a fight so that the white people do know what African Americans are capable of.
In Ernest J. Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying, a black man struggles to help another black man understand that even a man with the smallest power can make the biggest impact. Jefferson is being called a hog as a defense mechanism during trial. When he is sent to jail, he acts like a hog because he feels it is basically what society sees him as. Claude McKay’s “If We Must Die“ says “If we must die--let it not be like hog” (1) and “If we must die--oh, let us nobly die, So that our precious blood may not be shed/In vain; then even the monsters we defy/Shall be constrained to honor us though dead!”(5-8). That is exactly what Grant is trying to make Jefferson do, to not die like a hog. Grant tries to help him believe that he is a man. Jefferson resists to communicate and accepts being a hog. Grant keeps trying to crack Jefferson open because he knows why he should help Jefferson. Jefferson has to be helped for him “ to die with dignity” (Gaines 49). Jefferson will defy the white society that he will die like a man and he shall be honored to be that strong of a man with little power.
The poem also says “/Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot,/While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,/Making their mock at our accursed lot” (2-4). Jefferson is found as a target to really mess around with because of his race. He is unfortunately trapped in jail where he doesn’t really deserve to be there. Around him are whites that are seen as superior to him because they are in power. They are the sheriffs and deputies. Inside, they are probably laughing at Jefferson for being trapped there because they see him as powerless and that he is cursed to be black. The poem also says “What though before us lies the open grave?/Like men we'll face the murderous, cowardly pack,/Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!” (12-14). Jefferson knows that whatever he does, he will die anyways but he knew in the end that before he died that it was right to die like a man, fighting back because it is something that any men of any color can be able to do. Grant also fought to really make Jefferson believe in himself. This might have been an impacting thing in the courtroom because “he was the bravest man in that room” (Gaines 256). The two men learned that even when an obvious outcome is expected, a man will have no limitations and will try to make others believe that he is able to change the outcome. A man will be proud of who he is and won’t let anyone bring him down.
Both piece of writing describes how African Americans should die in bravery instead of dieing as a helpless animal. In the poem If We Must Die by Claude McKay, it stated that if the group of people was to die, they should die not feeling like a hog. "If we must die--let it not be like hogs" (McKay). He says if they were to be put to death, they should stand on both feet with their head up high and did in pride, unlike the way the whites want them too. African Americans should never let others discriminate them because of their race and even if others treat them unfairly, they should always stand up for themselves and never let them control their every move or word. "like men...dying, but fighting back"(McKay). Never give up until you fight for what you believe in and don’t let others humiliate them because of what they may or may not have done. The poem states that blacks should die with pride instead of the way the whites want them to which is dieing helplessly.
The novel A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines has the same message that the poem shows. Jefferson was called a hog when he was sentenced to death by the judge and all the whites look at him as a useless and helpless animal. They wanted him to die in humiliation and have himself believe that he really is a hog. Grant did all they he could to help Jefferson believe that he isn’t a hog but instead he’s a hero to all the blacks. Grant taught Jefferson to die a man and when he was to walk to the electric chair, Jefferson should walk on two legs and walk proudly. Blacks should always stand up for themselves and never give up with a good fight. Jefferson in the end died a man and a hero to the rest for his black community. He showed everyone that even with the whites believing he’s going to an animal, Jefferson died a strong man. The book showed that if an African American was to be put to death, they shouldn’t die as a coward, but as a man, who knows he didn’t do the crime.
The theme that is most directly related in both “If We Must Die” and “A Lesson Before Dying” is if we are going to die, we may as well die nobly, as stated in line 5 of the poem. (“If we must die--oh, let us nobly die”) It almost seems as though the poem was specifically written for Jefferson, the character in Lesson who was wrongfully accused of a crime and was sentenced with a death penalty. Having been expected to fold like a hog (connection—“If we must die--let it not be like hogs” line 1), Jefferson’s family and friends did not want him to give in the crap society was feeding him; they needed him to leave this world with dignity, as a man.
Once we leave this world, there is nothing left of us but a mere memory. That’s it. We leave, as does anything and everything that has to do with us. Not everyone is going to be the president, or be in a famous rock band; odds are, we will go and leave nothing behind but the simple thought of who we were. And then, those who will keep us in their minds, they, too, will leave this world, and eventually we will be almost nothing. However, it is actually for this very reason that we should have dignity before we die. Because many people love us, it is important that we go out embracing that love, not as a “hog” in the gutter.
“Like men we'll face the murderous, cowardly pack, Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!”(13-14)
Reoccurring throughout the poem If We Must Die by Claude McKay and the novel A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines is the theme of dying with dignity and honor. In the first line "If we must die---let it not be like hogs"(McKay 1), he author expresses his disapproval of dying in this fashion. Hogs are animals, which are usually seen as having a status of below that of humans. Hogs are often thought of as being very dirty creatures that like to play in the mud which is not what many would consider as being dignified. Similar, in idea, Miss. Emma tells Grant that "I don't want them to kill no hog," she said. "I want a man to go to that chair." Miss Emma wants Jefferson to die, not as a suppressed man, but with enough strength and pride to make a statement to the white man that African Americans are just as much a human as they are.
This also leads into another important theme that in the face of adversity, one must never fall down. Only by keeping at it and holding strong can one over come adversity. McKay describes how "Like men we'll face the murderous, cowardly pack, pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!"(McKay 13-14) In such a scenario, it would be a losing battle but they keep on fighting. Also relating to the previous theme, the description shows them dying honorably by describing them like martyrs. Grant, as well, face adversity when he was trying to change Jefferson. Guidry over the course of the novel keeps on reminding Grant that if he causes any aggravation then Grant will lose his privileges to see Jefferson. Guidry says "Good luck. But I think it's all just a waste of time."(Gaines 50) Both of these statements signify that Guidry's and most other white people’s resentment to helping African Americans improve their status. As Grant keeps on revisiting Jefferson, he slowly begins to see hope in Jefferson. He realizes that Jefferson has the courage to stand up to the white man. Buying the radio, promising the ice cream, and offering his friendship were all ways Grant tried to bring out the courage that he knew was buried deep within Jefferson. Jefferson died, as Paul described it, "the strongest man in that crowded room."(Gaines 253) That sent a message to all the whites in the room and outside that African Americans were humans not the subhumans that whites wanted them to be. Jefferson died fighting back racism and oppression.
The poem If We Must Die by Claude McKay is strongly connected to the Book A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines. In the beginning of the poem, it connects to Jefferson’s situation. The first line says, “If we must die—let it not be like hogs.” that is exactly what Miss Emma says to friends and family around her about Jefferson.
She wants Jefferson to not die as a hog, like others want him to. It continues on describing how Jefferson was, “Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot” which refers to how he was found guilty and then put in jail. As Jefferson’s death date creeps closer each day, Miss Emma orders Grant to help Jefferson believe that he will die as a man and not a hog. In the fifth line of the poem, it relates to Miss Emma’s concern about Jefferson, “If we must die—oh, let us nobly die, So that our precious blood may not be shed in vain.”
The poem says, “then even the monsters we defy Shall be constrained to honor us through the dead!” is what Grant tells Jefferson one day in the cell; which is that one day, they [the white men] will be the one to honor him [Jefferson] in the end. Although both Grant and Jefferson know that, “Though far outnumbered, let us show us brave.” it gives Grant even more drive to instill in Jefferson’s mind that he is a man, and will die as a proud one. The last two lines of the poem are the most powerful ones, “Like men we’ll face the murderous, cowardly pack, Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!” That vision that Miss Emma, Reverend Ambrose and everyone else sees is what they want Jefferson to completely believe. They want him to fight and never give up, although he will die, they want him to give it his all, and pass away with pride.
A Lesson before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines and If We Must Die by Claude McKay both echo the message that if one must die, they should die with pride and dignity. In A Lesson before Dying, a young African American named Jefferson is convicted of murder and sentenced to execution. While in trial, the defense calls Jefferson a hog and claims that he is incapable of planning such a murder that involves an intelligence he does not attain. “Do you see anyone here who could plan a murder, a robbery, can plan-can plan- can plan anything? A cornered animal to strike quickly out of fear, a trait inherited from his ancestors in the deepest jungle of blackest Africa- yes yes, that he can do- but plan?...What justice would there be to take this life? Justice, gentlemen? Why, I would just as soon put a hog in the electric chair as this.”(Gaines 7-8) This quotation relates to McKay’s, If We Must Die because it relates a human being to a hog, a “cornered animal to strike quickly out of fear”. Both compare hogs as domesticated animals of no intelligence that are frowned upon by those surrounding them. McKay’s poem states, “While around us bark the mad and hungry dogs/Making their mock at our accursed lot.” This section of the poem relates to A Lesson before Dying because the African community, specifically Jefferson is frowned upon and segregated against from the white man, the “mad and hungry dogs”.
If We Must Die is also related to A Lesson Before Dying because they both share the idea that a noble death is the most significant. Throughout the entire novel after Jefferson is called a hog, Miss Emma, Jefferson’s godmother is determined to have Grant Wiggins turn him into a man. She wishes that before she dies, Jefferson realize that he is not worthless like society makes him out to be rather he is capable of being a very wise and dignified man. Finally, both pieces of literature deliver the idea that the African community must fight the racism that spews throughout the south. McKay’s, states, “Like men we'll face the murderous/cowardly pack/Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!” This reflects the idea that despite the racism and segregation Jefferson faces, he must overcome it despite the struggles he will face along the way.
The similarities seen in the poem “If We Must Die” by Claude McKay and the novel A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines are numerous. Not only are they both written by black American authors who have some knowledge of racial segregation in the country, but both refer to man being like an animal, “hogs”, at the time of their death. Most importantly, aside from the background and symbols used by both authors, the poems’ similarity is best seen in that their themes are mirror images of each other.
In Gaines’ story, the black community must face that fact that their skin color has doomed one of their own to die by electrocution for a murder he did not commit. Using the prejudice and racial discrimination that they have been brought up on, the white folks find Jefferson, the black defendant, guilty of a crime without substantial evidence. It is the biased way in which the whites view blacks that allows them to find fault in Jefferson and what has happened, not the actual facts of the case. For the black community, it is a conclusion that they knew would come. Most people never really saw this as a case of Jefferson in the wrong place at the wrong time with evidence that would point at him being responsible for the crime of petty theft, not murder. Instead, they knew it was actually a case of black versus white, and nothing else. So, with that end already accepted, the community looks to have Jefferson’s death serve a purpose. Instead of letting him die as an animal, they want him to stand on his own two feet, stand by his word of innocence, and stand- even if only figuratively, like a man, as he leaves the world at the hands of the white mans’ justice. By doing so, his death becomes the inspiration for other blacks to not give up the fight for real justice in the world.
McKay’s poem holds the same theme to be true. He states that death is a fact, however he states that man should choose to die “nobly” as he prefers, not so he can prove he is not an animal, but simply to confirm that he is a man. Like Jefferson, the man in this poem is significant to all black men. The obvious outcome will be death, and that is not the point. The point is that in going to one’s death, one must proclaim their worth as a human being by standing with the pride that God gave them and not giving in to the hands of their oppressor. In standing up as they fall, both Jefferson and the protagonist of the poem, do an enormous service to those that follow in their footsteps. They prove that even in the last moments of life; even as they strip away everything you have; even as they smother you in injustice, you can put one foot forward and as you enter your death, you leave this life with the honor God granted you when he made you a man.
In both works of literature, the subject of death is not one of fear but one of rebellion. Ernest J. Gaines and Cluade McKay want to convey that dying is not a shameful act, but dying as obedient animals is. Both authors believe that to die as inferior animals or accept themselves as so is appalling but fighting to resist that is to die as a noble man. Rising against their
In McKay’s poem, If We Must Die, the author writes about how resisting the oppressors and fighting their power will provide a death noble for a man, and not a “hog”. Like seen in his poem, If we must die--let it not be like hogs...If we must die--oh, let us nobly die" (McKay, 1-5). he implores the audience not to accept the belief of being hogs, but to crave a more honorable death as a man. In Gaines book, A Lesson before Dying, Miss Emma felt similarly about Jefferson’s death sentence. She did not want Jefferson to go to the chair like a hog, but as a proud man. She wanted him to,” face the murderous, cowardly pack,/Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!” (McKay 14-15) She wanted Jefferson to defy the white man’s decree and rebel against a disgusting label, such as a hog. Jefferson learns about “fighting back” and in return shall be “Shall be constrained to honor us though dead!” Much like Paul comments on Jefferson’s death, “he was the bravest man in that room” (Gaines 256). As a result of Jefferson’s bravery, even after death, he gained the respect of a white man and was considered to be a great man. Paul had referred to Jefferson as a man, and not as an animal because Jefferson had resisted to binding chains of called considered as a “hog” and had evolved into a man. Both the book and the poem convey the idea of resisting the oppressing views of others and becoming a noble man, even remembered in death.
*Sorry that it’s late, forgot my password had to reset everything…
“If We Must Die” by Claude McKay and “A Lesson Before Dieing” by Ernest J. Gaines both share strong similarities. In the book A Lesson Before Dieing Jefferson the main character has been accused of a crime, found guilty and put in jail. He is sentenced to death, but Jefferson isn’t being looked at as a man, but as a hog that has to die. As the book goes along Jefferson strongly believes that he is a hog. Both of Jefferson’s aunts strongly disagree and believe Jefferson is a man. Also that he should die knowing he’s a man, so they convince a friend by the name of Grant to try and change Jefferson’s state of mind and make him believe that he isn’t a hog but a man.
With the poem “If We Must Die” it is opened with a sentence that has a thematic connection with the book “ A Lesson Before Dieing”. “If we must die let it not be like hogs” is the main focus of the book. While Jefferson’s trail was going on, the court would recognize Jefferson as a hog and some how because at the time the white people had all of the control in the south it stuck with Jefferson that he was a hog. So throughout the book the main point is trying to turn a hog’s state of mind to believing that he is a man and with the poem the main focus is that if you going to die, die as something you are, rather then something another person makes you believe you are.
The thread that unites If We Must Die, a poem by Claude McKay, and A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest Gaines, is the theme, “The only way to defy oppression is to preserve dignity.”
In If We Must Die, McKay urges others to always retain their dignity, no matter what dangers they face or what form of oppression is sent against them. According to McKay, by showing dignity and honor in the face of oppression, such as the racism McKay experienced in his own lifetime, a person can prevent himself from having suffered in vain. McKay summarizes this view by writing, “If we must die—oh, let us nobly die,/ So that our precious blood may not be shed/ In vain…”(McKay, 5-6). McKay realizes that there is no way for the oppressed “hogs” to overcome the strong, oppressive “dogs” in the short term, but he claims that by showing bravery in the face of such inevitability, the oppressed can win some kind of victory against the oppressors. According to McKay, all that is needed for the oppressed to, “deal one deathblow,”(McKay, 11) to the oppressors is for the oppressed to show that they are not the weak and cowardly hogs the oppressors believe them to be. This is a deathblow because oppressive forces inevitably assume themselves to be superior to the oppressed; however, if the oppressed show that they are in fact more courageous and admirable than the “murderous, cowardly” oppressor (McKay, 13), that myth becomes impossible to uphold, and the oppressor is weakened.
These same messages are echoed in Ernest Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying. In the context of A Lesson Before Dying, the oppressed are generally the African Americans of the South and the oppressors are the Whites. During a conversation with Jefferson, Grant says, “‘To [the Whites], you’re nothing but another nigger—no dignity, no heart, no love for your people,’”(Gaines, 191). This is why it is so easy for the Whites to oppress Jefferson in the way they have—according the White point of view, Jefferson is nothing but a “hog”, something that contributes nothing to society and is incapable of human emotion or logic. Because he’s just an animal, it is easy for “…the mad and hungry dogs” to “[Make] their mock at our accursed lot,”(McKay, 3-4). However, if Grant is able to teach Jefferson to show his humanity and “walk like a man”, it will show that Jefferson is not just an animal. It will make it harder for the Whites to keep up their myth of supremacy over Blacks and show that Blacks like Jefferson are not just dumb animals who are incapable of self improvement—that they are actually humans, just like any white man, capable of making positive changes to their lives, minds, and attitudes.
In a novel by Ernest j. Gaines titled, “A Lesson Before Dying”, and a poem written by Claude McKay, “If we must die,” shares a complimentary idea of how a person should die. Both argued that Men of all color should die with their heads up high with dignity.
In a poem called “If we must die”, the author clearly presented his view on how a man should die. “if we must die--oh, let us nobly die,/ So that our precious blood may not be shed/ In vain; (line 5-7).” He believes that if a black man should be put to death by the accusation of the white men, than he should not die on his knee and have tears streaming down his face while he begs for mercy. He believes that if a man should call, it should not be in vain. If a black man dies with his head held high, he is sending a message that he is a man and is no different from those of white color people. In the contrarily, if he dies with his knees on the floor, than the death is in vain.
In a novel by Ernest J. Gaines called, “A Lesson Before dying,” A main character named Emmas view on how a man should die is similar to the view of McKay. Emma, whose son is going to be put to death because of a crime that he is convicted of, wants him to die like a man. “And they go’n kill him, But let them kill a man. Let the teachers go to him (p22)” Like Mckay, Emma believes strongly that if a person should die, he should die with a cause. Due to this belief, Emma wants his son, Jefferson to die like a man. If Jefferson dies like a hog, than this will mean that the blacks had gone back to what they were previously. Which are slaves. However, if Jefferson can raise and die like a man. Than this shows that the blacks are on their way to equality.
The book, A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines, and the poem, "If We Must Die" by Claude McKay, have a similar theme. This common theme is that when one dies, one should not gain disgrace but rather honor.
The correspondence between the themes of these two works of literature can be seen in many ways. For example, in his poem, McKay states, “If we must die--let it not be like hogs/ Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot” (McKay, If We Must Die 1-2). McKay says this to declare that one should not die in disgrace like a hog in a slaughterhouse, but rather as a human being. Similarly, in A Lesson Before Dying, Miss Emma says, “I don’t want them to kill no hog…I want a man to go to that chair, on his own two feet” (Gaines, A Lesson Before Dying 13). Miss Emma does not want Jefferson to be killed as a hog; instead, she wants Jefferson to die like a man. The reason why Miss Emma does not want Jefferson to die like a hog is exactly the same reason why McKay does not want one to die like a hog. A hog is a symbol of disgrace and shame, and to die as a hog is equal to dieing in dishonor. Also, McKay states, “If we must die--oh, let us nobly die,/ So that our precious blood may not be shed/ In vain; then even the monsters we defy/ Shall be constrained to honor us though dead!” (McKay, If We Must Die 5-7). McKay says this to declare that often times, in order to die with honor, one must defy the expectation of one’s foe. By defying the expectation of one’s enemy, one gains respect and honor; and even one’s enemy will be forced to honor oneself. In comparison with A Lesson Before Dying, Jefferson gains respect from the white community by defying the expectation of the white community. The white community expected Jefferson to die like a hog, in shame; but to the contrary, he died like a man. When comparing the book and the poem, one sees that, if one should die, honor is gained through the defiance of the expectation of one’s enemy. By dieing like a man, Jefferson gained honor in another additional way. This additional way is apparent in McKay’s words, “Oh, Kinsmen! We must meet the common foe;\ Though far outnumbered, let us show us brave,\ And for their thousand blows deal one deathblow!” (McKay, If We Must Die 8-10). McKay explains that one gaines honor when one displays bravery in the time of one’s death. On the same note, before his death, Jefferson says, “Tell Nannan I walked” (Gaines, A Lesson Before Dying 254). Jefferson shows courage in the face of his death and consequently earns even more honor in the time of his death. Both the book and the poem point toward the fact that honor is earned through bravery in the face of death.
Therefore, the book, A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines, and the poem, "If We Must Die" by Claude McKay, have a similar theme that states that when one dies, one should not gain disgrace but rather honor.
The verdict of Jefferson’s trial was the reason that started a local movement. It was a movement based on faith, and the desire for change. But it wasn’t only the verdict that changed many people’s lives, and their mission in life, but the idea of calling Jefferson a hog. No African American that’s mentioned in the book A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines, wants to see Jefferson leave this Earth as a hog, and much less, prove the white men who called him a hog that that word is all he can be.
As the poem “If We Must Die” by Claude McKay says, “If we must die--let it not be like hogs.” McKay defines a hog as a person who is kept in an “inglorious spot,” and is surrounded by “mad and hungry dogs.” What Claude McKay talks about, represents Jefferson in jail. He is in jail, or, the “inglorious spot,” and he resides amongst the mad and the hungry; prisoners who “reached their hands out to ask for cigarettes or money.” (71) McKay asks to “nobly die,” something Jefferson asks for as well, but the difference is that Jefferson “must die” according to the verdict.
McKay asks every men who “must die” to die nobly, or die a man because that way, there will be enough strength to defeat “the murderous, cowardly pack.” As A Lesson Before Dying says, the “pack” consists of “twelve white men” (8) who have decided Jefferson’s future. The only way to prove these men are wrong, and give African Americans something to fight for, is having Jefferson die as a man. No one volunteers to give up their lives for change, but because Jefferson has no escape, he needs to make his death a worthy cause to fight for the rights of African Americans. For equality in America, a country in which many are promised equality but unfortunately are denied.
Less than one hundred years ago how much respect you got and how you were treated was determined by the color of your skin. In A Lesson before Dying Ernest J. Gaines depicts how southern African Americans were treated, especially when faced by an all white jury. The main character Grant is trying to teach Jefferson, accused of murder, that he is a man. He is not a man by the 1940s standard, but he finds that he can stand tall by the end of the novel and take on the title. This is also seen in Claude McKay’s poem If we must Die. “Why, I would just as soon put a hog in the electric chair as this…death by electrocution. The governor would set the date.” (p8-9) Shows how Jefferson was referred to as a hog, an animal with not even enough knowledge to realize he’s being fattened up for Christmas. McKay writes in his poem that, “If we must die--let it not be like hogs …If we must die--oh, let us nobly die” showing pride. Although it was viewed as less to be black during those times, he is proud of his Jamaican heritage. He shows what Jefferson stands for at the end of the book although they’re, “Pressed to the wall dying…” they are also “fighting back!” Throughout the book it seemed as if a change could never be seen, yet little acts of integrity proved that everyone should be equal. “The last thing they ever want is to see a black man stand, and think, and show that common humanity that is in us all.” (p192) McKay’s poem related very much to the theme of “A Lesson” because both deal with how people shouldn’t be oppressed, but free, especially when it comes to the color of their skin not the content of their character.
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