Black people in the novel A Lesson Before Dying are dehumanized in various ways. For example, the superintendent visiting Grant’s school checked the students’ teeth and hands as if they were cattle for sale. This dehumanization relates to current depictions of monstrosity as academics argue that it still happens in today’s society and is clearly seen in unfortunate events such as the shootings in Ferguson.
- The Continued Dehumanization of Blacks http://gender.stanford.edu/news/2011/continued-dehumanization-blacks
In this article, Pelberg discusses if in fact black people are perceived as equal as white people.
- The Bluest Eye
This novel gives examples, such as when Pecola is raped by his dad, of why black people could be considered to be less than a human as some of them have wild sexual desires.
- Estimating Cattle Age by Dentition http://msucares.com/pubs/publications/p2779.pdf
This scientific article provides further understanding on how to valuate cattle by checking their teeth, just like the superintendent checked Grant’s students.
