During class discussion this semester, it was noted that there were multiple instances in A Lesson before Dying where Jefferson is dehumanized by and referred to as a hog by his own defender, much like what is seen in The Bluest Eye, where Pecola is dehumanized in almost all aspects of the novel by multiple characters in her black community because she is portrayed as ugly due to her dark skin. The repetitive theme of dehumanizing blacks, whether comparing them to animals or anything “not human”, is an essential part of the way these characters race and monstrosity is portrayed.
- Stowe, Harriet Beecher, and Amanda Claybaugh. Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Trade Pbk. ed. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics, 2005. Print
- This novel tells the story of how slaves were dehumanized by their owners.
- Lynn, Richard. “Skin Color and Intelligence in African Americans: A Reply to Hill.” Population and Environment. 2nd ed. Vol. 24. Springer, 2002. 215-218. Print.
- This scholarly article discusses the positive association of African Americans with light skin, which can be shown to be a result of discrimination of blacks of darker skin by whites.
- Munzenrieder, Kyle. Miami-Dade Police Choke Black Teenager Because He Was Giving Them “Dehumanizing Stares” MIami: New York Times, 2013. Print.
- This article exposes the reality of how some whites feel when tables are turned and they are the ones being looked at as not human.
