Changes in Jefferson

I will be the first to tell you that I was not a fan of Jefferson in the beginning of the novel.  I believed he was ignorant and even though he was going to be put to death, he could have been more positive and more responsive to Miss Emma. I even at a point in the novel felt bad for Grant because he had to deal with Jefferson.  It was almost like a father trying to explain something to a child. However, I was surprised to see the transformation that Jefferson made from the beginning of the novel to the end.

In the beginning of the novel, Jefferson himself believed that he was a hog. It even got to the point where he got on his hands and knees put his face in the basket of food and made hog sounds intending that he really is a hog. Grant got to the point where he didn’t even want to visit him anymore because there was no way he could change Jefferson. With the help of his girlfriend Vivian, Grant continued to visit Jefferson and this is where the transformation begins. Not only did Jefferson become responsive, he even started to think about his worth and how he would be helping all of the people of Bayonne by believing in himself. He even started to eat Miss Emma’s food in front of her which she enjoyed. That was the key way Grant used to try and get to Jefferson. He knew Jefferson loved his godmother so he explained how much she would love it if he ate her food. In chapter 29, you could tell how much Jefferson transformed. The begging of his diary, he didn’t have much to say but nearing the end of his diary he explains that he’s sorry about the harsh things he said to Grant and about how he is still shaking at night but he is strong.

Jefferson ultimately goes to the chair as a man which is what everyone in Bayonne hoped. This transformation reminds me of the change in a child’s life to adolescents. Jefferson started off ignorant and non-responsive but he later grew into maturity and walked to that chair like a man.