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This is a place for us to discuss openly and honestly the literature we are reading. Here we are all just communicating our thoughts on what we are reading. There are no right and wrong answers. However, you are expected to be polite, mature, and on topic.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

The Good-bye

Jefferson's final spoken words to Grant,at the end of Chapter 28, are "I'm all right, Mr. Wiggins." What is the full impact of that statement? Give two specific moments/events/situations that brought Jefferson to be able to give this good-bye.  (The deadline to post a response to this blog opportunity is midnight, July 26, 2013.)

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Jefferson's last words were so strong. Grant Wiggins worked so hard to get Jefferson to realize that he is a man, not a hog. Wiggins felt that he succeeded. Jefferson's family got to witness to this success. This was what they were looking for. One way that made Jefferson possible to say these words is that Wiggins, to me, opened up to Jefferson. Wiggins started wanting to see Jefferson more and more. He saw Jefferson as a friend, someone he could tell the truth to. When Wiggins gave Jefferson the notebook and pencil, he struck something in Jefferson. Another example of how Jefferson got to these words is when Grant Wiggins brought gifts to Jefferson from the kids. I think that made him realize that he has the support from the town's smallest. Jefferson has to feel like a human, because humans are not given up on.

Unknown said...

Jefferson’s final words to Grant Wiggins bring the plot to a close, as Jefferson has finally learned his lesson to stand like a man before dying. He will be “all right” because he has the strength and understanding Grant taught him. When the children from Grant’s class give Jefferson a gift of nuts, he is able to understand that he is a symbol, and the situation is much bigger than just him. He represents hope that men can stay strong even when faced with frightening situations and not run away like all the previous ones. Because Grant gives Jefferson the notebook, he is able to reflect and think about life rather than just survival like an animal would. In the end, Grant’s lessons were successful, and Jefferson was able to die like a man in a Christ-like manner for his godmother and every person in his community.
-Hannah S.