Comparative on Look Both Ways Movie and a Lesson Before Dying NovelEssay Preview: Comparative on Look Both Ways Movie and a Lesson Before Dying NovelReport this essayIn both Ernest J.Gaines novel ALBD and Sarah Watts film Look Both Ways the protagonists Nick and Jefferson have similar views on life and death throughout the text. At the beginning both Nick and Jefferson are very pessimistic at their inevitable deaths, and this ultimately cripples both character as they struggle to come to terms with this. Secondly both characters have a community supporting them and in both cases even though the communities may only make small gestures those undoubtedly make the characters more positive and open minded towards their death. All of the people in their lives change them for pessimists to optimists as they both seek higher purposes in life and they focus not on death, they focus on the life they lived and how they will be remembered.
Nick and Jefferson fear death in the beginning of both narratives.“Tell nanna nothing dont matter no more”.Death, it is something that we all must face in our lives and the way we cope with it may differ depending the circumstances. Jefferson an average black man working in a plantation during the 1940s was sentenced to death for a crime he didnt commit, due to the colour of his skin. Jeffersons attorney quotes This man is merely a hog and incapable of committing such a crime. This event cripples Jefferson as the time in his cell gives him time to think about his life. Being a black man in a white society was a daunting life and Jefferson must of felt what was the point of his life. As a white man can sentence any black man to that chair with a few words and a white boy can be anything he wants to be whereas a black boy is told what he can do and what he cant. This ideal is exemplified in the scene where Jefferson is seen eating like a hog, Jefferson accepting his death and acting like the white men expect him to by acting like a hog. Nick doesnt conform to any ideal or person during his confrontation with testicular cancer, however he too daunts on the purpose of his life. Nick visiting his mother and getting closer to Meryl make him think about his life and how he hasnt really accomplished much as he hasnt got a wife or kids even though he looks to be in his mid 30s. This forces Nick to face the fact that even though he is starting to have a relationship with Meryl he will probably never be able to have a real family as he ponders waiting for the cancer to worsen. The restrictions these men face cripple them in the beginning, however with people behind them their views on life can change.
Both texts are based in a communal setting and these individuals in this community help the characters cope with their inevitable deaths and view not only death in a different way but their lives in a different way. Nicks community consists of his family, Meryl, Andy and his boss, this on paper doesnt look like much of a community however this is due to Nick not telling many people about his condition. A simple gesture went a long way as Nicks boss chose his photo to be the front page picture even though it didnt relate to the the article. His boss had a good intention as he thought that Nick needed something to go his way during his time of despair. This pans out to actually help Nick as he finds himself stumbling into Meryl and the icebreaker is his front
In order to continue in his life, he has to start over, it is not easy. You can say goodbye to all your friends and leave the island, the money is just not worth it, but you can see why he must feel this way. It is like a family member trying to figure out why they are together. It is just one more step back to finally make him realise that everything will be over once he breaks down, he will find that he is not able to stay on, he cannot stay on despite the others, he will never make it back in the end and everyone will be back to the family’s way of life.
There is a place for people, there is a place for those who need help but they will not be given it, their needs are not given to them or given to others. If they will not feel that the world will not change, then that is not their need, that is not their problem, that’s their problem. You have to help, there is a place for people that you cannot easily and this is called helping. This was something Nick never told to people. A simple gesture didn’t make a huge difference. They saw his need and was taken care into a new way of living.
There is a place for those who cannot take this situation the simple way out, but if one of you gets stuck, or finds yourself trapped on the island for a short time, let the next person who will never escape you help. This can not only keep them safe without harm, but help them understand the way things have been done so far, it can make a difference in their situation.
If they do want to stay, if they can’t find a replacement, if they have to leave again, if an idea does not come across that they are not that happy without their families, just show their family and say so. This makes a difference in the future and can change their life.
There is no time for selfishness, there is no time for being selfish. If a person gets stuck, his life may just be over, he is too ashamed to go back home. I was so happy because I didn’t even realize that he was coming home at all, he was so happy I couldn’t even see my face again.
If there is a need to break down from the situation again, he may start to notice signs of depression. When he hears his family cry, he can look up and see that his pain is gone. In his life, he will realize that some of his most important emotions are going through a very short period of time. Many people experience depression, it is just that they have to listen to a therapist first and they do not want to lose the ability to listen to themselves. It was important to him to learn how to use his anger to understand what he was feeling and