A Lesson Before Dying Quote Analysis

My first claim is that Grant sacrifices time and dignity for others. On page 47 and 48 in the book, Grant is trying to visit Jefferson in prison and is talking with

Jefferson wanted a separation of powers within the government in order to prevent one person or group having a tyrannical hold over the nation. He believed

But that is what Jefferson wants. He wants to live among rich people and be, or at least pretend to be as rich as them. So he decides “never again to speak to black people” (28) that he now considers as a waste of time and money, because they were always borrowing money from him and never pay back. Then, he used all his savings to buy a big empty house in Rosedale. What Jefferson never thought about is how he was going to fill up the house not only with furniture, but with friends and love. He found himself into an empty house, alone and lonely.

Through Grant’s actions it is easy to see he is not comfortable with his life. He lives in a small, racially discriminated and prejudiced town, and is a college educated man treated like a man who hasn’t finished elementary school. Adding Jefferson’s situation on top of all that, it is easy to see how Grant desires to simply give up and run away with the love of his life, Vivian. But Grant realizes that the issues at hand are bigger than just him; the way Jefferson dies will have a lasting impact, much like Christ’s crucifixion, on the local community. He understands that the dignity Jefferson shows in

Grant already has a lot of things to deal with in his life and then when he gets handed one more major assignment which was to help Jefferson he thought he wouldn’t be able to handle it. He took a long time to think over his plan of what he was going to do with Jefferson and he came to a conclusion that he would try and help him. During this process Grant and Jefferson formed a trust with each other which later lead them to become friends. Grant brought him all sorts of things to comfort him like a radio, specific types of food he wanted and lastly a notebook and a pencil so that he could express his thoughts. Jefferson knew that he could go to Grant whenever he needed guidance. Grant also brought his class of students to meet Jefferson so that he would realize that he isn’t in his battle alone and that a lot of people care about him. Grant knew that he had helped Jefferson when Jefferson wrote in his diary “good by mr wigin tell them im strong tell them im a man” (Gaines, 234). These are the reasons why I think Grant learned that even the littlest things can help another person change the way they think of

Grant Wiggins is very conflicted and confused about many aspects of his life when he comes back to his home town. Despite his reluctance, he is eventually forced to overcome his defeatist attitude and accept the sense of responsibility that Tante Lou and Miss Emma are trying to instill in him. Grant is also haunted by his past having grown up in a very racist small town which he could never find a way to deal with.

Throughout this book, the decisions Jefferson make dictate what happens to him. He had a choice in the beginning of the book whether he could get a ride with the two white men or continue walking as he planned to from the start of the day. There was no one there telling him what to do “He was on his way to the White Rabbit Bar and Lounge when Brother and Bear drove up beside him and offered him a ride”(4) he should have known something was up when two white men drove up and offered him a ride because there was still segregation and most whites believed they were better than the blacks. He had the choice to make and decided that he would go in the car with Brother and Bear so there is no outside force telling him to get in the car only his own mind.

Jefferson felt that education was an important factor in attaining freedom. An educated man was less likely to be susceptible to being corrupted due to ignorance of what justice consists of. In his later years, one of his many accomplishments was the founding of the University of Virginia, which compounded his belief that education was a vital path on the road to freedom. (planetpapers.com)

For the majority of the novel, Grant denies that he can help Jefferson in any way at all. When his aunt and Miss Emma request that Grant go talk to Jefferson to teach him that he is a man, Grant explains, "It is only a matter of weeks, maybe a couple of months – but he's already dead…All I can do is try to keep the others from ending up like this…There's nothing I can do anymore, nothing any of us can do anymore" (14). Before receiving extreme pressure from his aunt to comply, Grant goes so far as to refuse to even attempt to help Jefferson. With this attitude that "There's nothing [he] can do anymore," Grant can, in fact, do nothing. Even though Grant correctly recognizes the fact that Jefferson will die in a short while, he fails to acknowledge the possibility of working through the injustices to make a difference. Grant, himself, feels stuck in his environment – he is "just running in place" there – yet he feels a sort of responsibility for his people and an attraction to the town, and cannot bring himself to leave (15). In order to "try to keep the others from ending up like" Jefferson, Grant wants to help his students, but he fails to respect them (14). If Grant has a bad day, he takes out his anger on his students, slapping them on the back of the head for playing with an insect, or sending them to the corner for an hour

Jefferson’s destiny is a result of his lousy choices. He knew that he had “no bisnes goin ther wit brother an bear…” (Gaines, 233). This choice made a big change in his life. He was sentenced to death by execution.

Jefferson was a visionary in American history who had profound ideas. According to the author Thomas Jefferson stated, “We hold these truths to be sacred & undeniable; that all men are created equal & independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent & inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness”(Ellis 76). Jefferson preached a large vision and pictured it as a utopian world where every individual was created equal. Also, “He propose that our deepest personal yearnings are in fact achievable, then to articulate opposing principles in a way that conceals their irreconcilability.” Jefferson believed you could achieve what you dream and rightfully made it so others believed this vision too. They looked up to him.

Becoming a highly analyzed novel, many critics speak about their feelings. Carl Senna, one a literary critic, discusses the reasons for lack of communication in A Lesson before Dying. A large part of their communication problem comes directly from their class differences. Although Grant is not considered rich, he is well educated and lives rather comfortably, whereas Jefferson is nearly illiterate and has been a struggling farmhand most of his life. This gap that separates them makes it very difficult for them to speak. Neither one of them is at fault for this, but it frustrates Jefferson to the point where he often wants to leave the jail cell and not return. Also Grant speaks with Jefferson "reluctantly, prompted by his aunt, a moralizing scold and a nag"(Senna 5). Another good point Senna makes is that because of the time period, blacks were struggling to become equals and were more engrossed with their own wants and needs than worrying about Jefferson. Yes, they all realized that he is innocent but they are not at a time where they can fight for the innocence of this young boy. Therefore Grant "becomes their instrument in trying to save him[Jefferson] from disgrace"(Senna 5). Jefferson was not seen as much to these

At the beginning of the book, Grant more than anyone else hated Jefferson and refused to teach Jefferson how to become a man, but after a few visits to the cell Grant became Jefferson’s friend. Grant became one of the few he could trust and share his thoughts with. Jefferson opened up to grant and took his advice for granted. At that point, Grant completely transformed from an angry man to a loving and caring person. Grant realized what it was to actually be a man and how a man becomes a hero! A

Jefferson is a peculiar character in that the story is centred on his existence and, although his thoughts and opinions are seldom expressed, the lessons he learnt are completely unambiguous. As the tragic story goes, he is a very young black man unjustly condemned to death for a crime he did not commit. Furthermore, he is dehumanized in his defence when he is called a “hog” and this detrimentally affects his self esteem throughout a significant portion of the novel. However, this melancholic situation he is thrust into and his initial reaction to it is contrasted against his final moment which unashamedly reveals just how much he has learnt in his incarceration period. Jefferson, through the guidance of Grant, learns about the notion of dignity, a peculiarity that drives people towards the pinnacle of human

“Jefferson’s ideals came from a hypothetical yeoman farmer, whose hard labour on the land will offer the best judgment on the rights of people.” (Sturgis, pg 7) At times, Jefferson had made uncomfortable decisions that opposed his ideals and beliefs, such as the Louisiana Purchase from Napoleon. This forced a removal of the