Analysis Of A Lesson Before Dying

In the novel A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines, there are many literary devices in which create significance in the story. One as such, is characterization. “Reverend Mose Ambrose was a short, very dark man whose face and bald head were always shining. He was the plantation church’s pastor. He was not educated, hadn’t gone to any theological school; he had heard the voice and started preaching. He was a simple, devoted believer. He christened babies, baptized youths, visited those who were ill, counseled those who had trouble, preached, and buried the dead” (100-101). By using this rhetorical device the author is descriptive of

Although the closing arguments in “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “A Lesson before Dying” are extremely different from one another, they both involve racism. Causing many similarities and differences to occur in the diction, tone, and persuasive techniques used, by each lawyer. For example, in the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” the lawyer, Atticus Finch, presents a trial where white is against black. The defendant has barely any chance of being found not guilty, so the lawyer’s closing argument needs to be convincing, powerful, and straight to the point. As well as, in the book “A Lesson before Dying” the lawyer takes a case where the defendant is black and the plaintiff is white. He too has to approach the jury with an influential closing argument,

In A Lesson Before Dying by author Ernest J Gaines, Grant is the protagonist who is trying to do the right thing for his people. Grant is in a very turbulent situation, having to make Jefferson into a “man” by the time he is executed. This is the central plot of the story, but not the main themes and ideas of it. Grant is struggling to help Jefferson because he sees generations of injustice through him. “’We got our first load of wood last week,’ [Grant] told him. ‘Nothing changes,’ he said.” (Gaines, 53). The response Grant’s teacher gives him has a deeper meaning: he as Grants’ teacher failed to change the injustice and racism and Grant is in the same situation. “Nothing changes”, but Grant does not give up for the sake of Jefferson, his people, and most importantly, himself. At one point, Grant actually reveals that “it is too heavy a burden because of all the others who have run away and left their burdens behind. So, he,

The Jim Crow Era was peak time for segregation causing Jefferson’s journey in the novel, A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines to open up the eyes of many, no matter what one’s skin color is, by showing what it means to die as a hero even when seen as the villain. Grant is to make Jefferson a man before he dies by showing him the truths about religion, race, and the United States justice system. Jefferson also teaches Grant a few things about life, creating a unique bond between the two.

Grant a school teacher who works as a school teacher in the African American church of the town of Bayonne, Louisiana. Not only was Jefferson learning , so was Grant. “[Grant’s] eyes were closed before [the] moment [with] Jefferson[,] [Grant’s] eyes have been closed all [his] life” during this moment of realization Grant began to open his eyes and realize “[they] all need [Jefferson] [,] [e]very last one of [them]".This realization shows how Grant became open to the fact that transformation is possible for anyone who really tries. Grant used to be bitter; he neglected the fact that he could change his life or himself in any way because of the racial prejudice in his community. But once he saw Jefferson turn into a man who stands up straight and tall right before his eyes, his opinion on the possibility of change is altered. Grant’s thought that “it is finally over” is not only pertaining to Jefferson’s death which is portrayed symbolically by the butterfly, but also how Grant’s cowardly persona is “finally over” as well. Grant has finally taken a stand for what he believes

One of the many challenges associated with writing is that of writing style. It can help highlight the work when used effectively, or the opposite, if used ineffectively. Some have an intuitive grasp on matter while others struggle. In his book “A Lesson Before Dying”, author Ernest J. Gaines effectively conveys his story through his stylistic choices. He does this through Jefferson’s diary in chapter 29, Grant’s observations and thoughts throughout the story, and the “third-person" perspective of chapter 30. These things elevate the immersion of the story and gives further insight into what Gaines is trying to convey.

Grant helped Jefferson to become a better person. With the help of Grant people saw the change in Jefferson since he was accused until the day of the execution. After the execution of Jefferson, Paul meets with Grant and he explains to Grant,“He never could have done that. I saw the transformation. I’m a witness to that”(254). This quote reveals the transformation that Paul saw by Jefferson, and Paul knows that no one could have moved Jefferson like Grant did. Grant changing Jefferson supports the idea that Jefferson was a better person, and that Grant is a hero because people saw the change in Jefferson, and Grant helped change Jefferson for others and had no selfishness. No one knows exactly what Grant did to change Jefferson, but the town, especially paul, all saw that Jefferson connected with Grant and changed with Grants help. The change that Grant made with Jefferson shows that he is a hero because others saw the impact that he had. Heros have an impact on people without even knowing and the change with Jefferson is exactly what happened with Grant changing Jefferson, he didn’t know how big of change he made. Grant teaches Jefferson that he has to love his family and the impact that it will have. Grant says to Jefferson that he owes something to Miss Emma, so he states, “No matter how bad off we are, we still owe something. You own something,

Dying slowly as a worthless person or even a “hog” for something that never happened, can cause others to make more of this death. The poem, “If We Must Die” and the movie A Lesson Before Dying are very similar and point out how unfair it is to die in such a horrid way. In the movie, a man was wrongfully accused of murder and he was sentenced to death, however citizens work together to make him a “man” before death. The poem simply shows that some people really want to die with meaning. The main similarities in both these stories deal with how death should be done or even how a person should be considered before death.

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines tells the story of how Grant, an educated black man in Bayonne, helps Jefferson, a black man who is going to be sentenced to death by electrocution, become a man by his godmother’s wish before he dies so, he can die like a man. In the novel, Gaines introduces characters who display a change as the novel goes on. Many themes are shown throughout the novel. One theme in A Lesson Before Dying deals with how a certain character’s growth propels another character to change. Gaines displays this theme between Grant and Jefferson. There are many examples in the novel that support this theme.

In A Lesson Before Dying, there is a church that everyone went to, praising the same God, of course, and even separating the blacks from the whites. This church hints at a bit of symbolism in the book, showing how anyone and everyone had one place to go to in order to strive for or make change in the world, no matter who or what they were. They always had someone to pray to, which was God and Jesus, while they could feel safe in their hands, giving them hope in the society that they lived in.

“A Lesson Before Dying” and “Into The Wild” are both books that defy the expected, tackle tough obstacles, and face the physical and mental extremes of life. Beginning with “Into The Wild”, Jon Krakauer leads us on a rich and insightful tour through the brash and lucid life of Chris McCandless. Followed by a well thought out, fiction novel featuring a sticky situation in a small Cajun community, “A Lesson Before Dying”, by Ernest J. Gaines. This split, self chosen, mini series takes us through a roller coaster of comparisons and contrasts, leading with the first noticeable major difference.

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

In the novel A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines there are many themes and motifs to be taught. A reader could acquire so much knowledge from reading this book but if anything they will learn the most important lesson to learn before dying. The most important lesson to learn before dying is that everybody can make a difference in life. Three characters that learned this lesson includes Vivian, when she helped Grant when he was having hard times, Grant Wiggins, when he knew that he accomplished his goal which was helping Jefferson regain his humanity and Jefferson, when he realizes himself that he has much more potential than a hog.

December 18, 1865, marked the end of African-American slavery in America, where-by black people gained more freedom in the land. However, a power imbalance between the black and white is still present. A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines gives readers insight to the immense abuse and hatred towards black people in the 1940s of America and furthers the reader's knowledge of black segregation and how the black people never gave up for their freedom and rights. The novel’s main plot follows Grant Wiggins, a young black man who was given the responsibility to make Jefferson, a black man who was unjustifiably accused of murder and sentenced to death by electrocution become truly a man and not a “hog” which is what the lawyer labeled Jefferson as. Throughout the novel, readers can recognize the great bond created as Grant encourages and aids Jefferson in becoming a man before his “judgment day”. Nevertheless, the novel was not only about Jefferson’s lesson before his death, but it was a lesson for many other characters in the novel. The most important lesson to learn before dying is the lesson of never give up, which can be seen through the actions of Jefferson, Miss Emma, and Grant.

Grant Wiggins is the narrator of the novel. He was born in the plantation just outside of Bayonne, Louisiana. He lived there until he went away to college, and when he went back home, he was detached from the people in the town because of his education and different religious beliefs. He is easily angered and often very selfish. This is seen in the way that he acts towards Vivian. He consistently does not give her the attention or respect that she deserves. He refers to her children as simply, “the babies,” and only cares about the names of his and Vivian’s future children. Grant goes from shallow and selfish at the beginning of the story, to caring and loving at the end.