Compare And Contrast A Lesson Before Dying And Into The Wild

The film opens in a small town in Arkansas where Earl Pilcher Jr. owns an equipment rental business. Shortly after the film begins, Earl goes home to his farmhouse where his mother is very sick in bed. She dies while Earl is next to her bed speaking to her. In the next few days after her death, Earl receives a letter at his shop which his mother wishes for him to read. In the letter, Earl’s mother shares that she is not his actual mother, but rather his adopted mother. Earl Pilcher Sr. raped a black woman, Willa Mae, who died while giving child birth to Earl Jr. Later in the letter Earl’s adoptive mother shares that Earl has a half-brother who lives in Chicago which she wishes him to meet. Earl takes the news badly and asks his father to clear up the facts, which causes him to pack up his clothes and head for Chicago. Once in Chicago he asks around for his half-brother, Ray

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 Jon Krakauer's novel Into the Wild, the main character, Chris McCandless, seeks nature so that he can find a sense of belonging and the true meaning of who he is. However, it is the essence of nature that eventually takes his life away from him. At the end of his life, he is discovers his purpose and need of other people. After Chris McCandless death in Alaska, Krakauer wrote Into the Wild to reflect on the journey that McCandless makes. Krakauer protrays McCandless as a young man who is reckless, selfish, and arrogant, but at the same time, intelligent, determined, independent, and charismatic. Along with the irony that occurs in nature, these characteristics are the several factors that contribute to McCandless death.

The two text are similar for various reasons. They are generally similar because they both have someone attempting to deny or rebel against society or government and they both get are unsuccessful and killed in the end. As seen in Harrison Bergeron this conflict occurs when Harrison

Seven billion people in the world, all with unique personalities, on this earth to serve a purpose in their own life, or someone else’s. Chris McCandless was a man with unique qualities, and served to please himself and coincedently others as well. In the book “Into the Wild” the author, Jon Krakauer, explains the adventures and mishaps Chris McCandless went through in his life. Krakauer admired Chris for his personality, and his ability to be determined and hardworking at everything he did. Chris McCandless was an admirable man, with his individual view on life, and the way he could touch a person’s life and impact them forever.

Imagine being stuck in the wild, on the verge of dying from either starvation or freezing to death. There are not enough resources, not enough food, all you have left is to hope. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, is a story written of a man named Chris McCandless who overall did not like his life. He thought society corrupted his dreams that he previously set, and he wanted to get away from all of societies norms. Chris wanted to achieve his dream, he wanted a “thrill” in his life, so, Chris decided to go out into the wild and be a free man. In the process he left behind his family who worried everyday having no notion of his whereabouts. Chris was without a doubt , a very controversial/confusing person. People who have heard his story have reason to believe that he was a foolish, stupid kid who got lost into the wild and got himself killed. However, due to Chris' grit, his ability to look deep inside himself to bring out the real him, and his love of nature are all exceptional. Chris' journey into the threatening Alaskan wilderness was not one of stupidity, but one of self determination and courageousness.

I agree with the statement, “At the end of A Lesson Before Dying, desolation prevails over consolation,” because the last chapters of A Lesson Before Dying had a negative and depressing tone. According to Sidney deRogers, “He didn’t pay any close attention to the black truck with the gray tarpaulin cover, but he would tell the people at the Rainbow Club that he did feel a cold chill when the truck went by.” Basically, Sidney is saying that he felt that something was awry, or that something wrong or evil was in that truck. The whole town knew what was happening that day and everyone had an opinion, whether that opinion was indifferent, uneasy, or disgusted/sickened by what was going to happen on that day. Grant says that “It was a nice day. Blue sky. Not a cloud,” but there was an overlying notion of sorrow and fear that laid over everyone in the quarter. One could argue that the end of A Lesson Before Dying prevailed with consolation rather than desolation since according to Paul, “He was the strongest man in that crowded room, Grant Wiggins.” Paul’s point is that Jefferson died a man as a result of Grant. Despite what someone might say, I still consider this argument to be wrong considering that Grant is still upset because Jefferson did not have a “Jury of his peers;” everyone on that jury was white and had no concern for Jefferson’s life. At the end, it seems to me that Grant feels alone since he has spent much of the past six months with Jefferson. He developed a strong

The day is unlike any other. The mail has come and lying at the bottom of the stack is the favored Outside magazine. The headline reads, “Exclusive Report: Lost in the Wild.” The cover speaks of a twenty four year old boy who “walked off into America’s Last Frontier hoping to make sense of his life.” The monotony of the ordinary day has now vanished from thought as Jon Krakauer’s captivating article runs through the mind like gasoline to an engine. The article is not soon forgotten, and the book Into the Wild is happened upon three years later. The book relates the full story of Christopher Johnson McCandless and how he left his family and friends after graduating college in order to find himself. Krakauer based the book off of his article

Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild, describes the adventure of Christopher McCandless, a young man that ventured into the wilderness of Alaska hoping to find himself and the meaning of life. He undergoes his dangerous journey because he was persuade by of writers like Henry D. Thoreau, who believe it is was best to get farther away from the mainstreams of life. McCandless’ wild adventure was supposed to lead him towards personal growth but instead resulted in his death caused by his unpreparedness towards the atrocity nature.

Throughout history, people encounter a stage in their lives where they feel the necessity to assert their independence and challenge their abilities and self-worth. In the book, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, the author shares his understanding and kinship with the main character, Chris McCandless, a young man who thrusts himself into a life of solitude and a harsh environment during his search for meaning to his life. Krakauer depicts himself and McCandless as modern day transcendentalists with an abundance of competency, resourcefulness and skills as naturalists. Although McCandless chose to experience a life of solitude and face the hazards that nature presents, his lack of preparedness prevented him from completing his endeavor successfully.

God can only guide, but it us who decide what we are known by in society. “You do not need super powers to be a Superhero… Heroes are made not born” (Pacquio) Individuals who stand up for what is correct and help other’s discover pride in their lives can be considered Hero’s. As to that person it can completely change their life. This idea is illustrated in “A Lesson Before Dying" by Ernest J. Gaines. Grant Wiggins, Jefferson, and Paul, three of Gaines characters that profited, exemplified, and comprehended the most essential lesson before dying. Each of us has been made by God with potential to be incredible, and to help other people achieve enormity.

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.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and A Lesson before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines are both set in the south during the early 1900’s which was full of growing racial oppression and forced segregation. Atticus Finch and Grant Wiggins were given the tough task: convincing everyone in the town that an African American man was not guilty of the crime he was claimed for. Although they may take different methods to approach their conclusion, the two white lawyers have the same goal to free the alleged men and change how African Americans are viewed.

In the continuation of the story “A Lesson Before Dying”, Grant comes to visit Jefferson many more times. The prison guard Paul searches grant uneasily knowing that he is friendly and safe. Paul has to search grant anyways because of fear of being caught for doing the wrong thing. Progress continues as Grant continues to visit Jefferson more and more. The two men become friendlier to each other and begin to have small talk about various subjects. The thing they discuss the most is Ice cream, Jefferson says how he wants his last meal to be a gallon of vanilla ice cream. Jefferson also accepts Grants offer to buy him a small radio for his cell. After the visit with Jefferson, Grant drives to The Rainbow Club. At the club, Grant eats a meal and convinces the waiter to lend him ten dollars for the radio. After,Grant arrives at the department store where he is hassled to Buy the sale model for the radio by a white sales clerk. Grant does not give in and convinces her to get him a brand new radio. Shortly after grant buys the radio, he heads back to the prison to give Jefferson the radio. A few days later, Tante Lou, Emma, and Pastor Ambrose go to see Jefferson without Grant. When they arrive at the prison, they learn that Grant bought Jefferson a radio and Jefferson will not leave it. Their visit ends with the radio playing the whole time and few words said at all. Back at home, Ambrose, Emma, and Tante Lou blame Grant for the failure in their visit. PastorvAmborse

A Lesson Before Dying is a deceptively simple novel that explores numerous complex themes. Which also explores a prison experience. Set in the fictional community of Bayonne, Louisiana, in the late 1940s, A Lesson Before Dying tells the story of Jefferson, a twenty-one-year-old uneducated black field worker wrongfully accused and convicted of the robbery and murder of a white man, and sentenced to death by electrocution.