Grow Into Manhood In Ernest J. Gaines's Life

      "They sentence you to death because you were at the wrong place at the wrong time, with no proof that you had anything at all to do with the crime other than being there when it happened. Yet six months later they come and unlock your cage and tell you, We, us, white folks all, have decided it’s time for you to die, because this is the convenient date and time" (158). Ernest J. Gaines shows the internal conflicts going through the mind of Mr. Wiggins in his novel A Lesson Before Dying (1933). Mr. Wiggins is struggling through life and can’t find his way until he is called upon against his own will to help an innocent man, Jefferson. The help is not that of freeing him at all.

The setting of the novel is a rural plantation in Louisiana in the Deep South. Most of the story takes place on Henri Pichot’s plantation. He is a wealthy influential man in Bayonne who can influence many decisions. Being set in the 1940’s before civil rights, the whites reigned supreme, and the blacks were still seen as inferior. Gaines uses characters such as Sheriff Guidry, Henri Pichot, and Mr. Joseph Morgan to demonstrate the white mentality towards African Americans (Poston A1). The white mentality causes many negative feelings. Folks says, “Part of Grant’s bitterness stems from his negative feelings about the black population in his hometown” (Folks B1). Grant is always mad and discouraged by the vicious cycle the blacks are put through. “The reader is able to gain insight into Grant’s thoughts and frustrations through his conversations with Vivian, his girlfriend. He feels trapped in his present situation” (Poston A1).

In his 1940 based novel, A Lesson Before Dying, Ernest J. Gaines tells the story of Grant Wiggins, an educated African-American school teacher in Louisiana who is constantly faced with racial injustice and inequality in his community. Wiggins is given the challenge of turning a young convicted convict, Jefferson, into a mature, confident man before his last day on Earth. Gaines exemplifies racism, education and religion throughout the novel.

Within Douglass’s Narrative as a child one of the first adults to impact your life, his mother, passes. The way he illustrates his emotion is seen through his syntax, his sentences explaining how he felt were almost cold, very short and choppy as if he was speaking about a stranger. “The ties that ordinarily bind children to their homes did not exist in my case. I felt no sadness at the thought of leaving. I was not leaving any loved one.” (Douglass 28). Douglass develops an almost nonchalance in his writing which builds up to the emotional appeal as he relocates into a new community, the first true community Douglass is able to experience is within slavery. However, Douglass sets a shift as his tone shifts from cold and nonchalant to cheery and wholehearted as he is integrated into a new society. The emotions that Douglass expresses through his writing indicate his emotions towards the relationship he and his communities share; On the Colonels farm he was cold and distance and as he relocates to Baltimore he becomes more sincere, joyful and open to emotion likely due to the fact that Baltimore was the start of his literacy and the end of his mental suppression. Contradictorily, those in opposition of the ideal that person is a product of their community will claim that Douglass’s claims in his narrative only speak for the enslaved African American community however within the narrative Douglass speaks on the norms of society and suppression of women within

Ernest J. Gaines was born in Oscar, Louisiana in 1933. He was born and raised on a plantation. He had six brothers and sisters and they were taken care of by his great aunt, Augusteen Jefferson. Him and his siblings were sent to labor alongside their elders in the fields. He served in the U.S. Army, but then

Many authors connect their stories to experiences in their lives. I believe that in this scenario, Gaines is modelling Grant on his life. They were both born and raised in Louisiana on a plantation, they both were teachers, both raised by their aunts, and both have family in California. These are very significant similarities between them that most likely would have made an impact on their morals, values, and personalities. The differences between them are not substantial enough to make one believe Grant is not based off Gaines. These dissimilarities are minor details that are not mentioned about Grant possibly since we only have limited information provided in the novel and the reader can view Grant’s thoughts, but not Gaines. Though, I do

When someone is thinking of a man, what do they think? Strong? Brave? That’s what most people think; in reality that is a very false image. In “Bros Before Hos: The Guy Code,” Michael Kimmel, talks about what it means to be a man and what it takes to be a man in today’s world. Men are pressured into what they “should” be. If they don’t follow certain unwritten rules, which include: not asking for directions, not giving up, not showing fear, or any signs of emotional weakness, such as tears; they are considered less than a man, a wimp. A real man must be aggressive and brave, he must defend his territory: status, family, possessions. Men blindly follow the Guy Code, they must comply in order to be part of the pack, to fit in.

In life, there are many decisions that everyone must make. And with decision-making comes consequences, some that we are ready for , and some that we may not be ready for. The author of ' The Man Who Was Almost a Man,' Richard Wright, portrays a young man who wants to be a man, but shows that he is clearly unprepared for manhood and the consequences that come with that responsibility. Through decision making based on self interest, wanting to gain respect from his family, and wanting to prove his dignity, Richard Wright brings forth the main character, Dave, a seventeen year old boy, whose actions show that he is only 'almost a man.'

A Lesson before Dying, one of Ernest J. Gaines later works, was written in 1993. Some of his earlier works include A Gathering of Old Men and In My Father’s House. The novel covers a time period when blacks were still treated unfairly and looked down upon. Jefferson, a main character, has been wrongly accused of a crime and awaits his execution in jail. Grant, the story’s main protagonist must find it within himself to help Jefferson see that he is a man, which will allow him to walk bravely to his fate that lies in the execution chair. A Lesson before Dying captures the tale of a young teacher, who by helping another mistakenly finds his own soul. This paper explains the literary background of Gaines, facts about the novel, literary

Destiny, the hidden power believed to control what will happen in someone's future, many people say that they have or claim to have control of their lives, In the novel A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest J. Gaines, Brother and Bear influenced Jefferson's actions. African Americans were unfairly judged because of their race and their skin color. Racism during the 1940s affected the decision that took Jefferson to jail and soon took him to his execution.

What does it mean to be a man? How does one qualify for the title? Is the term "man" simply referring to male human beings, or does it hold a greater measure of meaning in society. In order to get more insight into this subject matter, I consulted, " The Tormont Webster's Encyclopedic Dictionary". As I anticipated, the first definition for man stated as following: "An adult human being as distinguished from a female". This definition, did not surprise me, but what did ,was what followed it , it stated: A male human being endowed with such qualities as courage, strength, and fortitude, considered characteristic of manhood". To be a man in our society one must posses such qualities, along with honor, reliability and endurance. This

What makes a man, a “man”? Is it how much money he makes? The car he drives? The life he lives? Or, the amount of “Masculinity” that he shows? These are some of the stereotypical question that becomes the ideas of what men should have or strive to achieve. In Post-Princess Models of Gender: The New Man in Disney/Pixar by Ken Gillam and Shannon R. Wooden, they bring forth the ideas/thought of what the characteristic of men should be, by the overly influential control Disney and Pixar have on us and our future generation. Similar to what Matthew Immergut, in his article Manscaping: The Tangle of Nature, Culture and the Male Body, they both share ideas on the thought of man. The argument addressed in the question is either the way we view masculinity should be changed or not to determine us as men. In which the answer is, yes it should. Male or man, is a gender identity which show/ categorize, us separate from our female counterpart, Female or woman. But then are criticized on their place a “males” by getting in situation the emasculate them. Just because men independent or allowing for help, either overly sensitive or possess a lack of emotion, or whether or not “he” shaves his body or not should deter what the worlds thought on his masculinity

General Cummings chooses to express his masculinity through his power of position, comparing himself to the “chief monk” and God. It is this which feeds his ego for that sense of omnipotence which comes with his rank, openly he is seen to support the class system within the military as he explains to Hearn how he is to accept the “emotional prejudices of his class” as those higher in rank enjoyed a better quality of life during the war-time period than those lower. This idea of power as a system is reinforced within the journey of the platoon seen clearly after the death of Hearn, Croft takes charge and although the soldiers are against going up the mountain it is a result of this masculine figure as a way of leadership which urges them to pursue “Behind [Croft] Mount Anaka bored

What does it mean to be a man? Is it the way a person conducts themselves? Perhaps an ideal male is tough, assertive, and physically appealing. In his article, “What I Learned in the Locker Room” Steve Almond introduces the idea of what makes a man masculine, and more specifically, participation in sports as an indication of a male's masculinity.

Published in 1963, The Sky Is Gray by Ernest J. Gaines draws readers closer to the discrimination that black people faced in the 60s. The Sky Is Gray portraits both the ugly and beautiful experiences that James and his mother get on their way to the dentist. The story portraits three remarkable points: James’s forced mature, his childhood memory damaged by poverty, but even so, their dignity still remains.