Importance of Religion in A Lesson Before You Die

“I need you much more than you could ever need me. I need to know what to do with my life.” (Gaines 193). In Ernest J. Gaines’s A Lesson Before Dying, Grant and Jefferson have their rights taken away by the white community, but in different ways. Grant’s job availability is limited due to his race, while Jefferson’s life is limited because of a false accusation which leads to his death statement of electrocution, but still because of his race. Due to their similar experiences, Grant and Jefferson’s interaction with each other impacts their understanding for one another as well as themselves, which helps them fight racism together, learn from each other and teaches them both how to become true men.

The defense attorney states “Gentlemen of the jury...Look at the shape of his skull, this face as flat as the palm of my hand-look deep at those eyes. Do you see a modicum of intelligence?” (Gaines 7). In the quote the attorney is trying to use Jefferson’s race as a means of the jury acquitting him, saying that his race make him lack the cognitive ability to know right from wrong. This is the very systematic racism that Grant despises and see to be so evident in his society. Later the lawyer elaborates saying “What justice would there be to take his life? Why, I would just as soon put a hog in the electric chair as is” (Gaines 8). In the text the lawyer is reiterating himself to the jury insulting Jefferson’s intelligence solely based on race even comparing him to a hog which later psychologically scars

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.

Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood presents a striking argument within the text; was the trail for Edwards and Hickock air and objective? After thoroughly researching and interviewing the convicts as well as the case, it was evident that Capote strongly opposed the death penalty given to Perry and Dick. Capote depicts the unjust trial taken upon the convicts, evoking sympathy from the audience without sacrificing the objectivity of the book. He effectively demonstrates strong usage of rhetoric to prove his argument.

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.

The fact that Grant considers himself to be better than all of the black residents of Bayonne is one of the many things that holds Grant back from being an effective coach to assist Jefferson in his quest to become a man. Another contributing factor to his ineffective teaching is his lack of self confidence. If Jefferson does not see a worthy example of how to be a man, then he will never effectively become one himself. After a few visits to see Jefferson in his cell, persevering through his own belief that he is not making a difference, being told that he was wasting his time, he realized that he was doing much more than performing a favor for Miss Emma and Tante Lou. He realized that he wasn’t only trying to turn Jefferson into a man. This was Miss Emma and Tante Lou’s way of teaching himself a lesson on how to live his life and who he really is. “I need you,” I told him. “I need you much more than you could ever need me” (Gaines, 193). This quote represents the

After the Civil War ended, many blacks and whites, especially in the South, continued living as if nothing had changed with regards to the oppression and poor treatment of African Americans. Narrator Grant Wiggins, of Ernest J. Gaines' A Lesson Before Dying, possesses a similar attitude toward race relations. Through his experiences with a young man wrongly accused of murder, Grant transforms from a pessimistic, hopeless, and insensitive man into a more selfless and compassionate human being who can see the possibility of change in relations between whites and blacks.

Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood presents a striking argument within the text: was the trial for Edwards and Hickock fair and objective? After thoroughly researching and interviewing the convicts as well as the case, it was evident that Capote strongly opposed the death penalty given to Perry and Dick. Capote delves into the unjust trial forced upon the convicts, evoking sympathy from the audience without sacrificing the objectivity of the book. He effectively demonstrates

Grant Wiggins, a simple African American school teacher in the novel A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines, has always wanted to run away from his life but just couldn't do it. For an African American in Louisiana during the 1940's, it is not easy to make a living and feel equal when the whites seem to have total control. Since Grant was born, he had lived on a plantation with his godmother, Miss Emma and his aunt, Tante Lou who he would sometimes take his frustrations out on, causing almost constant fighting. Grant teaches grades from primer (kindergarten) all the way up to sixth grade in a small little church hoping to set them on the right path and continue there education. Although, when one of his old students is wrongly accused for

The women that surround Grant in “A Lesson Before Dying” by Ernest Gaines are all catalysts for his eventual change away from the bitterness and doubts. Without Miss Emma or Tante Lou, it seems natural to conclude that Grant would have stagnated in his despair and spent his life feeling angry and irritable. However, since Emma and Tante Lou force Grant to go visit Jefferson and keep him motivated to stick with the task they’ve assigned him, they can be said to be the real force in the novel—rather than Grant.

Gaines writes, “I don’t want them to kill no hog’ she said. ‘I want a man to go to that chair, on his own two feet” (Gaines 13). Since the court trial Jefferson had his mind set to he was a hog only because the white folks told him so and he would not believe anything else. When Gaines wrote, “What can I do that you haven’t done the past twenty-one years?’ ‘You the teacher’ she said” (Gaines 13). The aunt needs Grant to help her educate Jefferson, she cannot do this herself because she is old, but because Jefferson was told he was a hog it made it harder for Grant and his aunt help him, it took a while for Jefferson to talk and express the way he felt about the whole

Ernest J. Gaines, the author of ‘A lesson Before Dying’ is an effective storyteller as he uses vast amounts of stylistic elements to demonstrate his points on characters, racism and stereotypes. Gaines uses elements like biblical allusions to draw subtle references about main characters, such as Grant, Jefferson and even Miss Emma. Gaines uses symbolism to represent key points in the novel like Jefferson's death, the community’s willingness to contribute and the respect that characters have for one another. Finally Gaines uses archetypes like ‘hero’ and ‘the underdog’ for characters Grant and Jefferson to give the reader a perspective of what the characters may have to go through with such a label. Using stylistic elements like biblical allusions,

In the novel A Lesson before Dying readers see a progressive change in the protagonist Grant Wiggins. His change is mostly done by the community and environment Grant lives in. This change is not a one way street Grant also has a major impact on his community not just being a teacher though but also as a son and fiance. Grants effect as an educated black man makes the Bayonne quarter very dependent on him as well as makes him dependent on the quarter. They rely on him for things that are obvious and important like teaching their children. They need him for the less obvious but equally important role of educating Jefferson which if successful would really prove something about the community to their white counterparts. Most important perhaps is that Grant needs people in the community like Emma, Vivian and especially Tante Lou who really helps Grant see how much of an impact he makes on peoples lives.

After the civil war ended many blacks and whites especially in the south, continued living as if nothing had changed with regards to the oppressions and poor treatment of African Americans. Narrator Grant Wiggins, of the novel A Lesson Before Dying, By Ernest Gaines, finds himself in a similar situation towards racism. Through his experience Grant is forced to transform Jefferson who was wrongly accused of a murder from a “HOG” into a man. Although Grant was forced to make jefferson a man, he himself became more of one as a result. Grant transformed from an ignorant pessimistic person into a sensitive and compassionate human being.

“To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one's family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one's own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.”