The Impact Of Teachers In A Lesson Before Dying By Ernest J. Gaines

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 second person that learns a lesson during this book is Grant. In the beginning, Grant’s only concern is about himself. He doesn’t want to do anything for anyone but himself and feels miserable in his small community. He believes he is permanently stuck in the the same place and not doing any good. At first, Grant resents having to visit Jefferson because he doesn’t want the burden of changing him into a man, or the shame of being treated as a lesser human being by the sheriffs. Eventually, Grant realizes that he does need to do things for other people and puts in a full effort. Grants asks “Do you want me to bring you a little radio next time I come?” (Gaines 172). This quote illustrates how Grant is actually considering what Jefferson wants instead of living for only himself. Grant desires that Jefferson asks for whatever he wants and shares his thoughts. Grant eventually blatantly

Grant is constantly having an eternal battle within himself on whether or not he is willing to take action against the white despotism. When Jefferson 's case is first brought up to Grant by Miss Emma and his aunt, he responds by saying, “Yes, I’m the teacher...And I teach what the white folks around here tell me to teach—reading, writing, and ’rithmetic. They never told me how to keep a black boy out of a liquor store" (Gaines ch 2). His whole education has revolved around the white system and what they want him to know and do. He feels that because he has been taught by the white-American

The final technique Grant uses to effectively tell the story of A Lesson Before Dying, is stylistic devices. The first device used is repetition. For example, the first time Grant goes to visit Jefferson he remarks “You know what I’m talking about, don’t you? his eyes said. They were big brown eyes, the whites too reddish” (Gaines 73) and then, he again says “His eyes mocked me. They were big brown eyes, the whites too reddish” (Gaines 74). Another device used is charactonym. The character Paul is a perfect example of Gaines’ use of charactonym. Being one of the first white men in the story to accept the black people, it could be said that he is so named after Paul the Apostle, who “was one of the most influential early Christian missionaries” (Livingstone, and Cross 1840). The final stylistic device used paradox. For example, when Grant describes Jefferson’s trial, he says “I was not there, yet I was there” (Gaines 1). All in all, Gaines uses many efficient stylistic devices to tell his story in an effective manner.

While we all would agree that racism is immoral and has no place in a modern society, that was not the case in the U.S. in the 1940s. At the time African Americans were treated as second-class citizens, it was made near-impossible for them to vote, and they were discriminated in many ways including in education, socially and in employment. It was a time in which segregation and racism perforated the laws and society, a time in which African Americans were “separate but equal,” segregation was legal and in full force. Apartheid was also everywhere from the books to in society. Blacks were not truly seen as equal as they were seen the the lesser of the two and it very much felt that way. Blacks were oppressed in many ways including having

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

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

Throughout Ernest Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying the main character Grant Wiggins struggles greatly with anger over the circumstances of African American lives and his desperation for it all to change. Despite being surrounded by joyfulness and faith of something bigger Wiggins still shows how hopeless he feels at the Christmas program: I was not happy. I had heard the same carols all my life, seen the same little play, with the same mistakes in grammar. The minister had offered the same prayer as always, Christmas or Sunday. The same people wore the same old clothes and sat in the same places.

A critical triad within Ernest Gaines’s novel, A Lesson Before Dying includes Grant Wiggins, Dr. Morgan, and his students. Dr. Morgan, by his superintendent title, has legitimate power over Grant as well as the students. Gaines confirms his power as Grant addresses him formally stating, “We’re honored that you took this time for us, sir” and “Dr. Joseph, we’re at your service.” By doing this, Grant is waiving his power over the students to the superintendent. Grant holds the most legitimate power over the students in his classroom, with Gaines offering details even as Dr. Morgan is present. For example, Grant gives orders, which students immediately follow. This illuminates his official authority over them as their teacher. Having prepared

His problems with his classroom and how he feels as if his job is useless make him feel as if he isn’t living his life to its fullest, causing him to be extremely strict and harsh with his students as showed when grant says to himself “they are exactly as the old men earlier. They are fifty years younger, maybe more, but doing the same thing those men did who never attended school a day in their life. Is it just a vicious circle? Am i doing anything?” (Gaines) Grant feels useless and this attributes to his internal conflict that he is unable to save

In addition,Grants attitude begins to change after a few visit at the the cell with jefferson. Jefferson opened up to Grant about how he never had owned a radio or ate a bowl of ice cream in his life. Grant stated “I saw a slight smile come to his face, and it was not a bitter smile. Not bitter at all”. This action was a turning point for Grant. Jefferson’s thoughts revived Grants emotions and helped him see the actual person he was. Grant learned how to become educated and think like a man, rather than being negative all the time. He figured out that he wasn’t just accomplishing a good for Jefferson, but teaching his students that as an African American, you shouldn’t allow the white take control nor advantage of you.

I like this quote because it shows one of Grant's major frustrations, and problems. Throughout the novel he claims that he hates teaching, but does it because he believes it is the only thing an educated black man can do in the south. Grant concludes that there is no point in teaching the younger generation, if there already like the uneducated older generation. Grant also seems to be angry and disappointed in the fact that despite his effort in teaching them, nothing has an effect on

Throughout the novel, Grant undergoes psychological changes that allow him to become a hero. Grant’s life is filled with rage for the way he is treated by whites. Eventually this rage becomes self-loathing and cynicism, because he feels he is taking the unjust treatment from whites lying down. This downward spiral causes him to alienate himself from people he loves and feel that the community is helpless. During a conversation with Vivian, Grant says, he cannot face Jefferson because he cannot face himself and his own life. Vivian helps Grant realize that he has left the South in the past, has returned, and still has not left. This helps him realize that he is there for a reason. Another change happens when he accepts the task of helping Jefferson. At first Grant is angry and believes that Miss Emma wants him to perform a difficult and maybe impossible task of convincing Jefferson to die with defiance and character. After accepting this task and dealings with Jefferson, Grant realizes what a hero is and he can have an impact on the community. Finally when Grant breaks down in front of his students he realizes that he is ready to connect with the children that he has been so strict with. Many heroes have to overcome an inner struggle to realize their potential for greatness. Eventually through his interactions with his family, Vivian, Jefferson, and students he realizes to view everyone positively which gives him the strength and courage to make an

Good teachers are one of the most crucial components to having a great school and a good teacher must connect with students, bring the school good test scores, and learn to motivate others as well as themselves, and Mr. Clark was the perfect model of a good

Thomas Benton claims that colleges need to take on civility training. That students are not polite enough in class. He also notes that students are afraid of their peers, claiming that many of them will not say hello to him when they are around their friends. He does not think students are entirely to blame, he says that teachers also contribute to the problem. Not noticing what is happening in their classrooms and not calling students out. This is not true of all teachers, of course. One of my teachers keeps track of all the time that a student misbehaves in her class. At the end of the semester, the number of incidents have a huge impact on the student's final grade. Overall, Benton believes that it is the school's job to step up and he thinks