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A Lesson Before Dying Literary Analysis Essay

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ALBD: Literary Analysis A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines is a story set in the fictional Cajun community of Bayonne, Louisiana during the 1940s. It is the story of Jefferson, an accused black man who is sentenced to death for a murder he did not commit. Grant, a teacher, is asked by Jefferson’s godmother to persuade Jefferson that he is a man and not just a “hog” before he is executed. In A Lesson Before Dying, Gaines uses many symbols to explain how Jefferson is seen as a Christ figure. As the story progresses, the author begins to slowly reveal how Jefferson is a Christ figure. The first mention where the relation can be made is when Jefferson says “Easter was when they nailed Him to the cross. And He never said a mumbling word” (Gaines 139). This reveals that Jefferson sees Christ as a sort of role model. Jefferson’s time in prison and ultimately his execution can be seen as a spiritual connection to Christ’s deliverance and innocence at his death. This supports the idea that Jefferson is slowly making progress towards understanding what it means to be a man. Said scene is also significant in that this is the first time Jefferson did not relate himself to being a hog. The idea in this novel is that Jefferson “comes to understand the …show more content…

He was: looked down upon his entire life, had only a few loved ones, was accused for sins he did not commit, and ultimately died a martyr; not to mention the fact that he was execute only 2 weeks after Easter.. However, he did not go down without influencing others to change and take action. Jefferson’s acceptance of death in resistance to the white prosecutors can be seen as him breaking cycle of previous blacks who failed to do what he did: defy the expected. He has transformed Grant and Paul’s hearts, and it can be assumed that they will change in one way or another to become a better person and to make a

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In the novel A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J Gaines, Grant is a main character that has a lot of influence over the people in his community. Some might even consider him a hero. I believe that Grant is a hero because he helps Jefferson become a man, changes himself for the better, and wants to continue changing the community. Over the course of the novel, Grant helps Jefferson become the man that he needs to be in order to walk to his death with honor. When Grant first begrudgingly went to visit Jefferson in prison Jefferson was in a really low state.

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In Ernest Gaines’ novel, A Lesson Before Dying, the author uses a third person point of view to assess the issue of racial injustice in the South during the 1940’s. Grant understands that justice is evaluated unfairly and knows that it does not favor the poor and uneducated black man. Due to Grant’s ability to be able to understand others, he successfully learns how to bring justice, while assisting Jefferson. This presents the audience the significance of the novel as a whole, embracing responsibility and facing injustice. Grant feels as if he shouldn’t feel obligated or pressured to help bring justice to Jefferson.

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First, Jefferson learns that he is no less human than other people. Jefferson admits that he is strong and that he is a man, not the hog the white men say he is, “good by mr wigin tell them im strong and tell them im a man good by mr wigin im gon

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The scene that sets the stage for the entire novel is the sentencing of the case which was Guilty, and verdict of death by electrocution for Jefferson. "Twelve white men say a black man must die, and another white man sets the date and time without consulting one black person" & "A fool does what others tell him to do" There is a label on Jefferson of been a hog, the lawyer states that Jefferson is less than a human being. He comments on his lack of education, the shape of his skull, his animal instincts and his African origin. These are all true to the fact of racism and injustice. The thought that

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