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An Analysis Of Conflicts In A Lesson Before Dying By Ernest J. Gaines

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In A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines, there were several conflicts between characters existing at various points throughout the book. This novel takes place on Bayonne, Louisiana in the late 1940s. About that time, racial division and superiority are depicted; churches, schools, restaurants were all segregated. Furthermore, people with darker skin were considered “inferior” than the people with light brown skin; even though, they were equally victims of the white society. Despite of the racist community they live in, there were other factors that intervene their relationship. Vivian Baptiste has been a school teacher just like Grant, but her personality and background are dissimilar from him. Vivian is a beautiful woman that has light brown skin and greenish-brown eyes. She was married to a dark-skinned black man and had two children. She is separated, but not divorced and maintains a relationship with Grant which prevents her from eloping (Gaines 28-30). As the story proceeds, Vivian has demonstrated her strength while showing Grant's weakness. She loves her children, students, and Grant and wants to do the best for them and please them, but doing it in the correct way. In other …show more content…

Tante Lou is Grant’s aunt, a religious woman who has raised him. Even though, Tante Lou didn’t actually treat badly to Grant’s girlfriend, she was skeptical toward her. Based on “Anja’s WordPress Website”, it states, “Tante Lou stays in her role as a supporter all the time on one hand, giving strength to Miss Emma very kindly and on the other hand is not trusting Grant with his own decisions because she still sees a stubborn child in him...becomes obvious when Grant introduces his girlfriend Vivien to Tante Lou. Tante Lou has problems to accept a woman at Grant’s side and is absolutely distrustful towards her” (Chotte “Characterization of Tante

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