Analysis Of A Lesson Before Dying By Ernest J. Gaines

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines is a novel set in the the socially charged time

of the 1940’s, showing the sad perspective of a colored man living then. The book follows

Jefferson, a young black adult, as he is wrongfully accused of murder and theft, and is

subsequently sentenced to death by electrocution. He is in the process made out to be less than a

human, and the bulk of the story follows the black teacher Grant Wiggins as he teaches Jefferson

to be a man, to walk with dignity to his death. This is just what he does at the book’s end,

standing tall on the march to his demise. Over the course of these teachings, Jefferson teaches

Grant just as much, illuminating to the wizened teacher just what it means to be a hero. This

The author chooses to use demeaning words like hog, which is used in a racist manner, to

contribute to the conflict of Jefferson's dehumanization. In the beginning of the book, a public

defender argues in defense of the accused man. Under the argument that a death sentence

wouldn't accomplish any justice because of Jefferson’s lack of intelligence, the defense feels they

“should just as soon put a hog in that chair” (Gaines 8). By saying this, the man is literally saying

Jefferson is the equivalent of a dirty swine, a wild animal with no ability whatsoever for higher

thinking. Aside from this denotative meaning, this word also carries the negative connotation of

filth and greed, implying that Jefferson is not only beneath humans, but that he is also a

repulsive, dirty thing. This gives a strong hint at the racist undertones of the time, as the white

man even goes so far as to postulate that the animalistic nature of Jefferson is derived from his

African ancestry. Moreover, the people generally believe Jefferson is so below humans, he

This

particular word choice accentuates the belief that Jefferson is simply too far below civilized

humans to learn anything at all. It’s an important idea because it takes away all sense of

humanity from the wrongfully accused man. Many believe the only difference between humans

and every other animal lies in our ability to think critically, to learn and develop, but Jefferson is

thought to not even possess that trait, making him indistinguishable from an animal. Essentially,

word choices like these illustrate the societal notion that Jefferson is fundamentally inferior to

humans, a way of thinking that is linked to skin tone throughout the story.

Ernest Gaines also makes a point to open with words indicative of Grant’s aware,

resigned attitude towards the oppression of colored people, which will later expand into the

theme of fighting a seemingly hopeless battle to overcome societal expectations. As Grant says

“I was not there, yet I was there. No, I did not go to the trial, I did not hear the verdict, because