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Analysis Of Ernest J. Gaines A Lesson Before Dying: Nihilism

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Nihilism is the rejection of all religious and moral principles and the belief that life is pointless. A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest J. Gaines, is a novel in which Jefferson, a young, black plantation worker, is wrongfully sentenced to the death penalty. While in court, his lawyer calls him a “hog” and his godmother is very displeased with this. She makes Grant, a black teacher, visit Jefferson in jail and teach him a lesson to make him feel like a man before he dies, hence the name of the book. Ever since Jefferson has been in jail, he has lost all faith and does not believe he is is worth anything. He often says that “nothing matters” and that he is a “hog”. Grant repeatedly tells Jefferson that he is not a hog and that he is a strong …show more content…

Not only do nihilists have trouble finding meaning in life, but they have trouble finding meaning in relationships as well. Jefferson has not had a great relationship with Grant or Miss Emma ever since he was put behind bars. Nihilists tend to reject affection from others. When Miss Emma visits Jefferson in jail, he does not talk to her at first. He ignores her while she is offering him food. Frustrated, Miss Emma exclaims “ain’t you go’n speak to [Miss Emma], Jefferson?” (72). Jefferson remains silent even after Miss Emma says this. Miss Emma has always been there for Jefferson. She has always loved him and always fed him. She raised him to be the person he is, and now he will not even talk to her. This was making Miss Emma extremely unhappy “she was ready to cry” (72), and Jefferson did not care. He is unable to maintain a healthy relationship. It is not only Miss Emma that Jefferson has a bad relationship with, but also with Grant. Grant thinks these visits are pointless and wants to know if Jefferson thinks the same. “Are you trying to hurt [Grant], Jefferson?” (84) Grant asked him. “Are you trying to make [Grant] feel bad for your being here? You don’t want [Grant] to come back here anymore?” (84). This shows that Jefferson does not care for Grant and he is not cooperating with him. By behaving this way, he is making Grant feel rather unneeded. Jefferson is in a painful situation where understanding relationships and the meaning of them is very

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Grant Wiggins and Jefferson are protagonists. Their individual survivals depend on their mutual support. It’s Jefferson's story, but it is narrated by Grant. Miss Emma and her friend, Tante Lou, are inseparable. Sometimes they seem too close that it is hard to tell which one is speaking.

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There is an immense change in the way Grant acts from the beginning of the book to the end. In the early part of the book Grant was dreading having to go and talk to Jefferson. He really felt as though Jefferson was already too far gone to be convinced that he was actually a man. For the first few visits Grant was accompanied by Miss Emma to the jail to see Jefferson. Which was really the only reason Grant kept going to see Jefferson.

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Undoubtedly, Grant registers the unfairness and lack of justice. Even though this is the case, Grant still continues to help Jefferson become the man he

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Grant wants Jefferson to understand that by holding his head up high, he could make Tante Lou and Miss Emma happy because even though Jefferson may act differently, he still loves them and would do anything for them. This is Jefferson’s chance to prove everyone, including himself, that he has what it takes to stay strong as he marches towards his death. It will not only impact Jefferson’s immediate family but the surrounding community as well. More importantly, it will be standing up against the whites, a task that Grant was unable to do. Grant does his best to enlighten Jefferson of this opportunity he has.

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Jefferson took those words, that his defense attorney said, to heart. It isn't shown that he believes otherwise until his diary entry at the end of the book. “good by mr wiggins tell them im strong… sincely jefferson.” (234.) He takes a while to believe what Grant has been saying because he was always told by so many white folks that he wasn't good enough.

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In the novel A Lesson Before Dying” by Ernest J. Gaines Grant finds redemption by helping Jefferson, Standing up for what he believes in and changing his view on life. Grant achieves redemption by helping Jefferson become a man before he dies by helping Jefferson become a man before he dies by asking questions about his wellbeing and overall health. When Grant goes and visits

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The main conflict of the story is Grant convincing Jefferson that he is truly a man and that there is hope in the world. After Jefferson’s sentence is set, Jefferson doesn’t have hope for the world and thinks that he going to die anyways, so why care. Grant is teaching him that he can help others and that there is hope in the world and in the future. So, Grant is using character motivation to help Jefferson throughout the entire novel. The other literary term, diction, is repetition of a word to show its importance.

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He claims nothing matters and doesn’t want to talk or eat. Jefferson has a very low sense of self-worth, this is connected to the way he was treated at his trial, but also probably his whole life growing up in a racially segregated town. Jefferson believes he may really be no better than a hog, just like his lawyer stated during his trial. He states, “’I’m a old hog…Just a old hog they fattening up to kill for Christmas” (83 Gaines). Jefferson believes the idea that he is less human than a white person and has become obsessive with the idea he is no better than a

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This is shown throughout the novel by showing that in the beginning of the novel, Grant wants nothing to do with Jefferson and his situation. As the book continues, he realizes that Jefferson is a human too and that he needs to realize how good he has it compared to some people. In the beginning of A Lesson Before Dying, Grant Wiggins struggles with accepting his responsibilities. This is shown in multiple examples. The two examples used in this paper were when Grant avoids all of his responsibilities and does not want anything to do with Jefferson.

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Grant did his best to teach Jefferson that he had worth and it paid off. “If I ain’t nothing but a hog, how come they just don’t knock me in the head like a hog? Strab me like a hog? More erasing, then: Man walk on two foots; hogs on four hoofs” (220). This quote demonstrates how Grant made a difference in Jefferson’s life and taught him to be a man of self worth.

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Grant needs Jefferson more than Jefferson needs Grant, but they both do need one another. Grant needs someone to believe in and he finds that in Jefferson as they grow closer. From Jefferson's perspective, Grant could be considered a savior for him, making him understand that he didn't deserve to die, that he was an actual human being, not a hog. Both Grant and Jefferson find hope in one another, as well as the black community find hope in them. Jefferson's death would not go unnoticed or just passed off in the black community, it would mean something, and Grant is a significant reason for this.

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One can that in the beginning of his time writing in the diary, he does not truly want to write. This is revealed when he writes, “mr wigin you say rite somethin but i dont kno what to rite an you say i must be thinkin bout things i aint telin nobody an i order put it on paper” (Gaines 186). At the beginning of Jefferson’s diary, we can see that he is reluctant to write and that he is not comfortable talking about topics that make him vulnerable. This illustrates to the reader that Grant has indeed made a breakthrough with Jefferson in persuading him to write in his diary, but that Jefferson has not yet become a man because he is not yet brave enough to be vulnerable in his diary.

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Grant’s girlfriend, Vivian, provides the support he needs to keep him from eluding his problems. Women in this novel play an influential part as a bridge to success in men’s lives, as Tante Lou and Vivian secure Grant 's role in the community, and as Miss Emma encourages Jefferson to die as a man. Even as Jefferson doubts the existing love for him, Miss Emma remains an influence in making him a man by going to many extents. From start to finish, she had always been the strong will who wanted the wellbeing of her godson. Knowing that the fate of her son was execution, she refused to let him die as a hog.

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In The Stranger by Albert Camus: the protagonist, Meursault, appears to be indifferent to everything throughout the book. Even on fundamentally important concepts such as death, love, and time. Because to Meursault, “we’re all going to die, it’s obvious that when and how doesn’t matter (2.5.114).” This general lack of interest is similar to the Universe because if the grand scheme of things, our lives, and our deaths mean nothing and would have no real impact on the future of the Universe. Our deaths turn meaningless over time, eventually love will fade away, and time will blur together to the point that 100 years will seem like a millisecond.

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A greater number of people see the world in twofold classes. They trust that there is either, an inborn good great that we should all comply, or there are no guidelines and life is pointless political agitation. Nihilism contends for a central way: we need inborn request, yet are characterized by our decisions, which implies that we should begin settling on more brilliant decisions by comprehension the truth in which we live more than the human social reality which we have used to supplant it in our brains (nihil, 2016) So what is nihilism?

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