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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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