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Analysis Of A Lesson Before Dying By Ernest J. Gaines

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In the book, “A lesson before dying”, by Ernest J. Gaines tells a story that is set during late 1940’s. The story is focused on the interaction between Jefferson, a young and barley literate African American man, who is sentenced to death for an unjust crime, and Grant Wiggins, a teacher that wants to help Jefferson, but doesn’t know how. The story is told through the eyes of Wiggins. The main focus in this book was Grant and Jefferson’s relationship to transform each man throughout the story and teach each a lesson about human dignity. The most important character is Jefferson’s defense attorney, he was the reason that let Jefferson lose his dignity and self respect. Jefferson’s attorney is the symbol of society’s racism due to him defending …show more content…

Not only did the attorney use no real evidence to support his case towards Jefferson but the attorney also was not confident in his case. In one part of the court scenes Jefferson’s attorney states “He is innocent from all charges against him. But let’s just say he was not. Let us for a moment say he was not. What justice would there be to take this life?” ( Gaines pg: 8) This is a perfect example on how the attorney believes Jefferson is guilty in his case because in the end he gave the jury a mental image for a moment to vision Jefferson being guilty and then comparing the relationship on whether it matters to keep this man alive or not. All the evidence the attorney had to present Jefferson’s defense showed how much of a difference it is to be black rather then white in the …show more content…

The lawyer was assigned to “protect” Jefferson yet the attorney showed a clear image throughout the court scene that he does not care about the man one way or the other. For example, when the attorney describes Jefferson as “A thing to hold the handle of a plow, a thing to load your bales of cotton, a thing to dig your ditches, to chop your wood, to pull your corn,” (Gaines pg: 7) proves that the attorney does not have a desire to really help

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