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Coming Of Age In A Lesson Before Dying

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A Lesson Before Dying is a story of heroism, defiance and transition. The novel focuses on Grant Wiggins, a teacher, trying to turn a clueless prisoner into an empowered individual. Grant’s whole purpose in the story was to turn Jefferson into a man so he can die proud, little did Grant know, that he would mature as well. The main motif of maturity or coming of age was accurately depicted in the novel through imagery, symbolism, theme and even characterization. Using words and descriptions, authors of a story are able to illustrate scenes, settings and even conversations. Towards the end of the story, although Jefferson has come a long way, he still does not fully understand who he is. So Grant states,“ The white people are out there are saying that you don’t have it- that you’re a hog, not a man. …show more content…

You have the potentials”(Gaines 191). In this excerpt from Grant’s speech to Jefferson, the author uses simple language to paint a simple scene. The reader can easily imagine the distress in Grant’s face and exhaustion he feels from his words while he is trying to explain to Jefferson that he has the power to grow and make a difference. Symbols can also be used to demonstrate the theme, such as the hog in A Lesson Before Dying. After being called a hog by his defense attorney, Jefferson’s godmother, Miss. Emma, makes sure that Jefferson goes to that electric chair as man and not a hog and asks for the help of Grant to follow through on this. The hog symbolized insignificance, what Jefferson considered himself useless and a nobody. But as the plot advanced, he journeyed into adulthood. Furthermore, the traits and qualities of characters can also serve to portray the theme. Grants insecurity about being able to change Jefferson has revealed quite a bit about the

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Marcos Nogueira Wrt 110 Dr.Ted Wojtasik November 25, 2015 A Lesson Before Dying Summary “A lesson Before Dying, Ernest J. Gaines’s fifth adult novel, is the Louisiana write’s most compelling work to date. Gaines worked on this book for almost ten years, doing most of the writing in San Francisco during the summer months between stints as professor on the English Facult at the University of Southwestern Louisiana and engagementelsewhere.” Gaines, Ernest J. A Lesson Before Dying. NY: Knopf, 1993.

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Serpent Mound- The creators of the Serpent Mound were Native Americans possibly part of the Mississippi tribes. The Serpent Mounds was dated from 400 to 1100 CE of a formed impacted crater. Module 2 states, “the Serpent Mound was constructed to honor the cosmic rhythms through its form and structure”. The mound is made of several layers which are stone, clay, ash and top soil.

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“Am I supposed to tell someone how to die who has never lived?” 31 Grant uses an apostrophe to convey the impact of the situation of changing Jefferson from a hog to a man. 15. “We’re teachers, and we have a commitment…. Commitment to what—to live and die in this hellhole, when we can leave and live like other people?”

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Eventually Miss Emma wasn 't able to visit Jefferson with Grant because she had fallen ill. However despite Grants contemplation, he continued to go and visit Jefferson. One of the last times that Grant visits Jefferson he notices that Jefferson had been writing in a journal when he sat down to read it he saw that Jefferson had written “If I ain 't nothing but a hog, how come they just don 't knock me in the head like a hog? Stab me like a hog?...

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In Ernest Gaines’ novel, A Lesson Before Dying, the author uses a third person point of view to assess the issue of racial injustice in the South during the 1940’s. Grant understands that justice is evaluated unfairly and knows that it does not favor the poor and uneducated black man. Due to Grant’s ability to be able to understand others, he successfully learns how to bring justice, while assisting Jefferson. This presents the audience the significance of the novel as a whole, embracing responsibility and facing injustice. Grant feels as if he shouldn’t feel obligated or pressured to help bring justice to Jefferson.

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Imagine being in a situation where there are a limited number of options and your life can only go in one direction. Has this ever happened to you? Either way, this is the predicament that the character of Jefferson faces in A Lesson Before Dying, who is sentenced to death for crimes that he did not commit. Although Jefferson has only thirty days left to live, he learns three valuable lessons that he carries with him into his final hours. This includes learning to open up to the people closest to him, showing kindness and love to those who have shown kindness to him, and finding self-worth in the age of Jim-Crow.

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A Lesson Before Dying A Lesson Before Dying is a novel based on the real life event of the Willie Francis execution. Grant Wiggins was teaching on a plantation outside of Bayonne, Louisiana, for several years. A man named Jefferson was convicted of murder and was sentenced to death. Jefferson claims he was not guilty of the crime.

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The young prophet, Imam Hussein once said, “death with dignity is better than love with humiliation.” In Ernest Gaines novel A Lesson Before Dying, presents the importance of dignity through the journey of a young black man and his wrongful conviction. The lesson that dignity comes from loving and being loved through the actions and thoughts of Grant Wiggins, Reverend Ambrose, and Jefferson is taught. Who these characters love, who they care for, and how and individuals that love them, define the dignity they feel and experience in their lives.

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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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Jefferson was quickly sentenced guilty after being the only man left at a crime scene. After hearing the lawyer say that Jefferson was a hog, Miss Emma, who was Jeffersons godmother, needed to make sure that he knew he was dying a man, not a hog. Jefferson had taken these words to heart and it had not only hurt Jefferson but the African American society. It attacked their intelligence. The book teaches from a different perspective, unlike textbooks.

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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’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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Ernest J. Gaines as a Storyteller In order to be successful as an author and engage readers effectively, one must incorporate certain elements. Ernest J. Gaines included multiple stylistic elements in his novel, “A Lesson Before Dying”, therefore, he is quite effective as a storyteller. One rhetorical device included in the novel was metaphor. Another device Gaines used in “A Lesson Before Dying” was personification.

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