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Dying Self-Worth In A Lesson Before Dying

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Self-worth is a value many people struggle with, rarely appreciate, and often, forget to fully understand. Its importance is undeniable, though, and the ability to express it is crucial to living successfully in many degrading societies. The intense strains that come with valuing one’s self are continually displayed in the novel, A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines. In the novel, two of the main characters, Grant and Jefferson, have constant, internal battles of how to fully appreciate themselves. They both have different, unique struggles, and only by being placed in extremely emotional and complex situations are they able to come to terms with who they really are. Through thoughtful reflection and passionate determination, the connection of these two characters creates a heightened sense of worth that makes them a valuable and contributing part of society.
Jefferson is a young, black man who is put on death row, because he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. He did not kill any men, yet the white jury is convinced he is guilty of all charges. During his trial, his lawyer states, “What justice would there be to take this life? Why, I would just as soon put a hog in the electric chair as this” (Gaines 8). This completely alters Jefferson’s belief in himself. By …show more content…

He is completely against a request that his aunt, Tante Lou, asks of him. Since he is an educated man, Tante Lou wants him to visit the local jail and speak with Jefferson. Grant is very skeptical, saying, “He’s dead now. All I can do is try to keep the others from ending up like this—but he’s gone from us. There’s nothing I can do anymore” (Gaines 14). He does not believe in his ability to make a difference in Jefferson’s life. However, his highly persuasive aunt presents this opportunity to him, and despite his hesitation, he remains loyal to her and goes to the jail cell weekly for six

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Banneker know his place in terms that he is black, so he is not treated as equal. Banneker brings up the fact that Jefferson knows how he feels, as Jefferson has gone through having his freedom stripped from him. Banneker tells Jefferson to recall the time when “the arms and tyranny” of the king were applied with a stern effort to reduce him to a “State of Servitude.”

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In the novel A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J Gaines, Grant is a main character that has a lot of influence over the people in his community. Some might even consider him a hero. I believe that Grant is a hero because he helps Jefferson become a man, changes himself for the better, and wants to continue changing the community. Over the course of the novel, Grant helps Jefferson become the man that he needs to be in order to walk to his death with honor. When Grant first begrudgingly went to visit Jefferson in prison Jefferson was in a really low state.

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Immediately after hearing Jefferson’s execution date, he instantly thought, “ How do people come up with a date and a time to take life from another man? Who made them God” ( Gaines 157)? In disbelief, Grant feels infuriated on how these people are capable of doing this. Therefore, he questions the justice system by pondering to himself, “ Twelve white men say a black man must die, and another white man sets the date and time without consulting one black person. Justice” ( Gaines 157)?

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Rotting in a cell. Counting down the days. Trying to learn how to be a man before the big day. In the book “A Lesson Before Dying” by Ernest J. Gaines: Grant Wiggins a school teacher tries to help a falsely convicted black man named Jefferson. During this time Grant release what can do to not only change Jefferson but change himself as well and he achieves redemption.

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A Lesson Before Dying: An Analysis of the Definition of Manhood A Lesson Before Dying is a historical novel written by Ernest J. Gaines. The novel is set in the late 1940s on a plantation in Louisiana. A young, black man known as Jefferson is wrongly convicted for murdering two white men. The main character is Grant Wiggins, a teacher at a church school. Grant is being forced by Jefferson’s Godmother, Miss Emma, to convince Jefferson that he is a man.

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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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•“She was not even listening. She had gotten tired of listening. She knew, as we all knew, what the outcome would be. A white man had been killed during a robbery, and thought two of the robbers had been killed on the spot, one had been captured, and he, too, would have to die” (4). This quote is important because it allows me to understand that Jefferson has to die because he was the only person in the liquor store and was a black man.

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In Ernest J. Gaines’ “A Lesson Before Dying,” the town school teacher, Grant Wiggins must teach Jefferson, a young black man accused and sentenced to death for murder, to be a man before he is executed. Throughout the novel, the white man as a whole plays the general role of villain, mainly through discouragement, such as through name calling and demanding utmost respect. The court trial scene in the first chapter of the book ends with the defense, stating “Why, I would just as soon put a hog in the electric chair as this” (page 8). Consequently, calling Jefferson a hog proves to be extremely discouraging and dehumanizing, causing him to neglect the attention of any visitors as well as lash out with anger at others and refuse to

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Grant realized the potential in Jefferson and himself. This discovery of being able to transform the people around him and himself drove him to become more engaged and empathetic in helping Jefferson. Afterward, when Grant visits Jefferson after giving him the radio, he tries to talk to him. He asks Jefferson if he would meet with Miss Emma and Reverend Ambrose, and Jefferson agrees. However, when the conversation comes to a stop, Grant finally says,

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The cases of Pervis Payne, Walter McMillian, and Jefferson from the novel ‘A Lesson Before Dying" are prime examples of the corrupt justice that is so deeply rooted in the judicial system. All three of these men were held in unfair court trials in which all odds were stacked against them. Each of these cases has its own unique story, but ultimately, they all expose the unjust violations of human and civil rights in court systems. Pervis Payne was a Tennessee man who, on June 27, 1987, on a Saturday, was unfairly accused of the attempted rape of his girlfriend’s neighbor, Charisse Christopher, and the murder of Charisse and her two-year-old daughter, Lacie Jo. Due to the fact that there was no clear motive or reason for Payne to commit such

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The historical fiction novel A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines, features a falsely accused black man on death row in a small Cajun community during the late 1440s. Grant Wiggins, a college educated teacher of the black community, visits Jefferson in prison, an African American convicted of murder. During his trial, he was given a death sentence while referred as a hog. With the love of his godmother, Miss Emma, who sends Grant to teach him in proving himself a man, Jefferson receives the opportunity of representing his community as he dies. Tante Lou, a close friend of Miss Emma and Grant’s aunt, provides the assurance that Grant would prove Jefferson worthy a human.

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In multiple letters and notes he wrote he expressed his guilt for the slaves and once the slaves paid off their debt and Jefferson’s he hoped to free them. Jefferson and his slaves remained in debt until the day he died. Jefferson believed that slavery not only deprived blacks of their liberty but had an “unhappy” influence on the masters and their children (Takaki 63). If a master is constantly punishing a slave and cannot restrain, the child’s master will imitate and master it, resulting in a nonstop cycle of slavery.

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He was turned into an animal that he even called himself , hog. Jefferson didn’t have any hope until Grant came into his life and taught him a lesson before his life was up. Jefferson , A sincere sensitive, young black man of below average intelligence. Standing not knowing what to do, Jefferson had no idea his life was about to be taken away from him by false accusations and the courtroom. Jefferson was considered to be a wild animal that was meant to be killed and the courtroom sentenced him the electric chair.

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The story begins with Jefferson’s statement, “I was not there” when he is brought to court (Ernest, 1). The story continues describing the court’s scene of a godmother, large women, an attorney, a lawyer, and the juries. Arguments, questions, and answers went all over the place

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Over this past month, I learned an abundance of the conflicts, characters, and themes of the major texts I read. In “A Lesson Before Dying”, I investigated the theme of recognizing injustice and facing responsibility through the character of Grant Wiggins. He resented Jefferson’s unjust imprisonment, but did not want to do anything to better the situation; his bitterness and pessimistic attitude only increased. Soon, Grant stopped seeing Jefferson as a stranger but as someone worth fighting for. He faced this responsibility and took the first step to bettering his society.

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