Ernest J. Gaines A Lesson Before Dying

Ernest J. Gaines originally began writing because he realized there was a lack of accurate black perspective in Southern literature (Ernest J. Gaines Center). Gaines, a black man growing up in the South, knew he could accurately represent black perspectives in literature. Inspiring him to write his first book, Catherine Carmier, originally published in 1964. The book is a love story about Catherine and Jackson, two black people. It is set in a fictional 1960s Louisiana countryside, where Gaines grew up. The book’s main focus is the racial tension between the blacks, whites, and Cajuns as they maintain an uneasy coexistence. The themes in Catherine Carmier are seen in many other of Gaines’ books such as The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,

Gaines used the real-life case of Willie Francis to develop the character of Jefferson in the novel. Jefferson, one of the main characters of A Lesson Before Dying, is a 21-year-old black man facing death row after he was convicted of the robbing and killing of Alcee Gropé, a white shopkeeper. To build Jefferson’s character, Gaines used heavy influence from the case of Willie Francis. On May 3, 1946, 17-year-old Willie Francis was scheduled for execution by electric chair. Francis was a black male who at 16 was tried as an adult and swiftly sentenced by 12 white jurors to death for the murder of Andrew Thomas, a pharmacy owner. When the executioner flipped the switch, Francis screamed in pain as electricity rushed through his body. But he did not die. The chair had malfunctioned and Francis was somehow able to survive. Shortly after his botched execution, Willie was informed that he would be once again executed within a week. Francis’ lawyer Bertrand DeBlanc attempted to have Willie’s case overturned, citing new evidence and flaws in the original trial, but Francis told him to abstain, fearing another