Jefferson's Relationship In A Lesson Before Dying

In Ernest J. Gaines novel A Lesson Before Dying , the complex relationship between Grant Wiggins and Jefferson and their relationships between those in the black community and facing the oppression by the white citizens. Gaines wants the readers to learn from his novel that people do not have accept the way things are and make a better role for themselves in life even in the hardest circumstances. The relationship between Jefferson and Grant was a negative relationship that slowly transformed into a positive one, on both sides. Both men come from different backgrounds in the same black community and both feel the oppression by the white community. The relationship starts out with both Grant and Jefferson disagreeing with each other when they first meet but eventually coming to understand one another in the hardest of times. Both men have learn to accept to the suppression of blacks to whites. They both come to understand each other and the roles they play throughout the novel. Throughout the novel Jefferson has more of a positive effect on Grant than Grant does on Jefferson. Jefferson realizes the social inequality in Bayonne but says nothing of it as Grant is angry about it and wishes to retaliate

They change start off positive and negative, seeing how Grant’s predecessor, Matthew Antoine leaves a negative impact on Grant based on the way the of his efforts to help his students but they all still suffered later in life (Gaines, ?). Grant and Jefferson find it hard to have a positive outlook on their outcomes when they are looked down upon. As Jefferson slowly proves that he going to die a man, Grant still retains his negative look on life he lives and with his relationships on those around him. He does not succumb to negative actions but does not provide a positive impact to his