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The Theme Of Selflessness In Ernest Gaines A Lesson Before Dying

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Many people consider simple acts a small act of kindness or simply putting people before they put themselves but there is more to it as this action is called selflessness. These acts can make a positive impact in someone elses lives. Being set in the 1940s slavery was still a prominent concept during that time period. Ernest Gaines, the author of A Lesson Before Dying creates a character in his novel named Grant who provides guidance, to a troubled character Jefferson through a rough period of time in his lifetime. Throughout his novel, multiple times Gaines portrays the theme that we should incorporate this simple deed in our daily lives.
Once you have been called or told something it starts to stick in your brain. Unfortunately the same …show more content…

Grant tries teaching Jefferson what he believes a hero is and how he does not necessarily feel like he belongs. He says, “Do you know what a hero is, Jefferson? A hero is someone who does something for other people… I don't like it; I hate it. I don’t even like living here. I want to run away. I want to live for myself and for my woman and for nobody else. That is not a hero. A hero does for others.” (Gaines 194) Although Grant still did not like coming to visit Jefferson he starts to realize how these lessons are helping Jefferson become less broken and not as angry anymore. Grant feels helpless like he is a prisoner in his own life. If Vivian and the students were not there he would have probably left already and tried to start a new life. We all have those days when we do not like anything that is happening. Throughout the story,Vivian reminds Grant that he should face his problems and not leave like he is intending to, "You know you can't ...You love them more than you hate this place."(Gaines 94) So Vivian helps Grant realize that he can make a difference and it is positive whether he accepts it or not. So though it's not directly mentioned under the influence of Vivian, Grant starts to help more people such as Jefferson and his students. So sometimes all we need is a positive mentor to guide us in the right

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In “A Lesson Before Dying”, there is a tension between how Grant sees himself and how others in his community see him. Grant has gone to a University and is now a teacher in the quarter where he grew up. To his community Grant is the most educated person in the quarter and is constantly being admired by them. Most of the admiration comes from Miss Emma in hopes that Grant can transform Jefferson into a man before he is executed. Miss Emma states, “I want the teacher visit my boy.

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He believed that they would all turn out the same and he did not want that for himself or Jefferson, but he knew deep down that they were just as stuck as every other person of colour. Grant did not want Jefferson to be like him and the rest of them, he wanted Jefferson to prove them wrong; prove to them that he was so much more of what they made of him by walking to that chair with his chin held high and his shoulders as straight as ever. However, Grant did not attend Jefferson’s execution. Maybe it was because he didn’t want to be seen as a failure if ever Jefferson decided to be what was said of him during his execution. Maybe he was too afraid of breaking down as Jefferson walked toward the chair alone.

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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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Undoubtedly, Grant registers the unfairness and lack of justice. Even though this is the case, Grant still continues to help Jefferson become the man he

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During one of his visits, he asks Jefferson to be a friend to Miss Emma. Grant explains to Jefferson that a friend will do anything to make another friend feel happy and make their lives better. Grant is ultimately asking Jefferson to be a hero for Miss Emma and his community by becoming a friend. It shows that he is able to maintain human interactions, thus proving to the white community that he is capable of more than just being an animal. Grant states that a hero “does something that other men don’t and can’t do.

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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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A selfish motive will lead you to having a negative view on the world and other people that are around you. A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines is a factual fiction novel that takes place in the 1940s where a black man “Jefferson” is at the wrong place at the wrong time during a shootout. All of the men died except Jefferson so he gets convicted for the murders and is sentenced to death by electric chair. Grant is a teacher who wants to leave his community but his aunt “Miss Emma” wants him to go see Jefferson while he is on death row and is tasked to make Jefferson a man before he dies. Throughout A Lesson before Dying Gaines Characterizes Grant as obligated and then committed in order to convey that a selfish motivation leaves you with a negative view on the world.

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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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“We can’t heal the world today but we can begin with a voice of compassion, a heart of love, and an act of kindness.” This quote by Mary Davis encapsulates the essence of Gaines’ lesson on humanity in “A Lesson Before Dying,” emphasizing the crucial role of embracing each other with love and support to cultivate an improved society that is united. In the face of Jefferson’s oppressive circumstances and impending death sentence, Grant’s community urges him to guide Jefferson towards manhood, after Jefferson was called a hog, a responsibility initially resisted. However, as Grant reluctantly teaches Jefferson, a bond forms between them, leading to mature growth that inspire one another and the rest of the community. Gaines highlights the profound

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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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Jefferson does not see himself as a human, he sees himself as a hog. As time passes by and Jefferson’s execution date is coming to a close, Miss Emma is becoming very sick and is unable to visit Jefferson near the end of the novel. Though at the beginning of the novel Grant Wiggins was hesitant to help Jefferson, as the novel continues the reader can see the strong connection that Jefferson and Grant are developing. An example of their bond getting stronger is when Grant overhears two African American men having a conversation about Jefferson. The two men believe that Jefferson should have been killed a while ago.

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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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Grant has gone to a University and is now a teacher in the quarter where he grew up. To his community, Grant is the most educated person in the quarter and is constantly being admired by them. Most of the admiration comes from Miss Emma in hopes that Grant can transform Jefferson into a man before he is executed. Miss Emma states, “I want the teacher visit my boy. I want the teacher make him know he’s not a hog, he’s a man” (pg.

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