Use Of Boundaries In A Lesson Before Dying By Ernest J. Gaines

There are stereotypical boundaries that society uses to have a somewhat bolstering effect on the relationships of individuals. In the plot of the novel “A Lesson Before Dying” by Ernest J. Gaines, two of the main characters Grant, the local educator, and Jefferson are introduced to each other in not the most formal atmospheres; a jail cell. The relationship between the two characters is positive and causes them to be their best in the caustic time period of a certain race being superior to another. There were numerous amounts of teaching moments between Grant and Jefferson as each are conformed to assimilate to customs and ways of life that defeat the cliché demands of society. Grant teaches Jefferson aspects of life such as the morals

Many influential figures in African American history were prevalent during this time period including Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, who were both involved in the civil rights movement during the mid-1950s. While attempting to make a man of Jefferson, Grant explains that having his current actions should make his ancestors proud instead of participating in the “vicious circle” of what seems to me normalcy (Gaines 62). The cruel cycle of regularity chosen by the superior race makes it difficult for an individual to do as they please without being judged. The demoralizing act of the superintendent inspecting the students’ hygiene is an example of the ruthless disrespect towards the families and the children’s’ morals, assuming that the African American race does not stand for anything and is not able to amount to half of what other races are capable of (Gaines 56). The same reasoning applies to the defense in the initial trial misnaming Jefferson as a “fool” and persuading the audience and jury that his only skills were “loading bales of cotton” (Gaines 7). The undermining of Jefferson’s capabilities is what invigorated Grant to have somewhat of a scathing demeanor towards the judge and the white race. One of the many themes illustrated throughout the novel is the act of remaining true to one’s ethnicity and culture. Grant is so persistent in Jefferson becoming a “man” for his

In the novel it was often standard for a black male not to succeed, to be an influential figure in life, and to become educated. During the trial, the defense asked the jury “What justice would there be to take this life” (Gaines 8)? This theoretical question to the audience symbolizes how society deems the lives of African Americans to be irrelevant. To defeat the habitual cycle of history, Grant went off to the university and returned to educate the children in his childhood neighborhood, being one of the few influential male figures in the quarter. When Grant confesses to Jefferson that he is “more than a man that he [Grant] is” it is obvious that the quarter needed someone to step up and make a change and it would have to be Jefferson (Gaines 225). Jefferson did not have to be educated, he did not have to have the greatest financial income, nor did he have to know how to care for those he loved, but he needed to understand what faith he believed in and remain dedicated to it in order to prosper, as explained by Reverend Ambrose. The Reverend made a significant analysis and comparison of Grant’s life and his own. Ambrose relates to Grant that although he may have left the quarter to receive an education at the university, none of that matters if he does not have a strong faith in his religion or if he does not have a religion at all.