This document provides an analysis of ‘A Lesson Before Dying’ by Ernest J. Gaines, a powerful novel exploring themes of racism, dignity, and redemption in the American South. The text is structured into chapters, each accompanied by insightful commentary that delves into the characters’ struggles and societal issues. Key topics include the impact of segregation, the quest for identity, and the moral dilemmas faced by the protagonist, Jefferson. The document also highlights significant quotes and their implications, offering a deeper understanding of the narrative’s context. This analysis serves as a valuable resource for students and readers seeking to engage with the text critically. It is formatted as a study guide, making it accessible for educational purposes.
A Lesson Before Dying Marcoluis Garcia
by Ernest J. Gaines 4/8/13
Chapter
What the book says?
What I say.
1
“Gentlemen of the jury, look at this-
this-boy. I almost said man, but I
can’t say man…I would call it a boy
and a fool.”
This passage from the book, I feel, sets the
tone for the entire book. It shows the
discrimination and prejudice the
community has towards colored people. A
white man can still commit the same error
as did Jefferson but they would still not call
him a “boy”.
2
“I don’t want them to kill no hog,’ she
said. ‘I want a man to go to that
chair, on his own two feet.’”
Miss Emma is devastated with what the
court has decided. When they called
Jefferson a “hog”, that is when she
completely fell apart. She doesn’t want
Jefferson to die thinking that he is a “hog”.
By being a “man”, she refers to Jefferson
being knowledgeable.
3
“’Yes, sir, I’m concerned for his soul,
Mr. Henri,’ Miss Emma said. ‘I’m
concerned for his soul. But I want
him be a man, too, when he go to
that chair.’”
Miss Emma really wants Jefferson to die
like a “man”. She is religious and has strong
faith in her religion, but she feels as though
knowledge is just as important for Jefferson
as religion.
4
“There were two elementary schools
uptown, one Catholic, one public, for
whites; and the same back of town
for colored”
This idea of segregation is not really what it
appears. It is supposed to be “separate but
equal”; in reality it is more favorable
towards the white community.
5
“I assigned three of my sixth grade
students to teach the primer…while I
taught third and fourth…I devoted
the last two hours in the afternoon to
the fifth and sixth grades”
This passage further demonstrates my
previous statement. The schools that are
meant for the colored community are
drastically underfunded. Grant has to split
up his classes so that the upperclassmen
teach the underclassmen. Leaving only a
fraction of the day for the upperclassmen
to learn new material.
6
“’You can’t get him ready to die.’
‘Henry Pichot didn’t take that bet did
he?’”
Grant feels humiliated at this point. They
make him go through the door that his aunt
told him to never go through, and on top of
that made him wait. Now they are
“betting” on whether he would be able to
get Jefferson “ready to die”.
7
“I don’t have all the books I need. In
some classes I have two children
studying out of one book. And even
with that, some of the pages in the
book are missing.”
Once again, this demonstrates how
underfunded the colored schools are.
There are not enough textbooks, and the
books they do have are damaged. Although
he may say that “we’re all in the same
shape”, it is evident that the community
doesn’t care much for education for
colored.
8
“Don’t be a dammed fool. I am
It seems as though there is even hatred
superior to you. I am superior to any
man blacker than me.”
within the colored community. The way
that he talks to Grant reminds me of the
social system the Spaniards had with the
indigenous, ranking them by the color of
their skin.
9
“The stairs were made of steel…the
white prisoners were also on this
floor, but in separate sections.
It is amazing that even in a place where
everyone has committed, essentially, the
same crime they are still separated in
sections. Shows the extremes of
segregation.
10
“The humiliation I had to go through,
going into that man’s kitchen. The
hours I had to wait while they ate and
drank and socialized before they
would even see me.”
Grant was told that after he was educated,
he would not have to go through the same
difficulties. Well this time, His aunt took
that away from him; now he is mad due to
the fact that it was humiliating. They were
just toying with him.
11
“’You hungry?’ I asked. ‘You brought
some corn?’ he said. ‘Corn?’ ‘That’s
what hogs eat,’ he said, turning his
head now to look at me.”
Jefferson seems to have lost all possible
hope. He doesn’t seem to care about
anything anymore. All Jefferson sees in
himself is a hog and nothing more. He even
acts like a hog to show his helplessness.
12
“Now take care of that book. You can
keep it a week. And it had better
come back to me in the same
condition in which it left. You do
understand me, Don’t you, Wiggins.”
Despite the fact that the professor knows
Grant, He still seems condescending.
Almost as if he still sees Grant as lesser
than the professor himself.
13
“They were quiet, sitting in
semidarkness. The only light in the
kitchen came from the open door of
the stove.”
This seems like a foreshadow. The darkness
symbolizes the closing of the death of
Jefferson. It seems like they have all lost
hope in him as well.
14
“’I’m happy.’ ‘But you frowned when
I said it.’ ‘Maybe I was just thinking. I
don’t know if I want Paul to grow up
here.’ ‘Don’t spoil it.’”
Seems like every time that things are going
good for grant, he always finds a way to
ruin it. This could show a potential conflict
that might occur between Vivian and him.
15
“But they were not glad to know her.
They didn’t feel comfortable at all.
They were at my aunt’s house, and
they were not about to show more
enthusiasm than she had shown.”
Grant’s aunt doesn’t like much of the things
that he does. Being with Vivian is no
different. Neither of them seem to like the
fact that they are together.
16
“The year before, the boys had
brought in a small oak tree…The girls
who were to decorate the tree had to
wash it clean before putting on the
lint cotton and crepe paper.”
I like this because the kids don’t get
disappointed when things don’t go exactly
their way. They make the best of what they
have and don’t seem to mind the little
things.
17
“Grant Wiggins,” I said. “Paul Bonin,”
he said. We shook hands.
“Listen…you don’t get too close to
The deputy seems to like Grant now. He
even tries to give him some advice. It
seems sad because even the Deputy has
somebody going to be executed.”
lost hope.
18
“If that’s what they want,” Jefferson
said. “No, not what they want; what
you want.” ‘If that’s what they want,”
Jefferson repeated.
Jefferson does not seem to care much
about anything. Many people are trying to
make things nice for him, yet he refuses to
accept them. This could just mean that he
is fed up.
19
The people responded with an
“Amen” and sat back down. My aunt
said “Amen” louder than anyone, and
she was looking directly at me.
Grant’s aunt seems to want to force her
beliefs and religion onto Grant. The
“Amen” that she gives seems like a stab at
him for not believing like she does.
20
“When I left him he was calm, he
seemed to understand. I want to
keep it that way. Any questions?”
The sheriff acts as though he doesn’t want
Grant or the Reverend to go visit Jefferson.
21
“I wanted to stop in, but I didn’t
know if I should…I want them to like
me.”
Vivian desperately wants to be accepted
into the family. She has good intentions yet
they still don’t accept her.
22
He knew that it was unnecessary to
search me and the food, but he knew
he had to do it. He also knew that he
should not even think about not
doing it.
The deputy doesn’t like the idea of having
to search Grant anymore. However, he has
to because of his job. To him it seems
unfair since he already knows the type of
person Grant is.
23
“And what do you suggest, Reverend
Ambrose,” I asked. “God,” the
minister said.
It seems as though all the reverend wants
to do is help out Jefferson’s soul. He
focuses much more on religion than on
what Grant is trying to do.
24
The last thing they ever want is to see
a black man stand, and think, and
show common humanity that is in us
all. It would destroy their myth.
Grant wants to break through to Jefferson
in some way. He wants Jefferson to be the
one to break the “myth” of the white man.
He wants Jefferson to be the one that
changes the views of others on colored
people. He wants Jefferson to change the
course of nature.
25
“Should have burned him months
ago…that kind of sonofabitch make it
hard on everybody…I’d pull the
switch myself, they ask me”
Many don’t seem to know what is actually
happening to Jefferson. They just think that
it is another guy who deserves to die. That
is how society has brainwashed the
community. They all believe that he should
die, not knowing what really happened or
what people are trying to do for him.
26
“Well I better go,” I said. She didn’t
look at me.
I mentioned before that there was a
possibility of Grant’s and Vivian’s
relationship to change. This passage shows
the frankness that Vivian shows towards
him. Then later the argument.
27
“No, you not educated, boy,” he said,
shaking his head. “You far from being
educated…you don’t even know
Reverend Ambrose doesn’t think that
learning “reading, writing, and arithmetic”
makes one educated. That is simply book
End of Document
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