A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J.

Gaines

Marcoluis Garcia 4/8/13

Chapter
1

What the book says?

Gentlemen of the jury, look at thisthis-boy. I almost said man, but I cant say manI would call it a boy and a fool.

What I say.
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. Miss Emma is devastated with what the court has decided. When they called Jefferson a hog, that is when she completely fell apart. She doesnt want Jefferson to die thinking that he is a hog. By being a man, she refers to Jefferson being knowledgeable. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 were all in the same shape, it is evident that the community doesnt care much for education for colored. It seems as though there is even hatred

I dont want them to kill no hog, she said. I want a man to go to that chair, on his own two feet.

Yes, sir, Im concerned for his soul, Mr. Henri, Miss Emma said. Im concerned for his soul. But I want him be a man, too, when he go to that chair. There were two elementary schools uptown, one Catholic, one public, for whites; and the same back of town for colored I assigned three of my sixth grade students to teach the primerwhile I taught third and fourthI devoted the last two hours in the afternoon to the fifth and sixth grades

You cant get him ready to die. Henry Pichot didnt take that bet did he?

I dont 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.

Dont be a dammed fool. I am

superior to you. I am superior to any man blacker than me.

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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. The stairs were made of steelthe It is amazing that even in a place where white prisoners were also on this everyone has committed, essentially, the floor, but in separate sections. same crime they are still separated in sections. Shows the extremes of segregation. The humiliation I had to go through, Grant was told that after he was educated, going into that mans kitchen. The he would not have to go through the same hours I had to wait while they ate and difficulties. Well this time, His aunt took drank and socialized before they that away from him; now he is mad due to would even see me. the fact that it was humiliating. They were just toying with him. You hungry? I asked. You brought Jefferson seems to have lost all possible some corn? he said. Corn? Thats hope. He doesnt seem to care about what hogs eat, he said, turning his anything anymore. All Jefferson sees in head now to look at me. himself is a hog and nothing more. He even acts like a hog to show his helplessness. Now take care of that book. You can Despite the fact that the professor knows keep it a week. And it had better Grant, He still seems condescending. come back to me in the same Almost as if he still sees Grant as lesser condition in which it left. You do than the professor himself. understand me, Dont you, Wiggins. They were quiet, sitting in This seems like a foreshadow. The darkness semidarkness. The only light in the symbolizes the closing of the death of kitchen came from the open door of Jefferson. It seems like they have all lost the stove. hope in him as well. Im happy. But you frowned when Seems like every time that things are going I said it. Maybe I was just thinking. I good for grant, he always finds a way to dont know if I want Paul to grow up ruin it. This could show a potential conflict here. Dont spoil it. that might occur between Vivian and him. But they were not glad to know her. Grants aunt doesnt like much of the things They didnt feel comfortable at all. that he does. Being with Vivian is no They were at my aunts house, and different. Neither of them seem to like the they were not about to show more fact that they are together. enthusiasm than she had shown. The year before, the boys had I like this because the kids dont get brought in a small oak treeThe girls disappointed when things dont go exactly who were to decorate the tree had to their way. They make the best of what they wash it clean before putting on the have and dont seem to mind the little lint cotton and crepe paper. things. Grant Wiggins, I said. Paul Bonin, The deputy seems to like Grant now. He he said. We shook hands. even tries to give him some advice. It Listenyou dont get too close to seems sad because even the Deputy has

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somebody going to be executed. If thats what they want, Jefferson said. No, not what they want; what you want. If thats what they want, Jefferson repeated. The people responded with an Amen and sat back down. My aunt said Amen louder than anyone, and she was looking directly at me. When I left him he was calm, he seemed to understand. I want to keep it that way. Any questions? I wanted to stop in, but I didnt know if I shouldI want them to like me. 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. And what do you suggest, Reverend Ambrose, I asked. God, the minister said.

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lost hope. 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. Grants 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. The sheriff acts as though he doesnt want Grant or the Reverend to go visit Jefferson.

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Vivian desperately wants to be accepted into the family. She has good intentions yet they still dont accept her. The deputy doesnt 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. It seems as though all the reverend wants to do is help out Jeffersons soul. He focuses much more on religion than on what Grant is trying to do. The last thing they ever want is to see Grant wants to break through to Jefferson a black man stand, and think, and in some way. He wants Jefferson to be the show common humanity that is in us one to break the myth of the white man. all. It would destroy their myth. 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. Should have burned him months Many dont seem to know what is actually agothat kind of sonofabitch make it happening to Jefferson. They just think that hard on everybodyId pull the it is another guy who deserves to die. That switch myself, they ask me 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. Well I better go, I said. She didnt I mentioned before that there was a look at me. possibility of Grants and Vivians relationship to change. This passage shows the frankness that Vivian shows towards him. Then later the argument. No, you not educated, boy, he said, Reverend Ambrose doesnt think that shaking his head. You far from being learning reading, writing, and arithmetic educatedyou dont even know makes one educated. That is simply book

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I dreampt it again last night. They was taking me somewhereIf I aint nothing but a hog, how come they just dont knock me in the head like a hog? man walk on two foots; hogs on four hoofs. i didn kno you was meanin all them chiren in yo class an jus sitin ther on the flo all quite in they clean close lookin at me an I coud see som was scaredo me but mos was brave an spokeI couldn hol it back no mo. Well, Paul said, and started to walk away. Paul?...you gon be there, Paul? Jefferson asked, his eyes asked.

smart. A real Educated man, in his eyes, is one that not only knows his material but also the things that go on his community. A person that knows who he is and the role he must play. Jefferson doesnt believe that he is a hog anymore. He has accepted his fate, subconsciously, but does not seem hopeless anymore. He appears different. It has finally synced in that he is not a hog, but a man. Even though he has accepted his fate, he was finally moved by the amount of people that went to visit him. He finally expressed his emotions about the situation.

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We all had each other to lean on. When Vincent asked him if he had any last words, he looked at the preacher and said, Tell Nannan I walked. And straight he walked, Grant Wiggins. Straight he walked.

I am not sure what to make of this. I feel as though Jefferson asked Paul because he wants Paul to be there with him. This shows that despite what Paul had told Grant about not getting close to someone that was going to die; he didnt follow his own warning and developed a relationship with Jefferson. This last passage was definitely impactful for me. It kind of got me teary. The way that Paul describes the situation, The way that Jefferson didnt seem to want to resist. How he simply accepted what was happening. Along with his final words; the transformation was complete, no one saw Jefferson any less than a man that day.