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A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

            According to Henrik Ibsen, "The strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone". In other words, what this quote means is that the strongest man is the most independent; individuals who do not need to rely on others. Individuals who stand alone are the ones who realize the strength within themselves and become powerful characters. This quote is valid because individuals who like to take actions on their own and accomplish their goals without caring about what any one has to say turn out to be the most successful. Two works of literature that support the validity of this statement are, A Lesson before Dying by Ernest Gaines and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck proves this quote to be true through conflict and characterization. .
             In A Lesson before Dying the author uses conflict to show that a man who is mostly by himself in a difficult situation is stronger alone then accompanied. In the novel the protagonist Grant, struggles to make a convicted black man named Jefferson to be a man before he is sentenced to death. The town that Grant's resides in is mostly dominated by white people. Most people in the town highly doubt Grant will be able to do this. With barley anyone on his side, Grant still managed to be brave and strong for himself and for Jefferson even with people trying to put him down. Throughout the book the author shows how Grant manages to change Jefferson but at a slow pace. Grant says "We looked at each other, and I could see in those big reddened eyes that he was not going to scream. He was full of anger - and who could blame him? But he was no fool. He needed me, and he wanted me here, if only to insult me" (130). Jefferson at one point is bothered by Grants visits because he is not used to people being kind to him at all. It is not something Jefferson appreciates, even with how rude Jefferson was acting towards Grant; Grant continued to show that he was not going to leave him anytime soon.


Essays Related to A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

1. Lesson Before Dying

... inescapable past and facing responsibility, are directly address the issue of racial marginalization and are clearly represented through the story's characters, events, criticisms, and the author's own life. Ernest Gaines's novel, A Lesson Before Dying, begins as a teacher named Grant Wiggins is recalling a recent trial of a slow-witted man named Jefferson, who is being convicted of murder. Grant Wiggins is the only ... teenager, I decided to write." (citation). While residing in California, Gaines attended San Francisco State University. Through his diligent studies and natural talent, h...

  • Word Count: 2093
  • Approx Pages: 8

2. A Lesson Can Be Learned Before

... Jefferson, a 21-year-old black man, or in the judge's case a "hog," who was innocent just in the wrong place at the wrong time. "A Lesson before Dying" by Ernest J. Gaines, is about the ways in which people insist on declaring the value of their lives during a time and place in which their lives count for nothing. The novel ... . In the face of death Jefferson learns to accept life, and discovers his self-worth. Grant also learns a lesson while teaching Jefferson. He said, "I felt like someone who had just found religion." (Gaines 186) Grant did not believe in God so for him to say this ...

  • Word Count: 1062
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

3. A change in characters in A Lesson Before dying

One of the many human abilities is being able to grow and change with the different situations that may arise. In the novel A Lesson Before Dying, a story set in the 1940s in a racist town of Bayonne, Louisiana; author, Ernest J. Gains illustrates this human ability through his characters' words and actions. Three of his characters, Paul Bonin, Grant Wiggins, and Jefferson, all show signs of ... wrongly convicted victim, who initially gives up on his life as a human being, but then learns that he does matter, and is, in fact an important person. In the novel A Lesson Before Dying, Gaines uses...

  • Word Count: 1339
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

4. Book Review: A Lesson Before Dying

Book Review A Lesson Before Dying A Lesson Before Dying was written by Ernest J. Gaines. The novel takes place in the late 1940s. It is about a man named Jefferson who witnessed a shoot out in a liquor store. He is the only survivor so the town automatically ... and Jefferson form a very strong bond and become good friends. Jefferson proves that heroism is not always expressed through action, sometimes the simple act of resisting the inevitable is enough. Ernest J. Gaines did a great job in writing this novel. It's the type of book that is hard to put down. Its such an inspiring and thought-...

  • Word Count: 264
  • Approx Pages: 1
  • Grade Level: High School

5. A Lesson Before Dying

A Lesson Before Dying, is a complex novel about life's various lessons. It was written by a Louisiana native, Ernest J. Gaines and published in 1993. The story takes place in the Pre-Civil Rights South in the fictionous rural town of Bayonne, Louisiana. The major focus of story lies between Jefferson ... and Grant Wiggins. Grant, a schoolteacher chosen to help Jefferson become a man. Jefferson is a young man wrongfully accused of killing a white man and is sentenced to death. Gaines takes ... of a man's quest to help another man to become a man. I will show various ways Gaines help the reade...

  • Word Count: 402
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

6. Bravery in A Lesson Before Dying

A Lesson before Dying is one of the most popular novels released by Ernest J. Gaines. The novel explains how life can be challenging and showcases the importance of bravery in order to fight the obstacles life will ultimately throw in your face. Bravery is the most important lesson before dying. In this novel bravery is well shown by the characters Tante Lou, Grant, and Jefferson. In A Lesson before Dying, Tante ... Lou demonstrates the most important lesson; bravery, ... Lou and Grant both showed their bravery. Jefferson showed his too. Jefferson undoubtedly proved that he was the bravest ch...

  • Word Count: 838
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

7. Comparison of A Lesson Before Dying and If We Must Die

A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest Gaines, is an American literary classic that is required reading for many high school students across the country. This is the tale of a Louisiana mans struggle with the judicial system and racial problems in his local community. "If We Must Die-, by Claude McKay is a wonderful poem which exhibits many similarities to this classic Gaines novel. In the very first phrase of "If We ... Must Die-, McKay writes: "If we must die "Let it not be like hogs-. This is very much alike what is said about one of the main characters in A Lesson Before Dying, one of the most ...

  • Word Count: 344
  • Approx Pages: 1
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

8. A Lesson Before Dying

In the novel A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines, a young black male named Jefferson is on death row for a crime, which he did not commit. While in jail, another African American teacher Grant Wiggins, tries to teach Jefferson to ... by mr wiggin tell them im strong tell them im a man" (234). Jefferson communicates with Grant through his diary, which gives Grant a perception of what Jefferson is thinking. When Jefferson says this, he now fully understands the significance of dying with dignity, which Jefferson now has. Also, he lets Grant know that he has learned a great lesson of love an...

  • Word Count: 512
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

9. A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines

"I want you to show them the difference between what they think you are and what you can be" (191). Here, Grant, a school teacher and the narrator of this novel, reflects the newly-found respect and confidence he has for Jefferson, a simple-minded man who has been unjustly accused of murder. Grant has been sent by his family to teach Jefferson how to be a man before his day of execution. Throughout the course of the novel, Grant changes Jefferson's life, Jefferson unknowingly causes Grant to become a better man himself, and in the process the entire community is affected. "I don't want them to...

  • Word Count: 830
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

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