Grant Wiggins In A Lesson Before Dying

With the injurious problem of race relations growing in the world, faith in God has adjusted many perspectives. The impact of a race relation perspective with faith in God is very different from one without. Grant Wiggins, a character in A Lesson Before Dying, and many others from this novel, demonstrates how faith, or the lack thereof, can drastically change one’s worldview. Instead of facing his problem, Grant wishes only to run away with his girlfriend, Vivian; “I need to go someplace where I can feel i’m living, I said. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life teaching school in a plantation church. I want to be with you, someplace where we could have a choice of things to do. I don’t feel alive here. I’m not living here. I know we can

This is what the unjust treatments have done to him and what happens to many others in this world. By the end of the novel, Grant is leaning a little bit more toward the faithful side, “Let them talk, I said again to myself. If you can’t stand here and take it, then get into your car and leave. Go somewhere else and get a drink. He’s only got a few more weeks, and you have to do all you can for him, for all the others. You came here in a good mood because this was one of the best days you have had with him, and you can’t let this kind of trash destroy that good feeling” (Gaines 199). At the Rainbow Club, Grant overheard two mulattoes talking about Jefferson’s execution and started a fracas with them because of the racist and prejudice comments they were saying. These are the kinds of actions taken toward others because of race that are causing separation between

Reverend Ambrose, the godly man who accompanies Grant in bringing Jefferson to cope with his future, sees the world much differently. Unlike Grant, Reverend Ambrose understands people because he has a faithful perspective on race. The Reverend understands what his people have gone through. He says “And that’s the difference between me and you, boy; that make me the educated one, and you the gump. I know my people. I know what they gone through. I know they done cheated themself, lied to themself-hoping that one they all love and trust can come back and help relieve the pain.” Reverend Ambrose’s experience far outweighs any education that either him or Grant have. By the Reverend’s saying this to Grant, he is hoping to help Grant to understand that it is not only basic education but real life experiences that make up one’s understanding and compassion for fellow human beings. The Reverends faith in God drastically differs from Grants perspective by his understanding of his people and what they’ve gone through with being impoverished. Grant’s perspective differs from the Reverends because he doesn’t have the know how to deal with these acts of racism. Individual life experiences will always shape one’s perspective and attitude towards