Themes In A Lesson Before Dying

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A Close Look Into The Theme: A Lesson Before Dying A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest J. Gaines, is a wonderfully-written novel about a man named Grant, and a tragic part of his life that changes him forever. This book revolves around the lives of Miss Emma, Tante Lou, Vivian, Grant, and a man named Jefferson. In the beginning of this book, Jefferson is thrown into jail for a crime he didn’t commit, and is sentenced to death. Jefferson’s attorney drilled it into Jefferson’s mind that he was a hog. His godmother, Miss Emma, wants Jefferson to become a man before he dies, and with the help of her friend, who just so happens to be Grant’s aunt, she picks a teacher who she thinks can help. Grant, with the support of his girlfriend Vivian, and the …show more content…

The way Grant says that they are “safe” with him and Reverend. The fact that he questions their manhood (just like how they questioned Jefferson’s), and calls them liars shows how much he is struggling and how much faith he has in Jefferson. Grant tries to stay strong in his life, but he doesn’t know what to do. He wants to run away, but something is holding him back. He doesn’t want to be a teacher. He loves a married woman. Now, he has to help someone become a man, and realizes that he can help everyone. Jefferson is now practically Grants savior, his hero, and that is what he is saying in this beautifully written, very moving passage. Gaines is very blunt when it comes to racism in this novel, and he shows that through Jefferson’s struggle. The previous passage represents the theme immensely and is a very important part of the story. We don’t unambiguously know who Grant is on the inside until this part of the story. This passage is where Grant opens up the most he can and shows his faith in Jefferson, and really shows how much he is fighting through the thing he calls his life. In this passage, we learn that Jefferson is the

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