A Fatalistic Predisposition before Settling In
In an 1973 interview conducted by Forrest Ingraham and Barbara Steinberg, Ernest J. Gaines states that although he is not devoutly religious, it is his belief that “for you to survive, you must have something greater than what you are, whether it’s religion or communism, or capitalism or something else, but it must be something above what you are” (Gaines and Lowe 52). When applied to the narrator of his subsequent work, A Lesson Before Dying, it would seem that this principle is reflected in the one thing Grant Wiggins initially holds above himself. I refer, of course, to Grant’s anticipation of the day that he will leave Bayonne in order to start a new life elsewhere, ideally in the company of Vivian. Since it is generally agreed upon that the myriad of intractable dilemmas facing the descendants of those victimized by the institution of chattel slavery likely constituted a significant push factor in the second wave of the Great Migration, well underway by the time of the events depicted in A Lesson Before Dying (Thornbrough 34-35), it would be problematic to assert that Grant’s assessment of his prospects in Bayonne does not a reflect the social realities he faces as a black man in the Jim Crow South. Yet although it would be difficult to argue that Grant’s fatalistic view of Bayonne is not a reflection of the lack of opportunity it presents him, it is also difficult to argue that his fatalistic attitude is universal among the characters that populate the work. This in turn seems to suggest that the undercurrent of fatalism which characterizes the tone of the work is largely a product of the interaction between the social realities that Grant faces, and the way in which Grant’s per...
... middle of paper ...
...es towards a renunciation of fatalism. There is, of course, a fundamental irony here as well, namely that although Jefferson essentially becomes a martyr, he is not spared a senseless death, which seems to imply that although Grant renounces fatalism, he may be hasty in doing so. On the other hand, however, it appears that in order to accept his life in Bayonne, Grant must, as Gaines says, find “something above what (he is)” (Gaines and Lowe 53) in Bayonne, rather than holding onto the fantasy that he will one day leave.
Works Cited
Gaines, Ernest J., and John Lowe. Conversations with Ernest Gaines. Jackson: University of Mississippi, 1995. Web. 10 Dec 2013.
Gaines, Ernest J. A Lesson Before Dying. New York: A.A. Knopf, 1993. Print.
Thornbrough, Emma Lou., and Lana Ruegamer. Indiana Blacks in the Twentieth Century. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 2000. Web. 11 Dec 2013.
While Grant taught Jefferson to feel like a man, Jefferson gave Grant hope as well, both in black men and Jefferson himself. Grant didn't even go to Jefferson's trial at the beginning of the book because he knew that Jefferson will be convicted, despite being innocent. Grant told himself, "I did not go to the trial, I did not want to hear the verdict, because I knew what it would be" (3). As time passed and the two grew closer through Grant's trips to the jail, both of them learned. Jefferson learned self-respect and self-worth, and that he could have an impact on the black community. Grant learned to put his trust in Jefferson because he would follow through. Grant came to understand that death isn't the end for Jefferson, and that his memory and impact would carry on long after his death. He even told Jefferson this at the end, saying, "You have the chance of being bigger than anyone who has ever lived on this plantation or come from this little town" (193). Grant accepted his death better this way, knowing that he helped Jefferson to make a difference in the lives of the people he interacted
Summary: This story is about racism in the south and how it affects the people it concerns. It starts out with Jefferson being sentenced to death for a crime that he did not commit. He was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and because he was black, they assumed he did it. Grant Wiggins is told to go up to the jail and convince Jefferson that he is a man. At first he doesn’t know how to make Jefferson see that he is a man, but through visiting Jefferson, talking to Vivian and witnessing things around the community, he is able to reach Jefferson, convince him that he was a man.
In the novel A Lesson Before Dying, Grant and Jefferson are black men in the era of a racist society; but they have struggles with a greater dilemma, obligation and commitment. They have obligations to their families and to the town they are part of. They lived in a town were everybody knew everybody else and took care of each other. "Living and teaching on a plantation, you got to know the occupants of every house, and you knew who was home and who was not.... I could look at the smoke rising from each chimney or I could look at the rusted tin roof of each house, and I could tell the lives that went on in each one of them." [pp. 37-38] Just by Grant’s words you can tell that that is a community that is very devoted to each other.
Grant Wiggins and Jefferson, two main protagonists, were in journey to show pride, dignity, and freedom they should have as African American toward white society. Although they started on the different level of education, they both were heading for the same goal until the end as common black man who is searching for the true meaning of their life. The background of this novel was in 1940’s in little town of Bayonne, Louisiana. Even though blacks were legally freed, there was still prejudice, supremacy going on in this town. They may be physically freed, but some people were mentally slaves in their society.
In order for Grant to help Jefferson “stand”, he must first come to terms with his own problem which involves his old primary school teacher and predecessor. It was Matthew Antoine who told him “most of us would die violently, and those who did not would be brought down to the level of beast” (62). These were his words of warning to them to flee now while they have the chance to live a better life. For a short while Grant believed this until his mind was changed by the women in this novel such as Vivian, Miss Emma, and Taute Lou. It was Grant words when discussing with Vivian why it was so important for Miss Emma to know that Jefferson will die standing like a man rather than crawling like a hog. His reason he told Vivian was “we black men have failed to protect our women since the time of slavery. We stay here in the south and are broken or run away and leave them alone […]” (166). It was at that moment when Grant decided not to run away but to stay and fight it takes one man to start a movement but it takes a whole race to cause a change in the
Burton, O. V. (1998, April). African American Status and Identity in a Postbellum Community: An Analysis of the Manuscript Census Returns. Retrieved December 1, 2013, from
The novel A Lesson Before Dying is about a young, college-educated man and a convict, Grant Wiggins and Jefferson. Grant is asked to make a man out of Jefferson who is convicted of killing a white man during a robbery in which he got dragged along to. Grant is asked by Emma Lou to make a man out of Jefferson, so if anything, Jefferson can die with dignity. Something that he was striped of when he was tried and his attorney used the defence that he is a hog. While trying to get through to Jefferson, Grant struggles because he is so far and separated from his own community. He holds resentment toward the white man and wants to get away from his town which he thinks is an on-going vicious cycle of misery. The novel A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines depicts the social and racial injustices faced by African Americans in the South in the late 40...
... in which racism was involved in his everyday life. He was born to be a failure, to be beneath the white people. His own former teacher believed anything he fought for in this world, was for nothing because of the African American fate. Grant proved this thought wrong by acting out and using the little free will he had to make a difference and do his part in changing the colored people’s future. Battleling through unfair justice and all odds against him in this white-dominated world, he still held himself and continued to help Jefferson even if he himself would not cooperate and ignore his loved one’s actions. He taught Jefferson to see himself as the person he can be, and not the person he was expected to be; to be above anyone else’s thoughts and be the man he was born to be, not the nigger his fate was telling him to be.
Vancil initiates the criticism of A lesson Before Dying in an old-fashioned, excessive religious genre of attitudes. He claims that Grant Wiggins is reluctant to atonement for guilt to uphold the Christian faith belief system within the Quarters, the small community of Wiggins’ residence. Wiggins has just evolved into the Diaspora of African-American people whose adapted a new way of thought and forever changing lifestyle alterations ranging from the southern to western regions in America. It may not be in complete agreement and acceptance by the matriarchs and patriarchs of the community but it progresses into a unique character identification tool for oneself. Black Americans were unwillingly detached from the true African tribal culture and therefore must attempt to gain a bountiful knowledge on one’s own heritage, current, and future life expectancies for the average home grown man or woman.
... and doomed to failure. Racism has shaken Grant to the very core and rattled his beliefs in teaching, where he could express his power and act for change in the community. However, through helping Jefferson to be strong and express his own power over his self-worth, Grant regains his belief in his role as a teacher and the impact he can have on his community.
A recurring theme throughout Gaines' fiction is the search for dignity and masculine identity in a hostile, racist environment. Although he consistently celebrates the pride and dignity of African Americans, he has often been critiqued by black writers who feel that his works do not adequately portray the harsh realities of black life. In Ernest J Gaines autobiography “ Miss Jane Pitman” slavery, the civil rights movement, and discrimination are themes portrayed. Gaines listened to adults tell stories and wrote letters for those who could not write. Gaines’s aunt was his inspiration for the character of Miss Jane. Gaine looks at the people, not the issue. In this novel we are exposed to the life of Africans through out the civil war. Gaines is a well-regarded man and is much in demand as a public speaker and correspondent on American life.
Nabrit, James M. Jr. “The Relative Progress and the Negro in the United States: Critical Summary and Evaluation.” Journal of Negro History 32.4 (1963): 507-516. JSTOR. U of Illinois Lib., Urbana. 11 Apr. 2004
In A Lesson Before Dying, Ernest J Gaines, the author, sets his story during the 1940s in a Cajun community. Jefferson, a young African-American man, is an innocent witness to a liquor store shoot-out where three men are murdered, but he is the one and only survivor, and therefore, he is sentenced to prison and death. As a young boy, Gaines grew up on a plantation in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana, which represents the Bayonne in his fictional writings. Having experienced the lifestyle of slavery, Gaines portrays the hardships and difficulties of living an African-American life. Although the main theme in A Lesson Before Dying rests on the lingering power of racism in the South, an examination of the subtle details and interpretations throughout the novel examines the complications faced by the African Americans. Racism becomes more palatable when white individuals dehumanize African-Americans.
Jefferson died with dignity and Grant returned to Bayonne believing he could make a difference. It is not clear that religion, a belief in God, made the difference for either of them. It is clear that as they struggled with the issue of a higher power, they did discover that the meaning of their lives was not attached to the white man’s beliefs and myths, but rather came from inside themselves. To the end, they both struggled with whether or not there was a God. As they end their journey together, Jefferson is at peace and becomes a hero in his community. Though Grant cannot be a hero, he does find his place and returns to the schoolhouse with new hope and a vision for making a difference, if not for himself, for his students. He doubts himself at times, but he gains determination for his students. "Yet they must believe. They must believe, if only to free the mind, if not the body. Only when the mind is free has the body a chance to be free. Yes, they must believe. They must believe. Because I know what it means to be a slave. I am a slave" (Gaines 251)
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige, and even his life for the welfare of others.”-MLK Jr. In the book A Lesson Before Dying, Ernest J. Gaines explores the relationship between a student and a teacher in Bayonne, Louisiana, in the 1940s, and how their actions affect the society they are living in. Jefferson, a young black man, is accused of a murder, and is sentenced to death because of his race. Miss Emma, Jefferson’s godmother, wants Grant Wiggins, an educated black teacher to “make him a man” before Jefferson dies. Even though Grant was reluctant that it would amount to anything, but he gave his word that he would try, and soon after a couple of visits to the jail, Grant starts to develop a bond with Jefferson. As the book progresses, Jefferson learns that you need to take responsibility for your own actions, you should always be humble, one should never submit their dignity no matter the circumstances, and always remember that even heroes are not perfect.