Analysis: A Lesson Before Dying

Man sees his own life in the eyes of the dying. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Mr. Gaines novel, A Lesson Before Dying. The narrator, Grant Wiggins, learns about the meaning of his life by visiting Jefferson, a dying man, and learns that is never too late to do the impossible. However, what differentiates him from Morrie is the fact that he sits on death row, waiting for his execution date. By this method, Mr. Gaines expounds on the idea that life is only worth living if you lay it down for someone else. Grant Wiggins is a trustworthy narrator, who is not inclined to drink to excess. The reader is told later that he is the well-respected teacher of the local black school. However, his disdain for those who love becomes transparent as the novel progresses. An attitude of superiority is also disguised in an aura of anger. On

He is the doomed man, sentenced to death and called a hog. He keeps mute through most of the visits, not even responding to Miss Emma when she asks him questions. However, he does open up just after the Christmas pageant preformed in his honor. On page 128 he repeats, “That’s ‘fore I die. That’s ‘fore I die.” This statement shows the hollowness of his life. He does not see life as worth living. Since he has no future but death, he views himself as one of the walking dead. In response to this, Grant makes a statement on the following page about not wanting to hurt the ones he love. It’s rather amusing because that is all he has done to those who have raised him. The talk then degrades into Jefferson mocking Vivian, which is when we are exposed to Grant’s low opinion of himself, “Because I know damn well I’m not doing any good, for you or the others.” Jefferson allows Grant to treat himself , since they are the same character. They both feel like their life is going nowhere. They feel defeated, isolated from those they love. That changes, however, with a