English 213, Block 4 September 26, 2017
A Lesson Before Dying - Essay Ms. Wilson
Jefferson and Grant, the Heros
In a Novel, A Lesson Before Dying, Grant and Jefferson help each other and the citizens of their town. Grant shows how a black man can be educated and change people's lives, just like a white man. Grant shows how, even if the white people have insults to say, you can ignore them and show them that their words do not always affect him. Grant and Jefferson set an example for the plantation by not letting the white people get to their heads with insults/stereotypes. Grant and Jefferson become heroic to the community of Bayonne by standing outside the norm of white people who believe that black people are lesser than …show more content…
The trial is about Jefferson, and his friends in the liquor store. In this trial Jefferson was called a hog, and that created one of the main issues in the book. When Jefferson was in trial Miss Emma was observing, “...heard nothing said in the courtroom. Not by the prosecutor, not by the defence attorney, not by my aunt. (Oh, yes, she did hear one word -- one word, for sure: ‘hog’)” (Gaines, 4). Throughout the trial, the defense attorney argued that not only was Jefferson innocent, he was also not even a man, “Gentlemen of the jury, look at this -- this -- this boy. I almost said man, but I can’t say man… A fool stood by and watched this happen, not having the sense to run” (Gaines, 7). The speech by the defense attorney demoralized Jefferson, and when he was put away to wait for his execution, it got worse. Jefferson spent days sitting in a cell alone, thinking about how he had been called a boy, a hog, and a fool. He started to believe it himself, and started calling himself a hog. Jefferson treated himself like he was a hog, “‘You brought some corn?’ he said. ‘Corn?’, ‘That’s what hogs eat,’” (Gaines, 82). He kept referencing and showing Grant how he was a hog, and how the white men were right, “‘That’s how a old hog eat,’ he said, raising his head and grinning at me. He got up from his knees and went back to his bunk. ‘That’s how a old hog eat’” (Gaines, 83). Although in …show more content…
Throughout the book, Grant proves them wrong. Grant is one of the few black men in his town to go to college. When the white men underestimate Grant, he shows them that they are wrong. Grant went to talk to Henri Pichot about getting visiting rights to see Jefferson. He went to Henri Pichot’s house because Sheriff Guidry was there. When Grant talked to Sheriff Guidry, he was presumed to have bad grammar, “He emphasized ‘doesn’t.’ I was supposed to have said ‘don’t.’ I was being too smart” (Gaines, 48). Then Guidry goes to say towards the end of their conversation, “‘You’re smart,’ Guidry said. ‘Maybe you’re just a little too smart for your own good’” (Gaines, 49). During the rest of the book, Grant shows his intelligence and smartness. He continues to prove the stereotype, of black people being lesser than white people, wrong. This is heroic to the community of Bayonne because it shows the little kids he teaches, they can grow up and be whoever they want to be. It also shows all the adults in his town that the can be smart to, so do not hide
A Lesson Before Dying - Essay Ms. Wilson
Jefferson and Grant, the Heros
In a Novel, A Lesson Before Dying, Grant and Jefferson help each other and the citizens of their town. Grant shows how a black man can be educated and change people's lives, just like a white man. Grant shows how, even if the white people have insults to say, you can ignore them and show them that their words do not always affect him. Grant and Jefferson set an example for the plantation by not letting the white people get to their heads with insults/stereotypes. Grant and Jefferson become heroic to the community of Bayonne by standing outside the norm of white people who believe that black people are lesser than …show more content…
The trial is about Jefferson, and his friends in the liquor store. In this trial Jefferson was called a hog, and that created one of the main issues in the book. When Jefferson was in trial Miss Emma was observing, “...heard nothing said in the courtroom. Not by the prosecutor, not by the defence attorney, not by my aunt. (Oh, yes, she did hear one word -- one word, for sure: ‘hog’)” (Gaines, 4). Throughout the trial, the defense attorney argued that not only was Jefferson innocent, he was also not even a man, “Gentlemen of the jury, look at this -- this -- this boy. I almost said man, but I can’t say man… A fool stood by and watched this happen, not having the sense to run” (Gaines, 7). The speech by the defense attorney demoralized Jefferson, and when he was put away to wait for his execution, it got worse. Jefferson spent days sitting in a cell alone, thinking about how he had been called a boy, a hog, and a fool. He started to believe it himself, and started calling himself a hog. Jefferson treated himself like he was a hog, “‘You brought some corn?’ he said. ‘Corn?’, ‘That’s what hogs eat,’” (Gaines, 82). He kept referencing and showing Grant how he was a hog, and how the white men were right, “‘That’s how a old hog eat,’ he said, raising his head and grinning at me. He got up from his knees and went back to his bunk. ‘That’s how a old hog eat’” (Gaines, 83). Although in …show more content…
Throughout the book, Grant proves them wrong. Grant is one of the few black men in his town to go to college. When the white men underestimate Grant, he shows them that they are wrong. Grant went to talk to Henri Pichot about getting visiting rights to see Jefferson. He went to Henri Pichot’s house because Sheriff Guidry was there. When Grant talked to Sheriff Guidry, he was presumed to have bad grammar, “He emphasized ‘doesn’t.’ I was supposed to have said ‘don’t.’ I was being too smart” (Gaines, 48). Then Guidry goes to say towards the end of their conversation, “‘You’re smart,’ Guidry said. ‘Maybe you’re just a little too smart for your own good’” (Gaines, 49). During the rest of the book, Grant shows his intelligence and smartness. He continues to prove the stereotype, of black people being lesser than white people, wrong. This is heroic to the community of Bayonne because it shows the little kids he teaches, they can grow up and be whoever they want to be. It also shows all the adults in his town that the can be smart to, so do not hide