A Lesson Before Dying Analysis

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

Grant Wiggins is an educated man, but he is flawed. In the beginning of A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest J. Gaines, Grant is proud yet cowardly. He only thinks of himself, his burdens, and his needs. However, after getting to know Jefferson, Grant starts to see the world differently, eventually transforming into a considerate man. Transformation is a common topic in the book, and Grant, like many of the other characters, is transformed into a better person by his experience of trying to help Jefferson. Grant is one of the few educated black men in his community. He is a teacher, which causes him to be respected by many people. However, Grant is proud. Because he is educated, Grant thinks that he is superior to others who aren’t educated and he is angry at the white people for not recognizing him as their equal. For example, Grant is angry when his aunt forces him to go to Henri Pichot’s house and enter through the back. He says, “I was too educated for Henri Pichot; he …show more content…
At the beginning of the book he could only focus on his burden of being an educated black man. He was proud and arrogant and thought only of himself. He was blind to the suffering and burdens of others. Instead of facing his fears, Grant was a coward who hid from them and talked of running away. By the end of the book Grant was more considerate of others. He was still proud, but he was no longer blind to the feelings and the hardships of others. He realized through his friendship with Jefferson that he needed to be compassionate and that his true role was to help ease the burden and pain of others. Like many other characters in the book, Grant was transformed into a better person by his relationship with Jefferson. He learned to temper his pride, to fight his cowardice, and to become more considerate of others. Without even knowing it, Jefferson helped Grant, and many other characters, to become a better