For almost every new generation conflict arises over the ideologies of the past generation. Young people feel driven to rebel against the traditions that their elders desire to keep. This gap arises due to changes in society giving the newer generation a different mindset. For example, the technological revolution created a large generational gap between those who grew up with easy access to information and those who did not. In Ernest Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying this divide is apparent between the older characters and the younger ones. However, a key difference between these generations is the level of education each one has and their relationship with religion. Gaines highlights the ideological gap between the old and new generations using
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The main protagonist Grant possesses a higher level of education than anyone else who lives in the quarter. As such, the white people regard him with a slightly higher level of respect than others in the quarter. The pastor of the plantation church, Reverend Ambrose, presents a similar case, however his respect comes from his religious affiliation. These are the only two black characters referred to with some sort of title, “professor” and “reverend” respectively, however, these two people could not be more dissimilar. Gaines contrasts Grant’s higher education with the Reverend Ambrose’s knowledge of people, seen in the line “[Y]ou far from being educated. You learned your reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic, but you don’t know nothing. You don’t even know yourself” (218). Here Gaines uses the foil of Reverend Ambrose to make a statement on education versus knowledge, saying that knowledge is more than just what is taught in schools. A person’s worth cannot be judged from their education, but rather from who they are as a person. This reflects the difference in ideologies between Grant, a man of education, and Reverend Ambrose, a man of faith. A more direct educational divide occurs between the young deputy Paul and sheriff Guidry. Gaines describes Paul as “better educated than the chief deputy or the sheriff” (125), which attributes his respect towards the black community. The direct correlation between the level of education and tolerance of black people shows how differences in upbringing change one’s
The main protagonist Grant possesses a higher level of education than anyone else who lives in the quarter. As such, the white people regard him with a slightly higher level of respect than others in the quarter. The pastor of the plantation church, Reverend Ambrose, presents a similar case, however his respect comes from his religious affiliation. These are the only two black characters referred to with some sort of title, “professor” and “reverend” respectively, however, these two people could not be more dissimilar. Gaines contrasts Grant’s higher education with the Reverend Ambrose’s knowledge of people, seen in the line “[Y]ou far from being educated. You learned your reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic, but you don’t know nothing. You don’t even know yourself” (218). Here Gaines uses the foil of Reverend Ambrose to make a statement on education versus knowledge, saying that knowledge is more than just what is taught in schools. A person’s worth cannot be judged from their education, but rather from who they are as a person. This reflects the difference in ideologies between Grant, a man of education, and Reverend Ambrose, a man of faith. A more direct educational divide occurs between the young deputy Paul and sheriff Guidry. Gaines describes Paul as “better educated than the chief deputy or the sheriff” (125), which attributes his respect towards the black community. The direct correlation between the level of education and tolerance of black people shows how differences in upbringing change one’s