Racism In Ernest J. Gaines's A Lesson Before Dying

Racism is immoral and has no place in a modern society. However, that was not the case in the United States during the Jim Crow Era. At the time African Americans were treated as second-class citizens, it was made near-impossible for them to vote, and they were discriminated in many ways, including in education, socially. It was a time in which segregation and racism perforated the laws and society, a time in which African Americans were “separate but equal,”. Blacks were not seen as equal as they were seen as lesser than Whites. They were oppressed in many ways including having unreachable requirements to vote, such regulations included literacy tests, poll taxes. The novel A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines is about a young, college-educated …show more content…
In many cases Grant, Miss. Emma who is Jefferson Godmom is treated as if they are less than. For example the first time they visit Henri Pichots their old family employer they were directed to go through the back door. Gaines explains, “I had come through that back door against my will, and it seemed that he and the sheriff were doing everything they could to humiliate me even more by making me wait on them”(46). The way that society is structured allows White people to humiliate Black people without having to face them or speak to them. However, they are rendered invisible yet threatening, Whites in the novel tend to treat the Blacks as if they are not the same as them but are intimidated by everything that they do. Having a house with a back door for black people to come through instead of using the front door, and having them wait in the kitchen and ignore them for hours for a meeting, are subtle ways of demonstrating control. Gaines show that Southern Whites have no respect or compassion for African Americans when the meeting begin Pichots does not offer Miss.Emma who is elderly a seat and makes her stand, yet he does not see Blacks as equal to him. Equally important to mention Jefferson was not given a fair trial because his court appointed attorney prejudged him and made he appear to be senseless. Gaines states, “Gentlemen of the jury, Look at the shape of this skull, this face as flat as the palm of my hand—look deeply into those eyes. Do you see a modicum of intelligence?” (7). This attorney is supposedly trying to defend Jefferson. To do so, he is calling on deep-seated prejudices about race and intelligence. Supposedly, his African features will convey to the jury that he has no human intelligence and therefore cannot be held responsible for his supposed crimes because he is not smart enough, moreover he is