The Importance Of American Identity

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Every country has certain morals that they follow. Some of those morals good and some of those bad. These morals can describe a country 's identity and how the people live up to the identity. What American identity means varies from person to person. What America has that other countries do not have, is the ability to get hit and get back up. America isn’t a place where beliefs go to die, it 's a place where beliefs flourish. People will fight to protect those beliefs because they have freedom of speech. American identity is fighting against what is wrong and defending what is right. When Americans fight the wrong, they fight hard. They a change that will entail a brighter future. In the book A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines American …show more content…
It is one of the worst feelings you could ever experience. Something bad has happened that you had no control of over and now you are tied into the situation. You 're scared, nervous, and worst of all you can’t think straight. This can lead to making irrational choices. Jefferson unfortunately experienced that situation and all of the characteristics that come with it. Jefferson was walking to the supermarket when two men offered to give him a ride. Jefferson accepted but the two men had to go to the liquor store first. Jefferson went inside the liquor store with the two men but a problem arose. A quarrel formed between the two men and the clerk. All three men died except Jefferson. Jefferson being nervous in light of recent events takes a swig a whisky and takes the money out of the register. Jefferson was going to run away but two white men stopped him and he got thrown into jail. Jefferson had a court case but it was one-sided. He claimed he was innocent but it didn 't matter because he was black. Jefferson 's lawyer even degraded him by saying “What justice would there be to take this life? Justice, gentlemen? Why, I would just as soon put a hog in the electric chair as this.” His lawyer is saying that Jefferson is not better than a filthy farm animal.This quote overtime sparks Jefferson 's American identity. What the lawyer said about Jefferson is wrong and it affects Jefferson mentally. The judge and the jury reached a quick verdict that Jefferson will be executed. A plantation school teacher by the name of Grant Wiggins hears about the case and is enraged. He thinks it is absurd that an innocent black man is convicted of a crime he had nothing to do with. Grant’s aunt Tante Lou, and Jefferson 's godmother miss Emma try to get Grant to go to the prison and talk to Jefferson about dying like a man. Grant resists at first, he knows that he should help them but he his trying to get away from

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