A Lesson Before Dying (Oprah's Book Club)

I am a student at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, and "A Lesson Before Dying" was required reading in one my English courses (this may be due to the fact that Mr. Gaines is the "writer in residence" at the school). First off, this book does not take place in a cajun community, it is actually of the creole which dates back to the old-south antebellum style of living. Secondly, I have never enjoyed a book less than I did this one. It's long, drawn out cry against racism is as dry as the Sahara, and I merely felt annoyance at the two central characters, Jefferson and Grant, for their reluctance to show feelings toward others than themselves. I'm sorry, but in all honesty, I cannot say that this book was a "masterpiece;" the only descriptive word to acurately describe it is "blech."

This novel discusses on of the most critical issues of our century. This books seems a little slow from the start, but as the the reader moves on he or she learns much about the iner feelings of the characters. The characters in this novel have many different motivations for what they do. Miss Emma the main character wants her grandson to be a man when he is to die by electricution. this is important because If Jefferson becomes a man then the white man will have won,a nd continued the years of oppression. Jefferson's manhood will be used for freedom

I read this book over two years ago.....and a lot of books I've already forgotten in the interim, but this one stays with me. Mr. Gaines is an incredibly talented author and he uses his talent to tell a story about being human, about the simple compassion for one person....and the larger impact that can have on a life, both for the giver and receiver. I hope that this book will become part of reading lists in high school and college curriculum...I believe it is that important. Other reviews here will tell you what the story is about....I'd like to simply convey how I believe this book will touch the heart of anyone who reads it.

Ernest J. Gaines writes a poignant story about an African American youth in the 40's who is in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is accused of a murder, that took place in his presence and is sentenced to die by electric chair. Jefferson was raised by his Aunt Emma, who had done everything for him since he was abandoned by his own parents, at an early age. There is only one thing that she is asking for, before she passes on, and there is only one man in the town who can do it, and that is the teacher, the nephew of her best friend Tante Lou. Aunt Emma gave up on saving Jefferson's life, when the court found him guilty and asks the parish teacher to make him 'youman' so that he can die as a man. All his life all that Jefferson ever did was work like a dog on a plantation, and though there was a school, for the blacks in the town, it was, at least in Jefferson's school days, grossly inadequate. But, Aunt Emma was asking the wrong guy, because Grant Wiggins just wanted to get away, run away from the forlorn Louisiana town where he had grown up, before it was too late.The characterizations are well rounded and the settings are vivid, you will feel like you know the people and have been to Louisiana, in all of it's picturesque and tragic beauty. This story has something to teach all of us about what it really means to be human. Don't miss this powerful book!

I think that overall the general theme of A Lesson Before Dying is deep and has many possibilities however there are several key flaws with the book. I find that the main character, Grant is not someone I can respect or even like. In addition, the other characters are lacking that depth which could give them multi faceted existences. The book is slow and monotonous and even vague at times. I could not say I enjoyed the book or the writer's style and yet the book does get 3 stars because the plot is compelling and the author is able to convey some of his ideas in an effective manner.
Bottom Line
-Don't buy it, check it out of the library and read it, buy it afterwards if you liked it.

"A Lesson before Dying," by Ernest J. Gaines, paints the picture of a young African-American man in the late 1940's in the racially segregated Cajun community of Louisiana, who is wrongly convicted of killing three men. When Jefferson is convicted, his lawyer, in an attempt to salvage him from a awful fate, compares him to a dumb hog, an animal that does not make any real decisions or plans, and says he is simply a "fool" (Gaines 7). Sadly all this insult is to no avail and Jefferson is sentenced to death by electrocution, with just a few months to contemplate his life as a dirty "hog" (Gaines 8) in his hollow cell. The book is a narrative of this time.
After his conviction, Jefferson's godmother Miss Emma becomes determined to help him leave life as a man, and head straight to heaven. She arranges Grant Wiggins, a local university graduate and current teacher, to teach him, unwilling as he is, how to be a man and end up heaven. Their story, of teacher and student, leads through Grant's teachings of being rational and believing in oneself. They both end up learning about life, death and the meaning of being a good person.
Although there is defiance on Grant's part and fright on Jefferson's, they both come to their senses by emotionally feeding each other. Grant, although well educated, is lost despite his word of the contrary. He is against the snooty people of the upper white class, yet shows to the people around him that he is well educated and not to be forgotten about. He is immovably in love with Vivienne, a mother and in the process-divorcee, and stuck in the job he dislikes, but never moves across to the other side of greener grass. He only grudgingly consents to help Jefferson and all visits are tainted with silent resentment. After helping with this sad case of death on the horizon Grant is brought down to eye level and made to think about his flaws, and to break out of the sad rut he is stuck in. Jefferson on the other hand is blatantly lost, he's young, broke, and foolish. His musings are those of a "hog" (Gaines 1) who can't think for itself, but it doesn't matter he'd die soon enough. Broken down by the critical opinions of those who shut him in a cell and left to reflect the last months of life as a hog he gains courage from Grant's outward certainty.
I am against the death penalty, thus this story resonates with me. I think the death penalty is a conflicting idea of ensuring justice, yet Gaines attacks the challenging task of displaying the grief sufficiently. The way Ernest J. Gaines poetically infuses the story with Grant's and Jefferson's internalized hate is invigorating. He stealthily hides simple phrases that make the reader feel as though you sit watching this tale unfold. Quick snip-its of the feeling and meaning of a split second are caught on paper. Gaines tells the experience of the trial from Grant's point of view, "I was not there, yet I was there. No, I did not go to the trial, I did not hear the verdict, because I knew all the time what it would be" (Gaines 1).
Although there is the common theme of overbearing cliches: the African-American man suffering for the crimes he hasn't committed, finding yourself from the lessons of others, and the inevitable fate nonchalantly ignored by the apathetic characters, Gaines pulls them off with a unique twist. The dialogue at the beginning of the book is a bit vapid with nothing crunchy to snack on, yet only towards the end, the story entails a juicy sauntering of pain and emotion. The way Gaines describes the moment when Grant is sitting, staring at a hill of bull grass when he knows that Jefferson has past, is luminous, "I probably would not have noticed it all had a butterfly, a yellow butterfly with dark specks...not lit there. There was no odor that I could detect to have attracted it...I watched it closely, the way it opened its wings and closed them...then flew away. I watched it fly down the ditch and over the quarter, I watched it until I could not see it anymore. Yes, I told myself. It is finally over" (Gaines 251, 252). From this he evokes a strong willed unconscionable grief within this simple and delicate imagery. Although the beginning is a bit dull, the ending is strong and poetic with the message of appreciating life and grasping tight to the will and courage we attain, that makes this book a strong message to the lost at heart.

Lesson Before Dying is a story that tells about many prejudices about blacks in 1940s. The author uses Jefferson as a black character who is low life, not educated, and stupid. So that when Grant wants to help Jefferson to know he is a man not a hog, people around him ( white people ) are careless about the imporants to Jefferson and to his family. In fact, the only reason that is it a powerful story is that thinking self as a color person actually can take you insidethe story. So you can feel very touching and warming in the heart of yours.

As a college freshman reading "A Lesson Before Dying" for the first time, I was at times bored with the story, and at other times excited and wanting to know more. Having grown up in south Louisiana, I felt very familiar with the characters, and know firsthand some of their experiences. (A side note- If you're not from Louisiana, don't attempt to read the story out loud. Chances are, you won't be able to pronounce the words correctly.Louisiana has it's own special language.) The main character Grant Wiggins, not only helps Jefferson, a condemned man on death row, to see himself as a man, but Grant also begins to see what is truly important in his life. The spiteful comment made in the first chapter of " I would rather put a hog in the electric chair as this"- reffering to Jefferson- made by Jefferson's own defence attorney, gives Jefferson the mindset that he is not a man, and will never be one again. It is Grant's task, as set by Miss Emma, Jefferson's godmother and best friend of Grant's own Tante Lou, to teach Jefferson that he is not a hog, but a true man going to his death with honor. This task creates a struggle with in Grant, as he can not see that anything he would do could change the way Jefferson thinks of himself, or the way that anyone thinks of Jefferson. These two characters must challenge one another before either can help the other. Ernest Gaines' book, A Lesson Before Dying, is a testimony of truth and the powerful influence that man holds over each other and themselves.

I'm glad to hear many of the students who reviewed this book say that they found it more piercing than some of the "older" novels they read in class. Although as a teacher I wouldn't throw aside Hawthorne for Gaines, I think this book is a terrific addition to the American classics read in middle and high school. It makes a good pairing with To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee's classic (and still as moving as ever) focuses on the trial of a black man, unfairly convicted, whereas Lesson accepts the inevitable death sentence and explores the journey towards salvation. Our narrator is the only "educated" person in the novel, but for all his education, he has no soul and no religious faith. After being asked to meet with Jefferson, the condemned man, to convince him that he is in fact a man, not a hog, the narrator discovers as much about himself as the prisoner. The minor cast of characters are well drawn -- the pain evident in their lives is present on ever page. We witness the indignities they suffer in the hands of the white justice system, including being forced to wait hours just to speak to the sheriff. I'm glad Gaines includes one "good" white man (Paul) as a gesture of good will that there are always smaller heroes among villains. The friendship between the narrator and Paul makes for an inspiring finale.
This book is very moving and well-written. Highly recommended.

Ernest Gaines wrote a clever and touching book that covers racial, social, and ethical issues. He implores the reader to search inside his or her own heart to find the meaning and purpose in teaching others as well as just being human. By not allowing everything to be black and white, Gaines envokes the reader to discover the unorthadoxed gray area. He can pull on our heart strings and really make the readers think and debate about tough issues. A Lesson Before Dying will make me a better future teacher. I enjoyed this book immensly.

A Lesson Before Dying is set in a small town during the 1940s. It is a story about two black men; one wrongly accused of murder and the other convinced to impart knowledge and pride into him during his last days on earth. It is a great story about the friendship created between two black men in a racially charged society.
Grant Wiggins, has returned to his home town to teach children in a plantation school; and while he is in the process of making a life changing decision his aunt persuades him to visit Jefferson in jail. With all of his problems in mind he visits and trys to help Jefferson. During the story the author shows the many difficults and problems that Grant faces as a black man and the author expresses this through Grants thoughts.
The weekly visits give Grant a chance to impart some knowledge unto Jefferson but he is very reluctant to get involved in a situation he has no patience for. His aunt and nannan have forced him to go but he doesn't realize how much this helps him. He is taken through his mid life crisis partly by the experience and views on life he received from Jefferson.
The plot of this story revolves around the two main characters who are completely different in every way but come together because of family ties. This is a very good plot and story about life's struggles and the problems that we go through. Its conveys morals, values and a sense of humanity that are nobel and should be used by every person in life.
The author creates a setting of cruelty and prejudice throughtout the events in the story. Despite this, the two men forge a bond and together find a way to overcome the power of racism in their lives. Without each other they would not be able to cope with the events of their lives.

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines is an excellent story about duty and heroism. It takes place on a small Southern plantation outside of Bayonne, Louisianna in the 1940's. At this time in America when society is still torn by racial segregation, an innocent black man named Jefferson is found guilty of robbery and murder and sentenced to death by electrocution. The majority of white men in town share the sentiment that Jefferson's life has no more worth than that of a hog's. This is where the narrator, Grant Wiggins comes in. Grant, a professor at a very primitive grade school for black children, is the only educated black man on the plantation. He is asked by Jefferson's godmother, Miss Emma, and ordered by his own aunt, Tante Lou, to visit Jefferson in jail and teach him, before he goes to the electric chair, that he is not a hog but a precious human being. Grant is already unhappy and despaired with what he thinks is a futile life, teaching black children who, despite his efforts, will turn out just like Jefferson anyway. All he wants to do is run away with his girlfriend Vivian, but he is tied down by the obligation he has to his fellow black man. Although Grant is reluctant to begin visits with Jefferson, and Jefferson is just as reluctant to receive these visits, the two eventually form a very close bond. This story centers around their relationship and the lesson they teach each other about fulfilling responsibility and dying with dignity.
It is no wonder why this novel is a classic. It is eloquently written, emotionally powerful, easy to follow, and very profound in its subjects and themes. The characters are well-developed and difficult not to empathize with. Grant is an especially dynamic character, but everyone in Gaines' novel contributes to an understanding of the overall plot and its purpose. Vivian, for instance, acts as the voice of reason and the support Grant needs to continue his lessons with Jefferson. Henri Pichot and Sheriff Guidry represent the fear and ignorance that keep racial segregation so prevalent in American society. A Lesson Before Dying is deep on many levels, and there is no one that I would not recommend it to.

A human's life, woven from the threads colored by the decisions we make, has the potential to create works of art that impact the lives of those around us. Ernest Gaines creates such a masterpiece in his portrayal of 1940's racial struggle, in his novel, A Lesson Before Dying. This portrait of life,captured with the stinging reality of an inborn racial injustice, portrays the limitations of the social cage Americans have crafted over the years. Grant, one of the few educated black citizens in his community, is faced with the challenge of teaching a convict, already destined for execution, and devoid of hope. Driven only by his aunt, he faces Jefferson, the inmate, and the imbedded message, voiced by society, of the man's worthlessness and inequality.
Grant is slowly able to open his eyes to the potential Jefferson's education holds as a beacon of resistance to the white man's restrictive role of ignorance for the black community, begins to fill the Jefferson's void of ignorance with the knowledge of his own capability.
Gaines incorporates many of his own experience as an African American growing up I a repressive society. Such social setbacks, he says, "have spurred (him) repeatedly to look for the truths and lessons of life....in the depths and mysteries of the human heart", because, "that's where each of us discovers who we really are."
Jefferson's own heart, frozen by his own self- doubt, was warmed and made fertile for growth, aided by Grant, who arguably benefited equally from the whole experience. Although Jefferson's mortality was predetermined by suppression , his community was better able to live their lives as true people.
Aware of the fact that much of his audience will never be able to fully appreciate the horror of American racial subjugation, Gaines crafted the book in such a manner that a very thorough level of understanding can be reached. Touching upon one of his themes, Gaines utilizes the power of genuine empathy between the readers to his characters, to drive his message of awareness. As one of his final words captured in the novel, Grant says, "(you) must believe, if only to free the mind...(because) only when the mind is free has the body a chance to be free."
Though to foresee a complete freedom from such binding ideas, like racism, is irrational, a beginning to the process is needed. Gaines ignites the possibility within each of his readers and helps to create the belief in personal capability, despite the setbacks one can face. In short, Gaines eloquently bestows upon every one of his pupils an invaluable message. One that will hopefully serve to brighten the tapestry we each weave and impart to those who live in our footsteps; our own lesson before dying.

In A Lesson Before Dying, the central theme was racism and its effects on each the characters. Obviously, the character most affected by racism was Jefferson. Grant was also affected even though he considered himself on the same intellectual level as the whites in his community. Despite his education and manners, he is still forced to feel inferior to the white characters in the novel. This causes a great deal of resentment and affects his actions and beliefs. The theme of hypocrisy is present throughout the novel and is caused by racism and its effects.
The first example hypocrisy we are introduced to is the "fair" justice system of the 1940's. How can it be fair if there is a black man on trail for murder against twelve white jury members? His judge, the jury, his lawyer, and even the man who set his date for execution were white. His lawyer was perhaps the most hypocritical of them all. While he should've been saving Jefferson, he incidentally sealed his fate by saying that he was not "capable of planning a robbery or murder." He then reduced him to the level of a hog, insinuating that he has no brain or soul. Because of white man's firm belief in superiority, there was no way Jefferson could come out of the trial innocent. The fair justice system was by no means fair, controlled only by the white man and neglecting other races.
However, the white men weren't the only hypocrites. The mulattos were also racist and hypocritical. Grant encountered this many times throughout the novel. His former teacher, Matthew Antoine, was mulatto and showed hypocrisy by saying that he was "superior to any man blacker" than he was. Yet he was complaining about how whites were so racist towards everyone else. How could he expect better behavior from others when he himself was the same? There were many other examples of how the mulattos thought they were superior to blacks. Not only were the mulattos hypocritical, there are examples of black hypocrites also.
The narrator, Grant Wiggins, showed hypocrisy also by wanting to leave Bayonne and everyone in it. He was an educated man and wanted to be respected by everyone. He felt he was as smart as the white man and definitely smarter than the blacks that worked in the fields. He saw himself on another level as them and wanted to be treated that way. In turn, he ends up looking down upon his own race and thinks that he is superior to them. He also says over and over that he wants to leave Bayonne and see what the rest of the world has to offer. He left once but then returned, and never left again. He is torn between what he is and what he thinks he should become. He continues to maintain his arrogant nature in order to feel superior, because he knows that he will never get the respect that he thinks he deserves.
Hypocrisy rooted in racism was present throughout the novel. Those behaviors were not exclusive to one race of people; the whites, mulattos, and blacks all experienced it. This just shows how alike humans are and that racism is an empty belief. They were all fighting the same battles and were too blinded by their beliefs to see it. Everyone in the novel had insecurities and used racism as a way to shield it.

Ernest J. Gaines' novel, A Lesson Before Dying exhibits a young man's transformation from believing he crawls like a hog, to believing he walks like a man. Gaines uses local color and his study of Creoles to bring the novel to life. I absolutely love this book, because it shows representation of honor and heroism in two black men, Grant Wiggins and Jefferson, in their lives in Louisiana. Grant lives metaphorically through Jefferson's imprisonment from a conviction of murder which he did not commit, and the two men struggle together to defy the unexpected and become heroes of the town. Gaines creates a hopeful tone through the novel, and he emphasizes the motif of quiet heroism to prove that faith will keep a man strong so that he may find his dignity. Gaines establishes a hopeful tone through similies, references to southern black Christianity, and motifs. The novel begins comparing his godmother to a "great stone" which represents the stable black women as support for the men. Miss Emma serves the purpose of keeping the hope alive for the young men and trying to instill faith in both of them. As Grant's aunt tries to her religion on him, he only thinks, "I didn't believe anymore and I didn't want her to try forcing it on me." His aunt never gives up, because the only way Jefferson will learn the faith is through Grant. this task seems impossible to Grant, because he knows that he cannot make a man pray if he does not pray himself. Grant needstrength, and Revernd Ambrose tries to convince him to ask God. He in forms Grant that, "you would have the strength if you had God." The novel works its way to gaines' motif of inevitable change by Grant's visits and teaching sessions to Jefferson. The change has to face the status quo and thoughts of others, including the sheriff who thinks, "Nobody can make that thing a man. Saying might as well let him go like his is." Jefferson's change from a hog to a man is compared to a butterfly and its metamorphosis. Grant wonders if there ever was a change in Jefferson, and Paul convinces him by letting him know that, "I saw the transformation. I'm a witness to that." Everyones hope helps the men in their battle against the status quo. Gaines produces a motif of quiet heroism from symbolism and references to heroes. Jackie Robinson is a hero of the times and Miss Emma presses Jefferson to be like him in that he stands like a man to become a hero. Jefferson's heroism also compares to Crist. Grant's classroom has a picture of The Last Supper which compares to Jefferson's last meal before the execution. Another picture is of Christ knocking on a door, and it represents Jefferson knocking on the door of hope and faith.Jefferson cannot be executed during Lent, because the town will not allow it. Grant remembers, "because of our state's heavily Catholic population, it might not go well to have two executions just before the beginning of Lent." Jefferson is scheduled to die between the hours of noon and three which is the time of Christ's crucifix. The town knows that a man can be humiliated and still stand from Jefferson's example. The two men learn from each other, and come to possess the quality of quiet heroism. A Lesson Before Dying is a lesson to everyone to follow their heart and always keep hope. Having hope in life and focusing on goal can make anyone a hero. This novel is a reminder that one should never lose hope, because a struggle for one man can be seen as a great victory and savior for many others. I really enjoy this novel, because it teaches valuable life lessons!

I'm an eighth grader who read A lesson Before Dying, by Ernest J. Gaines. While I read this, I also read To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. The setting for A Lesson Before Dying is a small town in the south during the 1940's where the two main characters are Jefferson and Grant. Jefferson is condemned to death by electrocution for a crime he did not commit. His godmother realizes that nothing can be done for his freedom, so she asks Grant to help Jefferson die with dignity. Gaines writes this tragic story and reveals his feelings of capital punishment, segregation, and the difficulty of acceptance in a unique way. Ernest J. Gaines was born into the world he describes in A Lesson Before Dying. He describes his feelings about capital punishment through Grant, much like Harper lee does in "To Kill a Mockingbird. When the date for Jefferson's death is set, Grant thinks about the way someone can plan a man's death. "How do people come up with a date and time to take a life from another man? Who made them God?" Harper Lee also conveyed the same feeling through Jem, when Tom Robinson, accused of raping a white woman, is sentenced to death. Gaines teaches the reader about segregation and acceptance through his other characters. The back of town is where blacks live, and bars for "blacks only", "blacks only" restrooms, and the school where Grant teaches for "blacks only" are only some of the examples of segregation Gaines so explicitly places in the novel. Lee describes Maycomb County, where To Kill a Mockingbird takes place, as a segregated town, much the same as in Gaines' novel. The south side of town is for the blacks, and there is a church that is for "blacks only." Both A Lesson Before Dying and To Kill a Mockingbird are touching and powerful novels that reach out to the reader and portray a time of injustice, inequality, and struggle. By experiencing the struggle that the main characters in both novels go through fighting for their lives against unfair accusations just because they are black, the reader experiences the horror and injustice of racism on an extremely emotional level, and cannot help but be changed by the reading of these books.

Ernest J. Gaine's, A Lesson Before Dying, was the longest 250 page book I ever have read. It's slow pace and predictable events put me right to sleep. The book takes place in the 1940's in a highly racially segregated part of a small Louisiana community. Jefferson, a young black man, is falsely accused of murder and sentenced to the electric chair. The majority of the book is the time between his accusation and his death, in which his old teacher, Grant Wiggins, tries to make a man out of him at the wishes of his godmother (Tante Lou, Jefferson's mom). Grant's goal is to make the hopeless Jefferson into a man, and destroy the white man's myth that the white race is superior. So after frequent visits from the teacher and Jefferson's family, Jefferson decides to stand as a man and die with pride to further the black populations struggle for equality. By sacrificing for this cause, Jefferson defined what it is to be a man by giving his all for others and what he believes in. Everyone in the book is so amazed and enlightened by his actions, and they learn what it means to be a man or even human for that matter (Even Grant Wiggins). It proves we all have something to learn in life, but after twenty pages I guessed the ending because I have encountered a similar theme in multiple other works. I suppose I'm a sucker for happy endings, but I wanted to know where the justice was. Jefferson was a decent human being, and yet he and his family suffered. The question that arises is; "Why do bad things happen to good people?" Well I don't like that Jefferson seemingly had an unfair turn of events, but being a man of God, I accept the idea the he will be compensated for in Heaven. No one is above death or fate, and for that reason I believe we are all equal. On a side note, the author had some excellent descriptions of the food that Tante Lou made for Jefferson, and I have to say I found myself hungry quite often. Overall I believe that the lesson in the book was a subtle yet valuable one, but it seemed to take the author forever to get there. Other then the fact that there was not much "happening" in the book, I thought I was a worthy read for someone who has a lot of time on their hands.

You must read this book twice. Read it once for general comprehension and then again for true understanding. A Lesson Before Dying is not a book, but rather an updated Bible of the 90's. It teaches the lesson of an ordinary man, more specifically a black man of the South, becoming a legacy, simply because he endured. I embody the character Jefferson. Jefferson has been accused of a crime he did not commit, murdering a store clerk and then taking money from the register. Yet, he did not know that he would be tried for a crime less apparent, the crime of being black. I understand as an African-American I will never be treated or looked at the same as a Caucasian or any other race for that matter. I can't say that at times I haven't questioned why I would be born into such hatred. But, now I have come to a universal truth and it is as follows, the color line is a line dependent on a bias mentality, the finish line is a line dependent on impartial faith. I draw this conclusion solely based on the race for equality, a race not yet won. Although I think the strongest line of all comes in Chapter 31, when the last words of Jefferson are," Tell Nannan I walked." Jefferson took steps not only towards death, but also towards freedom. He freed himself from the chains, of which we are all connected, the chain of ignorance. Jefferson endured degrading circumstances. He was confined into a tiny jail cell for months. He was isolated from friends and family. His only link to the world was his ability to write. The words he placed inside the notebook, which Grant, the schoolteacher bought him, streamed across the page like an ever-flowing river. Jefferson, a common, everyday black man took a stand not for his own personal benefit, but for the hope of equality. He refused to be another statistic in the books; he refused to be the "hog" the white man treated him as. Faith made Jefferson not only a man, but also a hero. Ernest Gaines is a heroic writer. He wrote about a time when the limits were tested and about a struggle that continues through today. The lesson I learned at sixteen years of age was a lesson for life. The lesson I learned was that faith is worth dying for.

I read this book in December 1997, and I am still haunted by it. Haunted because of the fact that I do not find Grant a hero. He was pushed into the situation by his aunt. I find him a forced compassionate position, but far from being a hero. He did a job that was forced, if it wasn't for the aunt he would have removed himself from the situation. I liked the author's style, I believed he lived and research this with great depth and understanding. Maybe I just didn't get the authors message, and then again maybe I did.

Ernest Gaines is an outstanding writer.He shows his skills with the award winning book A Lesson Before Dying.He captures your heart with the sad facts of reality,but on doing so he also leaves behind a lesson.The book is profound,it captures your heart with the incredible story of a black man who's accused of killing a white man.Ernest shows the mans struggle to come to grips with who he really is, rather than who he think he is.The book leaves you in tears but also gives you hope for the future.
Alexius Williams

As a college freshman reading "A Lesson Before Dying" for the first time, I was at times bored with the story, and at other times excited and wanting to know more. Having grown up in south Louisiana, I felt very familiar with the characters, and know firsthand some of their experiences. (A side note- If you're not from Louisiana, don't attempt to read the story out loud. Chances are, you won't be able to pronounce the words correctly.Louisiana has it's own special language.) The main character Grant Wiggins, not only helps Jefferson, a condemned man on death row, to see himself as a man, but Grant also begins to see what is truly important in his life. The spiteful comment made in the first chapter of " I would rather put a hog in the electric chair as this"- reffering to Jefferson- made by Jefferson's own defence attorney, gives Jefferson the mindset that he is not a man, and will never be one again. It is Grant's task, as set by Miss Emma, Jefferson's godmother and best friend of Grant's own Tante Lou, to teach Jefferson that he is not a hog, but a true man going to his death with honor. This task creates a struggle with in Grant, as he can not see that anything he would do could change the way Jefferson thinks of himself, or the way that anyone thinks of Jefferson. These two characters must challenge one another before either can help the other. Ernest Gaines' book, A Lesson Before Dying, is a testimony of truth and the powerful influence that man holds over each other and themselves.

I'm glad to hear many of the students who reviewed this book say that they found it more piercing than some of the "older" novels they read in class. Although as a teacher I wouldn't throw aside Hawthorne for Gaines, I think this book is a terrific addition to the American classics read in middle and high school. It makes a good pairing with To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee's classic (and still as moving as ever) focuses on the trial of a black man, unfairly convicted, whereas Lesson accepts the inevitable death sentence and explores the journey towards salvation. Our narrator is the only "educated" person in the novel, but for all his education, he has no soul and no religious faith. After being asked to meet with Jefferson, the condemned man, to convince him that he is in fact a man, not a hog, the narrator discovers as much about himself as the prisoner. The minor cast of characters are well drawn -- the pain evident in their lives is present on ever page. We witness the indignities they suffer in the hands of the white justice system, including being forced to wait hours just to speak to the sheriff. I'm glad Gaines includes one "good" white man (Paul) as a gesture of good will that there are always smaller heroes among villains. The friendship between the narrator and Paul makes for an inspiring finale.
This book is very moving and well-written. Highly recommended.

Ernest Gaines wrote a clever and touching book that covers racial, social, and ethical issues. He implores the reader to search inside his or her own heart to find the meaning and purpose in teaching others as well as just being human. By not allowing everything to be black and white, Gaines envokes the reader to discover the unorthadoxed gray area. He can pull on our heart strings and really make the readers think and debate about tough issues. A Lesson Before Dying will make me a better future teacher. I enjoyed this book immensly.

A Lesson Before Dying is set in a small town during the 1940s. It is a story about two black men; one wrongly accused of murder and the other convinced to impart knowledge and pride into him during his last days on earth. It is a great story about the friendship created between two black men in a racially charged society.
Grant Wiggins, has returned to his home town to teach children in a plantation school; and while he is in the process of making a life changing decision his aunt persuades him to visit Jefferson in jail. With all of his problems in mind he visits and trys to help Jefferson. During the story the author shows the many difficults and problems that Grant faces as a black man and the author expresses this through Grants thoughts.
The weekly visits give Grant a chance to impart some knowledge unto Jefferson but he is very reluctant to get involved in a situation he has no patience for. His aunt and nannan have forced him to go but he doesn't realize how much this helps him. He is taken through his mid life crisis partly by the experience and views on life he received from Jefferson.
The plot of this story revolves around the two main characters who are completely different in every way but come together because of family ties. This is a very good plot and story about life's struggles and the problems that we go through. Its conveys morals, values and a sense of humanity that are nobel and should be used by every person in life.
The author creates a setting of cruelty and prejudice throughtout the events in the story. Despite this, the two men forge a bond and together find a way to overcome the power of racism in their lives. Without each other they would not be able to cope with the events of their lives.

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines is an excellent story about duty and heroism. It takes place on a small Southern plantation outside of Bayonne, Louisianna in the 1940's. At this time in America when society is still torn by racial segregation, an innocent black man named Jefferson is found guilty of robbery and murder and sentenced to death by electrocution. The majority of white men in town share the sentiment that Jefferson's life has no more worth than that of a hog's. This is where the narrator, Grant Wiggins comes in. Grant, a professor at a very primitive grade school for black children, is the only educated black man on the plantation. He is asked by Jefferson's godmother, Miss Emma, and ordered by his own aunt, Tante Lou, to visit Jefferson in jail and teach him, before he goes to the electric chair, that he is not a hog but a precious human being. Grant is already unhappy and despaired with what he thinks is a futile life, teaching black children who, despite his efforts, will turn out just like Jefferson anyway. All he wants to do is run away with his girlfriend Vivian, but he is tied down by the obligation he has to his fellow black man. Although Grant is reluctant to begin visits with Jefferson, and Jefferson is just as reluctant to receive these visits, the two eventually form a very close bond. This story centers around their relationship and the lesson they teach each other about fulfilling responsibility and dying with dignity.
It is no wonder why this novel is a classic. It is eloquently written, emotionally powerful, easy to follow, and very profound in its subjects and themes. The characters are well-developed and difficult not to empathize with. Grant is an especially dynamic character, but everyone in Gaines' novel contributes to an understanding of the overall plot and its purpose. Vivian, for instance, acts as the voice of reason and the support Grant needs to continue his lessons with Jefferson. Henri Pichot and Sheriff Guidry represent the fear and ignorance that keep racial segregation so prevalent in American society. A Lesson Before Dying is deep on many levels, and there is no one that I would not recommend it to.

A human's life, woven from the threads colored by the decisions we make, has the potential to create works of art that impact the lives of those around us. Ernest Gaines creates such a masterpiece in his portrayal of 1940's racial struggle, in his novel, A Lesson Before Dying. This portrait of life,captured with the stinging reality of an inborn racial injustice, portrays the limitations of the social cage Americans have crafted over the years. Grant, one of the few educated black citizens in his community, is faced with the challenge of teaching a convict, already destined for execution, and devoid of hope. Driven only by his aunt, he faces Jefferson, the inmate, and the imbedded message, voiced by society, of the man's worthlessness and inequality.
Grant is slowly able to open his eyes to the potential Jefferson's education holds as a beacon of resistance to the white man's restrictive role of ignorance for the black community, begins to fill the Jefferson's void of ignorance with the knowledge of his own capability.
Gaines incorporates many of his own experience as an African American growing up I a repressive society. Such social setbacks, he says, "have spurred (him) repeatedly to look for the truths and lessons of life....in the depths and mysteries of the human heart", because, "that's where each of us discovers who we really are."
Jefferson's own heart, frozen by his own self- doubt, was warmed and made fertile for growth, aided by Grant, who arguably benefited equally from the whole experience. Although Jefferson's mortality was predetermined by suppression , his community was better able to live their lives as true people.
Aware of the fact that much of his audience will never be able to fully appreciate the horror of American racial subjugation, Gaines crafted the book in such a manner that a very thorough level of understanding can be reached. Touching upon one of his themes, Gaines utilizes the power of genuine empathy between the readers to his characters, to drive his message of awareness. As one of his final words captured in the novel, Grant says, "(you) must believe, if only to free the mind...(because) only when the mind is free has the body a chance to be free."
Though to foresee a complete freedom from such binding ideas, like racism, is irrational, a beginning to the process is needed. Gaines ignites the possibility within each of his readers and helps to create the belief in personal capability, despite the setbacks one can face. In short, Gaines eloquently bestows upon every one of his pupils an invaluable message. One that will hopefully serve to brighten the tapestry we each weave and impart to those who live in our footsteps; our own lesson before dying.

In A Lesson Before Dying, the central theme was racism and its effects on each the characters. Obviously, the character most affected by racism was Jefferson. Grant was also affected even though he considered himself on the same intellectual level as the whites in his community. Despite his education and manners, he is still forced to feel inferior to the white characters in the novel. This causes a great deal of resentment and affects his actions and beliefs. The theme of hypocrisy is present throughout the novel and is caused by racism and its effects.
The first example hypocrisy we are introduced to is the "fair" justice system of the 1940's. How can it be fair if there is a black man on trail for murder against twelve white jury members? His judge, the jury, his lawyer, and even the man who set his date for execution were white. His lawyer was perhaps the most hypocritical of them all. While he should've been saving Jefferson, he incidentally sealed his fate by saying that he was not "capable of planning a robbery or murder." He then reduced him to the level of a hog, insinuating that he has no brain or soul. Because of white man's firm belief in superiority, there was no way Jefferson could come out of the trial innocent. The fair justice system was by no means fair, controlled only by the white man and neglecting other races.
However, the white men weren't the only hypocrites. The mulattos were also racist and hypocritical. Grant encountered this many times throughout the novel. His former teacher, Matthew Antoine, was mulatto and showed hypocrisy by saying that he was "superior to any man blacker" than he was. Yet he was complaining about how whites were so racist towards everyone else. How could he expect better behavior from others when he himself was the same? There were many other examples of how the mulattos thought they were superior to blacks. Not only were the mulattos hypocritical, there are examples of black hypocrites also.
The narrator, Grant Wiggins, showed hypocrisy also by wanting to leave Bayonne and everyone in it. He was an educated man and wanted to be respected by everyone. He felt he was as smart as the white man and definitely smarter than the blacks that worked in the fields. He saw himself on another level as them and wanted to be treated that way. In turn, he ends up looking down upon his own race and thinks that he is superior to them. He also says over and over that he wants to leave Bayonne and see what the rest of the world has to offer. He left once but then returned, and never left again. He is torn between what he is and what he thinks he should become. He continues to maintain his arrogant nature in order to feel superior, because he knows that he will never get the respect that he thinks he deserves.
Hypocrisy rooted in racism was present throughout the novel. Those behaviors were not exclusive to one race of people; the whites, mulattos, and blacks all experienced it. This just shows how alike humans are and that racism is an empty belief. They were all fighting the same battles and were too blinded by their beliefs to see it. Everyone in the novel had insecurities and used racism as a way to shield it.

Ernest J. Gaines' novel, A Lesson Before Dying exhibits a young man's transformation from believing he crawls like a hog, to believing he walks like a man. Gaines uses local color and his study of Creoles to bring the novel to life. I absolutely love this book, because it shows representation of honor and heroism in two black men, Grant Wiggins and Jefferson, in their lives in Louisiana. Grant lives metaphorically through Jefferson's imprisonment from a conviction of murder which he did not commit, and the two men struggle together to defy the unexpected and become heroes of the town. Gaines creates a hopeful tone through the novel, and he emphasizes the motif of quiet heroism to prove that faith will keep a man strong so that he may find his dignity. Gaines establishes a hopeful tone through similies, references to southern black Christianity, and motifs. The novel begins comparing his godmother to a "great stone" which represents the stable black women as support for the men. Miss Emma serves the purpose of keeping the hope alive for the young men and trying to instill faith in both of them. As Grant's aunt tries to her religion on him, he only thinks, "I didn't believe anymore and I didn't want her to try forcing it on me." His aunt never gives up, because the only way Jefferson will learn the faith is through Grant. this task seems impossible to Grant, because he knows that he cannot make a man pray if he does not pray himself. Grant needstrength, and Revernd Ambrose tries to convince him to ask God. He in forms Grant that, "you would have the strength if you had God." The novel works its way to gaines' motif of inevitable change by Grant's visits and teaching sessions to Jefferson. The change has to face the status quo and thoughts of others, including the sheriff who thinks, "Nobody can make that thing a man. Saying might as well let him go like his is." Jefferson's change from a hog to a man is compared to a butterfly and its metamorphosis. Grant wonders if there ever was a change in Jefferson, and Paul convinces him by letting him know that, "I saw the transformation. I'm a witness to that." Everyones hope helps the men in their battle against the status quo. Gaines produces a motif of quiet heroism from symbolism and references to heroes. Jackie Robinson is a hero of the times and Miss Emma presses Jefferson to be like him in that he stands like a man to become a hero. Jefferson's heroism also compares to Crist. Grant's classroom has a picture of The Last Supper which compares to Jefferson's last meal before the execution. Another picture is of Christ knocking on a door, and it represents Jefferson knocking on the door of hope and faith.Jefferson cannot be executed during Lent, because the town will not allow it. Grant remembers, "because of our state's heavily Catholic population, it might not go well to have two executions just before the beginning of Lent." Jefferson is scheduled to die between the hours of noon and three which is the time of Christ's crucifix. The town knows that a man can be humiliated and still stand from Jefferson's example. The two men learn from each other, and come to possess the quality of quiet heroism. A Lesson Before Dying is a lesson to everyone to follow their heart and always keep hope. Having hope in life and focusing on goal can make anyone a hero. This novel is a reminder that one should never lose hope, because a struggle for one man can be seen as a great victory and savior for many others. I really enjoy this novel, because it teaches valuable life lessons!

I'm an eighth grader who read A lesson Before Dying, by Ernest J. Gaines. While I read this, I also read To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. The setting for A Lesson Before Dying is a small town in the south during the 1940's where the two main characters are Jefferson and Grant. Jefferson is condemned to death by electrocution for a crime he did not commit. His godmother realizes that nothing can be done for his freedom, so she asks Grant to help Jefferson die with dignity. Gaines writes this tragic story and reveals his feelings of capital punishment, segregation, and the difficulty of acceptance in a unique way. Ernest J. Gaines was born into the world he describes in A Lesson Before Dying. He describes his feelings about capital punishment through Grant, much like Harper lee does in "To Kill a Mockingbird. When the date for Jefferson's death is set, Grant thinks about the way someone can plan a man's death. "How do people come up with a date and time to take a life from another man? Who made them God?" Harper Lee also conveyed the same feeling through Jem, when Tom Robinson, accused of raping a white woman, is sentenced to death. Gaines teaches the reader about segregation and acceptance through his other characters. The back of town is where blacks live, and bars for "blacks only", "blacks only" restrooms, and the school where Grant teaches for "blacks only" are only some of the examples of segregation Gaines so explicitly places in the novel. Lee describes Maycomb County, where To Kill a Mockingbird takes place, as a segregated town, much the same as in Gaines' novel. The south side of town is for the blacks, and there is a church that is for "blacks only." Both A Lesson Before Dying and To Kill a Mockingbird are touching and powerful novels that reach out to the reader and portray a time of injustice, inequality, and struggle. By experiencing the struggle that the main characters in both novels go through fighting for their lives against unfair accusations just because they are black, the reader experiences the horror and injustice of racism on an extremely emotional level, and cannot help but be changed by the reading of these books.

Ernest J. Gaine's, A Lesson Before Dying, was the longest 250 page book I ever have read. It's slow pace and predictable events put me right to sleep. The book takes place in the 1940's in a highly racially segregated part of a small Louisiana community. Jefferson, a young black man, is falsely accused of murder and sentenced to the electric chair. The majority of the book is the time between his accusation and his death, in which his old teacher, Grant Wiggins, tries to make a man out of him at the wishes of his godmother (Tante Lou, Jefferson's mom). Grant's goal is to make the hopeless Jefferson into a man, and destroy the white man's myth that the white race is superior. So after frequent visits from the teacher and Jefferson's family, Jefferson decides to stand as a man and die with pride to further the black populations struggle for equality. By sacrificing for this cause, Jefferson defined what it is to be a man by giving his all for others and what he believes in. Everyone in the book is so amazed and enlightened by his actions, and they learn what it means to be a man or even human for that matter (Even Grant Wiggins). It proves we all have something to learn in life, but after twenty pages I guessed the ending because I have encountered a similar theme in multiple other works. I suppose I'm a sucker for happy endings, but I wanted to know where the justice was. Jefferson was a decent human being, and yet he and his family suffered. The question that arises is; "Why do bad things happen to good people?" Well I don't like that Jefferson seemingly had an unfair turn of events, but being a man of God, I accept the idea the he will be compensated for in Heaven. No one is above death or fate, and for that reason I believe we are all equal. On a side note, the author had some excellent descriptions of the food that Tante Lou made for Jefferson, and I have to say I found myself hungry quite often. Overall I believe that the lesson in the book was a subtle yet valuable one, but it seemed to take the author forever to get there. Other then the fact that there was not much "happening" in the book, I thought I was a worthy read for someone who has a lot of time on their hands.

You must read this book twice. Read it once for general comprehension and then again for true understanding. A Lesson Before Dying is not a book, but rather an updated Bible of the 90's. It teaches the lesson of an ordinary man, more specifically a black man of the South, becoming a legacy, simply because he endured. I embody the character Jefferson. Jefferson has been accused of a crime he did not commit, murdering a store clerk and then taking money from the register. Yet, he did not know that he would be tried for a crime less apparent, the crime of being black. I understand as an African-American I will never be treated or looked at the same as a Caucasian or any other race for that matter. I can't say that at times I haven't questioned why I would be born into such hatred. But, now I have come to a universal truth and it is as follows, the color line is a line dependent on a bias mentality, the finish line is a line dependent on impartial faith. I draw this conclusion solely based on the race for equality, a race not yet won. Although I think the strongest line of all comes in Chapter 31, when the last words of Jefferson are," Tell Nannan I walked." Jefferson took steps not only towards death, but also towards freedom. He freed himself from the chains, of which we are all connected, the chain of ignorance. Jefferson endured degrading circumstances. He was confined into a tiny jail cell for months. He was isolated from friends and family. His only link to the world was his ability to write. The words he placed inside the notebook, which Grant, the schoolteacher bought him, streamed across the page like an ever-flowing river. Jefferson, a common, everyday black man took a stand not for his own personal benefit, but for the hope of equality. He refused to be another statistic in the books; he refused to be the "hog" the white man treated him as. Faith made Jefferson not only a man, but also a hero. Ernest Gaines is a heroic writer. He wrote about a time when the limits were tested and about a struggle that continues through today. The lesson I learned at sixteen years of age was a lesson for life. The lesson I learned was that faith is worth dying for.

I read this book in December 1997, and I am still haunted by it. Haunted because of the fact that I do not find Grant a hero. He was pushed into the situation by his aunt. I find him a forced compassionate position, but far from being a hero. He did a job that was forced, if it wasn't for the aunt he would have removed himself from the situation. I liked the author's style, I believed he lived and research this with great depth and understanding. Maybe I just didn't get the authors message, and then again maybe I did.

Ernest Gaines is an outstanding writer.He shows his skills with the award winning book A Lesson Before Dying.He captures your heart with the sad facts of reality,but on doing so he also leaves behind a lesson.The book is profound,it captures your heart with the incredible story of a black man who's accused of killing a white man.Ernest shows the mans struggle to come to grips with who he really is, rather than who he think he is.The book leaves you in tears but also gives you hope for the future.
Alexius Williams

It is a story set in a small town in Louisiana in the late 1940's, when racism is still extremely prevelent in the southern society. More than anything, this novel is a coming of age story. Jefferson, a young, uneducated black man witnesses a robbery, and as the only survivor, he is found guilty and sentenced to the electric chair. At his trial the white defense attorney states that Jefferson doesn't have the intelligence to plan a robbery, 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." This sets the tone for the rest of the story.
Grant Wiggins, a school teacher, (one of the only educated black people in the town), is asked by Jefferson's godmother to teach him dignity, and how to be a man before he dies. Reluctantly, Grant agrees to visit Jefferson, urged on by his aunt and girlfriend, Vivian. In the visits to Jefferson's cell, Grant tries to instill in Jefferson some self worth, as he persistantly tries to live out the description of himself as a "hog". Although Grant wavers in getting through to Jefferson, he eventually does, and begins to break him down. Both men fight eternal demons, however, they later learn the power of frienship and learn to fight those demons together, each holding the others burdon on their shoulders. Through Jefferson, Grant learns to fight the oppression of the white communitty, and Grant helps Jefferson see the meaninf of his life and self-worth, not to himself, but to others who care for him. In the end, they each succesfully conquer their demons, and Jefferson learns to "stand" and to walk to his death as a man. Was a good book with many deep thought provoking themes, and the character interaction between Grant and Jefferson was great, but it's not an action packed book, so don't expect to be sitting on the edge of your seet the entire time.

Of all the powerful messages portrayed in Ernest Gaines's A Lesson Before Dying, perhaps the most universally influential was the humanisticly equal description of the towns Christmas play. In his description, Gaines drops the ever-present racial "titles" and instead describes the people...as people. I for one found this message to be quite powerful; due to the cruciality of its being there. By giving the description of an all-black, racially discriminated community gathering and doing the basic joys in life that make us human, Gaines, one of countless times, confronts the negative stereotypes that are still all too present in our current society.
The message projected from Gaines, though written as a witness to more ignorant times, can and should be used to help us with the fallacies in thought many of us are still quite capable of having. Though not the only example of the deservance of human equality expressed in the novel, the warm description of the Christmas play (minus the looming fate of Jefferson) and the gathering of what ultimately are just people, spreads quite clearly the message that since no one group of people are able to enjoy life more than another, no one group should have the right to enjoy life more than another. To be put more clearly, no particular type of man is more deserving of happiness than another.
I believe this message, though written in the confrontation of racism, far transcends the purpose for which it seems to have been created. By expressing the message so justly, Gaines has seemingly created a personal standard for man kind in its entirety. Its almost as though Gaines is saying, that despite race, wealth, or nationality, no one group is more deserving of happiness than another. This is a powerful message. One could almost call it, "universal."

A Lesson Before Dying, written by Ernest J. Gaines, is a good book, that is very touching. The character, Grant Wiggins, who is the local schoolteacher, struggles with the concept of helping the man, Jefferson, who is convicted of a murder he did not commit. Jefferson's godmother wants Grant to help Jefferson become a man before he dies, but Jefferson is not very willing to listen to Grant. Grant is also not very eager to help. It is a very emotional story of the end of a life, before it is taken by the electric chair.
The beginning chapters were a very good lead into the rest of the book. It was easy to understand the plot. The author easily conveyed the importance of the man, Jefferson, learning a lesson before he dies. Unlike other books, which have a slow pace to them and fail to keep the interest of most, A Lesson Before Dying is very fast paced. It makes the reader want to read it from the beginning to the end without stopping. The chapters are short, so if the reader does needs to put it down here are frequent stopping places. The length of the chapters makes the book more enjoyable. It does not seem like it takes so long to get to the end of the chapter. It also does not keep dragging on about the same thing over and over. It introduces new characters to liven up the story when the old characters seem to be getting boring. The best chapter, and the one that most touches the heart, is the chapter from Jefferson's diary. It really gives insight into how Jefferson is feeling. The diary completes the story line of the book. It was very wise of the author to include this chapter. Without it he would not have evoked the same feelings from the reader at the end.
Anyone who enjoys reading sentimental books, but does not enjoy the mushy, romantic kind, would really love this book.

A Lesson Before Dying is a story of the courage it takes to learn how to die. Right away the author, Ernest Gaines, puts you in the courtroom where Jefferson is recieving his sentence. It is a powerful part where the matter of death is taken so strongly by Jefferson that you can see how his courage will contine until the end. Gaines does an excellent job of writing so as a reader, you feel right there, wherever he decides to take you, that is where you go. The descriptions are short, yet powerful and never seem redundant. Conversations tell the story and keep the book moving at a fast pace. Justice is questioned throughout the text. Grant, the school teacher who is to turn Jefferson into a "man" seems to question the idea of justice the most. " Twelver white men say a black man must die, and another white man sets the date and time without consulting one black person. Justice?" Grant is a smart man with a big job, seeing things though his eyes is perfect writing to see the effects Jefferson's death has on the surrounding community. Jefferson and Grant form a bond that is never acutally brought up, but its obvous in thier actions. They count on eachother for the little things in their lives which makes it so special. They are eachother's heros. "A hero is someone who does something for other people. He does something that other men don't and can't do. He is different from other men. He is above other men. No matter who those other men are, the hero, no matter who he is, is above them." Jefferson is Grant's hero because he is able to open his eyes a little wider, and Grant is Jefferson's hero as he teaches him the meaning of manhood. Their friendship is not too common the lessons they teach eachother will have you laughing and crying 'til the end.

The story takes place in Louisiana in the 1940's when there is segregation. A black young man named Jefferson is wrongly convicted of murdering a white store keeper. Jefferson is waiting for his date of execution. A black school teacher named Grant Wiggins, is convinced by his aunt and Jefferson's godmother to go down to the jail house to teach Jefferson how to be a man. The only reason Grant is teaching him how to be a man is because during the trial the prosecutor referred to Jefferson as a hog. From then on the book deals with all of the trials and tribulations that Grant and Jefferson have to face. They must realize that they do not know everything and that they still need to listen to others so that they can learn more.
While reading this book you begin to realize that the situations occurring actually could have happened. You will read about various situations that will make you feel the emotions that everybody is going through in the book. I could really understand what was happening and what everybody was going through because I myself am a young black man that still sees racial problems and how we as African Americans are treated differently in the year 2003. I also believe that no one in the world knows everything, and that there is always something for a person to learn before they die.
In the end Jefferson dies, but he died like a man. The journal that Jefferson wrote had many valuable lessons that he himself had finally learned from before his death. Grant reading this journal had also learned a lot from it and had learned what he wanted to do with his life.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book because it was very interesting and, at same time, helpful and educational.

This book is lucidly (if simply)written, and is often moving, particularly towards the end. Better than passable writing, however, is far from sufficient to compensate for the fact that the topic of racial and legal injustice in the segregationist south is strictly old hat. Having had his thunder stolen by To Kill A Mockingbird, Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry and other works of a similar caliber, Gaines is preaching to an audience of the converted, with no new wrinkle to convey to them. While most of the novel is dedicated to the admirable but obvious propostion that racism is bad, Gaines' one ambitious move is the unsubtle implication (lamentable and probably fatuous) that a meaningful sense of identity can be built from a recognition of shared persecution.The novel only becomes poignant when Gaines takes the step of briefly putting us inside Jefferson's head. Instead of an exploration of issues like why Jefferson's community failed to give him a sense of identity to begi! n with, we can expect Gaines in future novels, while maintainig a competent level of writing, to advance such daring theses as "The Irish troubles are bad."

This compelling novel written by a wonderful author, Ernest Gaines, changed my perspective on the world as I once viewed it. Life was very uneasy for the African Americans back during the time in which this book was to be taken place, and I feel that Gaines emphasizes that point as he displays the story of an innocent black man on death row for a crime that he did not take any part in. Jefferson, the man being charged for the murders of a storekeeper named Mr. Grope and Jefferson's two friends "Bear" and "Brother", was not only going to be sent to his early death for a crime that he didn't committ, but he was about to walk to the electric chair thinking that he was nothing but a "hog." Luckily he had a very loving godmother named Miss Emma who convinced an educated black schoolteacher by the name of Grant Wiggins to visit Jefferson until the day of his death and teach him to die like a man, not a hog. Although Grant Wiggins was one of the lucky victims of racism who got a high education, he hated his career, for he felt that his race would not amount to their fullest potential if the world continued to treat people with so much disrespect for living. He formed a close bond with Jefferson, but most importantly, he was able to serve his purpose: He taught Jefferson that a man must walk confidently toward his death knowing that he is a man and nothing less. This novel inspired me to believe that everyone must stive to their fullest potential and hold their head up high despite the riticuole that others might give out to them. Ernest Gaines' novel "A Lesson Before Dying" was probably one of the most emotional books that I have ever read.

During my 8th grade English class, I read A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines. I read it while studying To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. A Lesson Before Dying is about a black teacher in the South who is forced to visit a man condemned to death. The man being visited was wrongfully accused of murder. To Kill a Mockingbird and A Lesson Before Dying have one large concept in common, they are both based around a black man being wronfully accused of a capitol crime. To Kill a Mockingbird was written by a white woman, Harper Lee, and A Lesson Before Dying was written by Ernest J. Gaines, a white man. This leads to very different points of view. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom Robinson, the wrongfully accused man, is said to have a good chance of appealing to higher courts. In A Lesson Before Dying, they don't even consider appealing, they just try and make death better for the man. The white point of view is much more positive, and optimistic for a black person in a white judicial system. The black point of view is more pessimistic, yet probably more realistic. This is what makes the books very different. In A Lesson Before Dying, the story is told from the point of view of a teacher who is very bitter, and has a large grudge against white people. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the story is told by a young, white, upbeat southern girl who always seems to be happy. The point of view of the author changes the points of view of the characters in the book. I think that a person being the subject of persecution would be more likely to understand the reality of the situation (in the books) than someone who has probably not experienced persecution at all. That is why a black author could better understand the hopelessness for a black man condemned to death during a time of such strong racism. I think that this book was well written, but it was hard to like some of the characters, especially the main character. For me, that makes it hard to keep reading from the point of view of a jerk. The book is also very slow-paced, and hard for someone of my age, 14, to stay interested in for long periods of time.

A lesson before dying is about how the unfair punishment of one man that affects all of those around him. A young black man named Jefferson is sentenced to death by a jury of white men and in the court room is convinced that he is less than human. After his sentencing his god mother encourages the local school teacher, Grant Wiggins, to teach Jefferson how to die like a man. Grant is a skeptic when dealing with people. He has seen the world around him and the way it works and belives that all "The same people wore the same clothes, and sat in the same places." Grant reluctantly accepts his task and sets out to teach Jefferson how not only to live like a man but also die like one.

As the weeks leading up to Jeffersons execution go by Grant gains a new appreciation for life, and feels more and more annoyed by the unfair treatment of African Americans at the time, asking himself "twelve white men say a black person must die, and another white man sets the date and time witout consulting one black person. Justice?" At the same time the people closests to Grant and Jefferson all learn something about themselves.

This novel is well written, interesting, and thought provoking. The novels main protagonists both start in similar yet separate conflicts with those around them. But as Jeffersons execution date grows nearer the two feed off each other and learn to overcome there problems. These two are not the only ones to learn a lesson though. Everyone around them learns a lesson on the power of human spirit over the oppression of mankind. And the true meaning of friendship "A Godson obeys, but a friend- well, a friend would do anything to please a friend."

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines is a true American Classic. This is one of those books which you are continuously on the edge of your seat unable to lay the book down for a moments rest. It demonstrates the racism and segregation that took place in the 1940s, almost 75 years after the end of the Civil War.

Gaines writes an emotionally powerful novel about a young, black man whom happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time which cost him his life. In an unfair trial, a jury of all white men convict Jefferson of being guilty for murder and sentence him to the electric chair. However, if that wasn't bad enough he is also called a hog during the trial in front of everyone he knew. In order to help him for the last time Jefferson's godmother and Grant's aunt quickly look to Grant, a local school teacher, to help teach Jefferson how to be a man.

After debating and talking to others about the positives and negatives of his decision he choosing to go along with their wishes. He soon realized that Jefferson and him weren't as different as he had thought. Jefferson was trapped by four walls and barred windows in a prison, while Grant was trapped in his own "prison" he had created from work and society. As the final months of Jefferson's life seem to quickly pass Grant does his best to teach him everything possible. In the end, Jefferson is able to walk to the chair with his honor.

This is a touching novel which is easy to follow and well developed. I would highly recommended this to anyone and everyone. It is one of those books that everyone needs to read sometime in their lives and if you don't then you are missing out.

A Lesson Before Dying, written by Ernest J. Gaines, is an interesting novel where the author pulls you into a world that could quite possibly be an actual situation in today's society. There is only one thought that this book left me with. Why the situation unfolded like it had. The entire plot is built up very well, but the idea that it is based on is perplexing to the reader. The ending is known from the very beginning but Gaines does an excellent job in making it very emotional.

A Lesson Before Dying is a fervently emotional story. The book begins with a boy, named Jefferson, being accused of a murder in which three people died. Jefferson did nothing wrong except that he was there and witnessed the crime. Most people would not think much of a person witnessing a crime and being put on trial, but Jefferson was African American and the time period was 75 years after the Civil War. The state was Louisiana, a state that fought for slavery, so that indicates why he is sentenced to die. Jefferson's defense attorney should have been penalized for mow practice, but that wasn't around back then. Jefferson's attorney said that sentencing Jefferson to the chair would be like killing a hog.
That statement put Jefferson's mother into distress. She then asked Grant Wiggins, an old teacher of Jefferson's, to turn Jefferson into a man. Grant did not want to attempt this difficult task but his Aunt, whom he was staying with, forced him to do it. Grant teaches to elementary kids at the church. Grant no longer goes to church and because of this he fails to see inside himself.
After visiting Jefferson for some period of time, Grant begins to see where his life is going and in which way he would really want it to go. At the same time, Jefferson becomes more of a man. A Lesson Before Dying can be slow at times, but it is an appealing book that is worth the time to read.

A Lesson Before Dying is a tragic book that shows how life was in a small southern town in the 1940's. Jefferson is a young African-American man who is wrongly convicted of a crime he didn't commit. During the trial his defendant calls Jefferson a hog in order to try to get a bias jury to sympathize with Jefferson. "Surprisingly" Jefferson was found guilty for the crime and sentenced to the electric chair. After the trail, Jefferson's grandmother, Miss Emma doesn't want her grandson to die without any education. Miss Emma chooses Grant Wiggins, a local teacher to help educate Jefferson. Grant Wiggins hesitates to help Jefferson but finally decides to visit him in his jail cell. Although they have trouble talking at first, their conversations will become life-changing for both Jefferson and Grant.

I think that overall this book was pretty good. Although it was a good book, I don't particularly like this type of book. The plot didn't really interest me very much and I thought the book was pretty predictable. While reading this book, several times I thought that I had already read this book and knew the plot. I think the book would have been better if it had a few more twists in it. I think the best thing about the book is the lessons that Grant learns from Jefferson. Grant never really lived life fully before his relationship with Jefferson. Jefferson changed but had no time to really live. I think that anyone who is interested in reading a book that depicts southern life in the 1940's and has a good lesson should read this book. Anyone who doesn't find this review exciting should definitely not look into reading this book.

This novel gives a good depiction of what life must have been like for a black community in southern Louisiana before civil rights. The writing is restrained and unsentimental, almost to the point of bleakness. I wish Gaines would not be so clipped and obviously self-edited in his style. Jefferson redeems himself and also the narrator, as well as Paul, the deputy. It is a novel about hope and pride, not just for black people, but for everyone who faces a moral and spiritual dilemma.

Strong, powerful read...

So strong and so powerful that you may almost put it down in the first chapter, the language used to described a black man, a fellow human, so strong and offensive that you just want to close the book, slam it to the ground, and have nothing to do with it.

BUT, almost immediately it grows into a strong, heartwarming and ultimately inspiring story.

In the end, it touches all avenues of human character and endeavor and moves us to the core of our being.

If you liked "To Kill A Mockingbird," you'll like this one, too. Count on it!!

Ernest J. Gaines, the author of A Lesson Before Dying, has written a novel that is difficult to put down, though the conclusion is inevitable. Gaines creates a strong emotional power that is set in the story, one that the reader will not likely forget. As the first chapter was read, I began to instantly visualize what the characters were actually seeing. This is definitely a compassionate novel that left me tearful.
The story, about two young black men struggling in their unjust society, is set in a small community in Louisiana during the 1940's. Jefferson, who just so happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, witnesses a shootout between a white store owner and two black men. It also just so happens that Jefferson is the only survivor and witness. He is put on trial and because of his race, convicted of murder, sentenced to death by electrocution. But before his execution, Jefferson�s sickly Godmother�s only wish is for him to believe he is a man and not a hog, as the defense had cruelly stated him as. His Godmother believes this can only be done by persuading Grant Wiggins, the school teacher, to gain access to visit Jefferson in prison and help him face his death with dignity.
Grant, the educated school teacher, who has returned from the University back to his hometown, is living a life full of problems. Grant struggles with his decision to run away with the woman he loves, although deep inside he knows he cannot leave his aunt. He is also involved in many arguments with his aunt over him not believing in God and also him dating Vivian, his girlfriend. Now Grant must fulfil a wish of a dying old woman, and help Jefferson to die like a man. Eventually through the story the two men acquire a relationship that changes them both.

The beginning of the story was a little boring, but with an urge to finish the book, I kept reading, and it kept getting better the further I read even through the end of the novel. The chapters contained events from one day to the next so it was very easy to understand and pick up where I left off. The only confusing chapter was reading Jefferson�s diary. Although I believe it was essential to the novel to include this chapter, it was difficult to read. This chapter lets you understand and realize what exactly Jefferson was thinking and going through right up until his execution. The words written, in this part, would have been exactly like the poor grammar Jefferson would have used because he was almost illiterate. The words written were parts of words with misspellings and no punctuation making me have to slow down the reading and at times think of what words he was actually referring to.
This story, I think, dealt with heroism that does not always have to be shown through a persons actions. It also dealt with major issues of race and identity. For example, Grant struggled with being the well educated man he thought he was or being the ... they (meaning the white people) knew he was. This story made me also think how unjustly blacks were treated.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an emotional story that has a meaning to it that can be different to each person depending on how they look at it. Just remember that when you read it do not stop reading it just because you know what the ending will be because each chapter brings more and more meaning to the story.

A Lesson Before Dying is a story of many themes and values; all of which are positive and insightful. Although it may be slow moving and undeveloped in some aspects, the book teaches important lessons that everybody could benefit from. I would recommend purchasing this book.
Taking place in the 1940's, the lesson begins with a young, black, male who happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, and as a result is falsely accused of two murders. This illustrates one of the featured themes of the story: racism. I think racism is very easily detected as a theme to the story. With a weak story line though, the reader maybe distracted and lose focus of the reoccurring theme of racism.
There are many characters in this story including the Death Row Inmate, and Grant Wiggin, who is a teacher that is sent by Jefferson's mother to convene with Jefferson. Also there is the white Sheriff of the small southern town and the mothers of Grant and Jefferson, never in the story do you get the feeling that you know and understand any of these characters. With poor character development, never do you completely feel as emotional about the character's different problems.
The storyline of A Lesson Before Dying completely evolves around the theme of redemption. The white folks of his town label Jefferson as a "HOG". The object of Grant visiting Jefferson at the county jail is to convince him that he is not a HOG and to walk to the electric chair with dignity and pride. I like the theme of redemption and it is interesting the way Grant gets the theme across to Jefferson.
Even though this story has its flaws, i.e. its very slow reading, has a boring storyline, and the lack of character development, I think the lessons and values taught should not be passed up.

When I heard my humanities teacher tell the class on the first day we had to read A Lesson Before Dying I panicked. I hate to read. Throughout high school I always bought Spark Notes hoping they would help me pass a test on a book I decided not to read. Now being that I am a responsible college student I opened the book and started reading. After the first couple chapters I contemplated if I should finish reading this book or go back to my old self and get Spark Notes. For some reason I just kept with it and finish the book. Once I got in to it I found myself having trouble putting the book down. This book hooks the reader never letting them put it down until they have finished it. Ernest J. Gaines is a genius. This book gives us as readers a view of how it was to be a black man in the United States during the time of segregation. It's set in the south where segregation seemed a bigger issue than up north. Jefferson a young black male is accused of killing a white male and sentenced to death. Grant Wiggins, a schoolteacher, meets with Jefferson hoping to make him die a man and not a hog as most whites see him. The book journeys through all of Grants encounters with Jefferson. Slowly as the book progresses we begin to see a change in Jefferson. I encourage everyone to read this book.

Its the summer of 1940. In a courtroom of a small Cajun community, a trial is taking place for the robbery and murder of a white shopkeeper. In this courtroom a young black man, Jefferson, is about to be sentenced to death by electrocution. His only crime--being at the wrong place at the wrong time. This scene establishes the narration of Ernest Gaines' compelling novel, A Lesson Before Dying. Gaines delivers a novel that captures the interests and touches the hearts of its readers. Grant Wiggins, the narrator, begins the story, "I was not there, yet I was there. No I did not go to the trial, I did not hear the verdict, because I knew all the time what it would be." Even in the antebellum emancipated south, serious issues regarding race, segregation, and prejudice prevail. Grant, a university-educated black male, has returned from the city to the plantation community where he teaches in a small plantation church. Disturbed with his station in life and angered by the injustice he sees around him, Grant struggles as a prisoner of social convention--always wanting to pack up his things and runaway. But Grant is asked by Jefferson's Godmother, Miss Emma, to stay and teach Jefferson to die like a man. After being called "a thing that acts on command"--a hog--by his own defense attorney, Jefferson looses the dignity he has. It is now up to Grant to restore it. Jefferson believes the words of his attorney as he sees himself only as "a old hog--Just a old hog they fattening up to kill for Christmas." He sees himself as subhuman and worthless. But as the story progresses the two men forge a bond showing that being a man is truly a great thing to have. Both learn many valuable lessons as they teach each other. Grant, who lost his religious faith when he went of school in the city, learns about the soul and the spirit. In the beginning, Grant found Sunday, the Lord's Day, "the saddest day of the week." After being around Jefferson in the small isolated prison cell, though, Grant's character encounters a spiritual rebirth. Jefferson learns about becoming a man. Constantly feeling he is already dead, Jefferson struggles with accepting that he is a human like the rest. Grant tries to tell him, "We're all going to die, Jefferson," but Jefferson, knowing his fate, replies, "Tommorow, Mr. Teacher, that's when you go'n die? Next week?" Nevertheless, in the end, Jefferson eventually overcomes this and approaches his life's end like a man--"Tell Nannan I walked," he said. As the narration continues in the novel, Gaines depicts issues of injustice in the south as a result of Jefferson's trial. He says, "Twelve white men say a black man must die and another white man sets the date and the time without consulting one black man. Justice?" In the racist society of the south, the African-American does not have the luxury of a fair trial and equality. There are bars in the back of the town for "blacks only," there are schools for "blacks only," and there are jail cells strictly for "blacks only." A society that is supposedly over the racial conflicts, strongly conveys a prejudice attitude. The novel forces the reader to take at African-American's fight for freedom that followed their so-called emancipation. Gaines also furthers the story as he comments on capital punishment. He delineates its unethical side when Grant remarks in the text, "I could not get that date and time out of my mind. How do people come up with a date and a time to take life from another man? Who made them God?" Gaines incorporates segregation, tragedy, and injustice into this emotional story. By comprehending the struggle these characters go through, the reader gets a broader view of society and the lessons it teaches its individuals. A Lesson Before Dying is a dynamic story that suits readers of all types. Ernest Gaines truly reaches out and the makes the readers apart of the novel itself--whether they're ready for it or not.

Among the "must read" novels of all times, "A Lesson Before Dying" ranks at the very top of the list in that literary category. It is the type of reading that expands the bounds of the mind, strokes the soul, and tugs at the heart strings. At its conclusion you are left with a plethora of emotions and thoughts that linger for days and remain in your repertory of thought forever. It's one of those novels that you read and say,"Unbelieveable" as you wonder, when will the sequel be published? Ernest Gaines truly solidifies his position as one of the greatest writers ever with this novel.
Gains transports you back to a time when the lines between justice and injustice, right and wrong, fair and unfair are obscured and ultimately crossed and broken by race, socio-economic status, prejudice and segregation. The reader is drawn into the lives of the characters on an intimate level through Gaines' masterful dialogue and vivid descriptive details. This is a novel that challenges the idea of "accepting the things you cannot change" and places a very original spin on the concept of "dying with dignity."
"A Lesson before Dying" is a story that unfolds around the main character's final months on death row after being falsely accused of killing a white store owner during a time when the color of one's skin dictated just how "blind" justice will be. The lessons and realizations he, and those persons who hold a significant place in his life, must come to grips with before his death are heart-wrenching and life-altering.
From the teacher who, under great duress, is forceably assigned the awesome task of "teaching" the main character the "lesson," to the reverend who collaborates with the teacher but from a completely different viewpoint on how the "lesson" should be taught, and the various other characters that vicariously impact upon and influenced the way in which the main character internalizes his plight, each of these characters are left with "lessons" that escalate to the riveting conclusion of this story. Ultimately each of these pivotal characters' lives are altered as a direct and proximate result of the main character's death sentence and the manner in which he learns to die with dignity.
This is a story about self-respect, self-denial, self-sacrifice, self-esteem and self-defeat. It is a story of family, friends, authorities, and enemies and how they are integrally entwined to shape each other's lives. Written in a time when the constraints of racism and economic status divided and at the same time, drew together a community whose heartbeat came to pulsate in conjunction with the heart beat of the main character. Reading this novel in and of itself will prove to be "A Lesson" of memorable magnitude.

This book is classic history of turmoil within the Black culture. When Jefferson entered that car, he turned everyones life upside down. However, at the end of his life, he made people "look at themselves" and not only did he die with dignity (he walked straight, like the man he was - he was no hog); he brought a family that was torn apart together. And even I understand why the Black man ran from the South; I understand his anguish of being a man, but really not. After reading this story, I think of all those who have had bitter experiences as slaves. These people never knew what it was like to be loved or respected and as one of Jehovah's Witnesses', I look forward to seeing these ones in the resurrection foretold at Rev. Chapter 18-21:3,4. Can you imagine seeing their faces knowing that God loved them! Can you imaging seeing their faces when they will be given respect; treated with dignity and the land that they toil on will the THEIR'S. Yes, to meet Ms. Harriet Tubman, Mr. Frederick Douglas and many many more. They will know unbounded love. And what's more, racism will no longer exist because the real perpetrator will be done away with. But imagine the faces of the perpetrators of racism, especially since they thought they were doing "the Christian thing". Imagine them facing these ones and realizing the hurt, humiliation and shame that they entertained upon individuals who were once princes and kings. Gloria Stanley

How can one thank an author for painting a picture so wonderfully that you enter into their world? Thanks to Mr. Gaines for creating Jefferson, an angel in his own right, who saves so many souls. This book was so painful to read, yet it cleansed the spirit! This book and the book Understanding: Train of Thought are the two best books I've read this year.

I also highly recomend the book Where the Heart Is.

A Lesson Before Dying is about a black man named Jefferson. The setting is a small town in the 1940's. Jefferson is on trial for robbery and murder. This is the time of segregation. Although there was evidence of him not committing murder, he was still sentence to death row because the juries were all white. During this time there was a lot of discrimination against black. So Jefferson was not given a fair trial. To the white Juries he was a black man. To them he was already guilty. Also during the trial his own lawyer called Jefferson a hog.
Although the book is about Jefferson, the main character is Grant Wiggins. He is a school's teacher in the town where Jefferson is. Grant promised Jefferson's godmother to make Jefferson into a man but Grant himself doesn't know the meaning to be a man. As Jefferson is waiting for the day of his execution, Grant tries to talk to Jefferson as much as possible. As the execution day draws nearer, Grant and Jefferson will form a bond of friendship.
Although this book was a very good, I didn't like it because I like to read mystery books. I recommended this book to anyone that like to read about human stereotype of others and the discrimination that African-American face during this time. About how they are treat more like a "hog" than human. Although this book was very good, there was a lot of part where it was very boring and confusing.
Critical Reaction
The themes of the story for A Lesson Before Dying are based on Gaines ideology. "We all know--at least intellectually--that we're going [to die]. The difference is being told, 'Okay, it's tomorrow at 10 a.m.' How do you react to that? How do you face it? That, it seems to me, is the ultimate test of life. Quote by Ernest J Gaines, by Vintage Books. That quote tells of how Jefferson feels. Knowing that the exact date and time of his death. The author is trying to tells the reader what it would be like to be on death row for something of which you have not done and discrimination of which the people during that time had to endure.
The author writing style is a bit unusual. Although the story is about Jefferson, throughout the entire story I mainly focus on Grant. Throughout the story it mostly focus on Grant and his life. It wasn't until the end that the author let the readers read about Jefferson perspective. It wasn't until the very end that the readers will know about what Jefferson was thinking.
Throughout the story there was too much unnecessary information that the author put in. So that made the reading boring for me. It talks too much about Grant's life instead of more about Jefferson. But over all the book was a good one, I would recommend anyone to read this book.

A lesson Before Dying, by Ernest J Gaines, is a moving novel about a black man, Jefferson, who sits on death row. I, an eighth grade student at San Francisco Day School, read this book alongside To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I found that the ideas explored in A Lesson Before Dying, such as discrimination, prejudice, pride and death, were very similar to those introduced through To Kill a Mockingbird. Although the ideas explored were the same, the point of view taken by the narrators in the books differ greatly, as one author is white (Harper Lee), and the other is black (Ernest J. Gaines). These contrasting views are shown best through the narrators expectations for the outcomes of the two trials, which take place in each book. To Kill a mockingbird is about the trial of a black man, Tom Robinson, after he has been accused of raping a white woman. Although it is quite obvious that Tom did not commit the crime, the jury reaches a guilty verdict, as could be expected in the racist time and society in which the book took place. Atticus, (Tom Robinson's lawyer and the father of the narrator, Scout) however, has a very optimistic view in both the start and finish of the case, and believes that as time progresses racism will be diminished through the progressive generations. His views, and the views of Harper Lee, are expressed through his closing argument, which makes it apparent he believes change will come. In the beginning of his closing argument Atticus states that the courtroom is the one place that all men are created equal, "...a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller, the stupid man the equal of Einstein, and the ignorant man the equal of any college president." He finishes his closing argument with: "I am confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the evidence you have heard, come to a decision, and restore this defendant to his family. In the name of God, do your duty." The events which take place in A Lesson Before Dying, are very similar to those occurring in To Kill A Mocking bird: a young black man (Jefferson) is put on trial for a crime he didn't commit, and although it is apparent he is innocent, the white jury returns with a guilty verdict. The view of the narrators Grant Wiggins, an educated black school teacher, is much more pessimistic than that of Harper Lee/Scout. Grant believes that society will never change and he has no hope that blacks will he treated as equal as time progresses. This is shown through the opening lines of the book, "I was not there, yet I was there. No, I did not go to the trial, I did not hear the verdict, because I knew all the time what it would be." Grant thinks, that even though Jefferson did not commit the crime, the white jury will find him guilty. He has no hope that this racism will change, not with this case, and not ever. Reading A Lesson Before Dying taught me not only about the ideas of racism and justice, but also made me realize how strongly an authors background and personal feelings reflect upon their writing. It was very clear how differently the two authors felt about racism and the future of blacks in this country. Ernest J. Gaines felt less hopeful because he himself had experienced racism, and he understood how hard it would be to break out of this mold which people followed. Harper Lee, on the other hand, being white, was more hopeful that this mold would be broken, not realizing how severe discrimination really was. Had A Lesson Before Dying been written by an author of a different race, particularly a white person, it would have turned out to be a very different book, and I therefore realize how deeply an authors personality and beliefs impact their writing. A Lesson Before Dying was a very well written and realistic book which helped to broaden my view on the issues of discrimination, the death penalty, and many others.

"A Lesson before Dying" is a powerful novel which confronts racism as well as many other social issues. Although the novel is enjoyable at face value, it also allows for an abundance of individual interpretation of the text. I feel one of the most significant symbols in the novel is the friendship between Grant and Paul. Grant, a pessimistic African American school teacher is the frustrated protagonist. While Paul, a white guard at the local jail, is a young man who comes from "good stock". Although not a large character in the book, Paul is a key representation of one of the many underlying messages in the text.
I personally interpreted the friendship between Grant and Paul as a sign of change. That, in time, everything changes and Grant's pessimistic feelings should change as well. Paul signifies a new generation, one that is far from the previous generations of narrow minded southerners. Grant feels that things will never change, that as long as he is in the south he will be caught in a latent society. Paul is evidence that the age of bigotry is declining. Their friendship foreshadows the progression of relations between the races in the future. Paul is the symbol of hope for the future, and a vision of equality among all men.

A lesson before dying takes place during the 1940s. A young black man named Jefferson is in the middle of a liquor shootout. Being the only one standing he is accused of the deaths of the other people. And is sentenced to death. Wiggin's a teacher is sent by his aunt and Jefferson's Godmother to visit Jefferson in jail to enlighten him.

I really liked this book, because it teaches how tough it was in the 1940s. And how certain people were treated differently. colored people had to refer to white men as sir. and that white people they never gave them respect. And it also shows how mean teachers where in the 1940s. Like when you got the answer wrong they would hit your hand with a ruler. I would recommend this book to others if they like to read about tragedies and drama.

In my 8th grade English class, I chose to read A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines from a list of books by black authors. After reading a summary of the book, I chose to read it because I felt it would make a big impact on me and leave me thinking. While I was reading the book, I was also reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee for English class. To Kill a Mockingbird and A Lesson Before Dying are similar in that they are both about a black man accused of a crime on a white person. However, I liked A Lesson Before Dying because it wasn't about a black boy trying to prove his innocence to escape the death penalty. It was about a boy who had accepted his fate as a Black and the main character who tried to teach him to be a man before he died, for the defense attorney said to the jury, "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." A Lesson Before Dying seemed to be more true to the way it really was for blacks accused of a crime. They had almost no chance of being declared not guilty. This book really made an impact on me. I learned to appreciate my life more, and I know that what happened to Jefferson could happen to anyone. Just being at the wrong place at the wrong time could lead to consequences as extreme as being convicted of a murder and receiving the death penalty. It taught me about the struggles that Blacks had to go through in the thirties. One reason why Gaines might have written the book was to express the fact that Blacks who have been accused of a crime with a white person as the victim have no chance of being free. When Grant and Jefferson's Aunt Emma went to visit Jefferson, Jefferson had lost all hope of being set free and said, "...it don't matter." But, Grant wanted to teach Jefferson to stand proud when he died, as it would give more Blacks the strength to stand proud in society.

This book was written by Ernest J. Gaines. The story is about a young black boy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was sentenced to death, but innocent of all charges. Should the death sentence still exist today?

In my opinion, I think the death penalty should still exist today. It is a lawful way to prosecute someone for killing another person. My saying is "A life for a life." It's really the only fair thing to do. But in the story, a young black man named Jefferson is sentenced to death for someone else's doings, and its not right just because he is black. The enforcers didn't care to know the true facts. He is black so he must have done it because he was there. "A fool does what others tell him to do." (p.7)

Ninety-eight percent of whites are responsible for the death penalty decisions, one percent Hispanic, and one percent black. It's like the white society thinks any other race is too stupid to make a decision as to who should and should not have capital punishment. "I was too educated for Henri Pichot." (p.21) This quote is referring to Grant, who was a school teacher. He is another black man in the story, and he is too smart for a white man. Grant knows how to read, write, and do math. Most were lucky if they learned. Grant did and the whites weren't too happy about it.

"Twelve white men say a black man must die, and another white man sets the date and time without consulting one black person." (p.187) This quote goes with the percentage of whites that make the death penalty decision. That was the way that it was with blacks and whites. Some of the whites or most of them are still like that today.

Over all, I thought the book was good. I gave it four out of five stars. I think it will teach young people a good lesson. People of all ages should read this book.

Strong, powerful read...

So strong and so powerful that you may almost put it down in the first chapter, the language used to described a black man, a fellow human, so strong and offensive that you just want to close the book, slam it to the ground, and have nothing to do with it.

BUT, almost immediately it grows into a strong, heartwarming and ultimately inspiring story.

In the end, it touches all avenues of human character and endeavor and moves us to the core of our being.

If you liked "To Kill A Mockingbird," you'll like this one, too. Count on it!!

Ernest J. Gaines, the author of A Lesson Before Dying, has written a novel that is difficult to put down, though the conclusion is inevitable. Gaines creates a strong emotional power that is set in the story, one that the reader will not likely forget. As the first chapter was read, I began to instantly visualize what the characters were actually seeing. This is definitely a compassionate novel that left me tearful.
The story, about two young black men struggling in their unjust society, is set in a small community in Louisiana during the 1940's. Jefferson, who just so happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, witnesses a shootout between a white store owner and two black men. It also just so happens that Jefferson is the only survivor and witness. He is put on trial and because of his race, convicted of murder, sentenced to death by electrocution. But before his execution, Jefferson�s sickly Godmother�s only wish is for him to believe he is a man and not a hog, as the defense had cruelly stated him as. His Godmother believes this can only be done by persuading Grant Wiggins, the school teacher, to gain access to visit Jefferson in prison and help him face his death with dignity.
Grant, the educated school teacher, who has returned from the University back to his hometown, is living a life full of problems. Grant struggles with his decision to run away with the woman he loves, although deep inside he knows he cannot leave his aunt. He is also involved in many arguments with his aunt over him not believing in God and also him dating Vivian, his girlfriend. Now Grant must fulfil a wish of a dying old woman, and help Jefferson to die like a man. Eventually through the story the two men acquire a relationship that changes them both.

The beginning of the story was a little boring, but with an urge to finish the book, I kept reading, and it kept getting better the further I read even through the end of the novel. The chapters contained events from one day to the next so it was very easy to understand and pick up where I left off. The only confusing chapter was reading Jefferson�s diary. Although I believe it was essential to the novel to include this chapter, it was difficult to read. This chapter lets you understand and realize what exactly Jefferson was thinking and going through right up until his execution. The words written, in this part, would have been exactly like the poor grammar Jefferson would have used because he was almost illiterate. The words written were parts of words with misspellings and no punctuation making me have to slow down the reading and at times think of what words he was actually referring to.
This story, I think, dealt with heroism that does not always have to be shown through a persons actions. It also dealt with major issues of race and identity. For example, Grant struggled with being the well educated man he thought he was or being the ... they (meaning the white people) knew he was. This story made me also think how unjustly blacks were treated.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an emotional story that has a meaning to it that can be different to each person depending on how they look at it. Just remember that when you read it do not stop reading it just because you know what the ending will be because each chapter brings more and more meaning to the story.

A Lesson Before Dying is a story of many themes and values; all of which are positive and insightful. Although it may be slow moving and undeveloped in some aspects, the book teaches important lessons that everybody could benefit from. I would recommend purchasing this book.
Taking place in the 1940's, the lesson begins with a young, black, male who happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, and as a result is falsely accused of two murders. This illustrates one of the featured themes of the story: racism. I think racism is very easily detected as a theme to the story. With a weak story line though, the reader maybe distracted and lose focus of the reoccurring theme of racism.
There are many characters in this story including the Death Row Inmate, and Grant Wiggin, who is a teacher that is sent by Jefferson's mother to convene with Jefferson. Also there is the white Sheriff of the small southern town and the mothers of Grant and Jefferson, never in the story do you get the feeling that you know and understand any of these characters. With poor character development, never do you completely feel as emotional about the character's different problems.
The storyline of A Lesson Before Dying completely evolves around the theme of redemption. The white folks of his town label Jefferson as a "HOG". The object of Grant visiting Jefferson at the county jail is to convince him that he is not a HOG and to walk to the electric chair with dignity and pride. I like the theme of redemption and it is interesting the way Grant gets the theme across to Jefferson.
Even though this story has its flaws, i.e. its very slow reading, has a boring storyline, and the lack of character development, I think the lessons and values taught should not be passed up.

When I heard my humanities teacher tell the class on the first day we had to read A Lesson Before Dying I panicked. I hate to read. Throughout high school I always bought Spark Notes hoping they would help me pass a test on a book I decided not to read. Now being that I am a responsible college student I opened the book and started reading. After the first couple chapters I contemplated if I should finish reading this book or go back to my old self and get Spark Notes. For some reason I just kept with it and finish the book. Once I got in to it I found myself having trouble putting the book down. This book hooks the reader never letting them put it down until they have finished it. Ernest J. Gaines is a genius. This book gives us as readers a view of how it was to be a black man in the United States during the time of segregation. It's set in the south where segregation seemed a bigger issue than up north. Jefferson a young black male is accused of killing a white male and sentenced to death. Grant Wiggins, a schoolteacher, meets with Jefferson hoping to make him die a man and not a hog as most whites see him. The book journeys through all of Grants encounters with Jefferson. Slowly as the book progresses we begin to see a change in Jefferson. I encourage everyone to read this book.

Its the summer of 1940. In a courtroom of a small Cajun community, a trial is taking place for the robbery and murder of a white shopkeeper. In this courtroom a young black man, Jefferson, is about to be sentenced to death by electrocution. His only crime--being at the wrong place at the wrong time. This scene establishes the narration of Ernest Gaines' compelling novel, A Lesson Before Dying. Gaines delivers a novel that captures the interests and touches the hearts of its readers. Grant Wiggins, the narrator, begins the story, "I was not there, yet I was there. No I did not go to the trial, I did not hear the verdict, because I knew all the time what it would be." Even in the antebellum emancipated south, serious issues regarding race, segregation, and prejudice prevail. Grant, a university-educated black male, has returned from the city to the plantation community where he teaches in a small plantation church. Disturbed with his station in life and angered by the injustice he sees around him, Grant struggles as a prisoner of social convention--always wanting to pack up his things and runaway. But Grant is asked by Jefferson's Godmother, Miss Emma, to stay and teach Jefferson to die like a man. After being called "a thing that acts on command"--a hog--by his own defense attorney, Jefferson looses the dignity he has. It is now up to Grant to restore it. Jefferson believes the words of his attorney as he sees himself only as "a old hog--Just a old hog they fattening up to kill for Christmas." He sees himself as subhuman and worthless. But as the story progresses the two men forge a bond showing that being a man is truly a great thing to have. Both learn many valuable lessons as they teach each other. Grant, who lost his religious faith when he went of school in the city, learns about the soul and the spirit. In the beginning, Grant found Sunday, the Lord's Day, "the saddest day of the week." After being around Jefferson in the small isolated prison cell, though, Grant's character encounters a spiritual rebirth. Jefferson learns about becoming a man. Constantly feeling he is already dead, Jefferson struggles with accepting that he is a human like the rest. Grant tries to tell him, "We're all going to die, Jefferson," but Jefferson, knowing his fate, replies, "Tommorow, Mr. Teacher, that's when you go'n die? Next week?" Nevertheless, in the end, Jefferson eventually overcomes this and approaches his life's end like a man--"Tell Nannan I walked," he said. As the narration continues in the novel, Gaines depicts issues of injustice in the south as a result of Jefferson's trial. He says, "Twelve white men say a black man must die and another white man sets the date and the time without consulting one black man. Justice?" In the racist society of the south, the African-American does not have the luxury of a fair trial and equality. There are bars in the back of the town for "blacks only," there are schools for "blacks only," and there are jail cells strictly for "blacks only." A society that is supposedly over the racial conflicts, strongly conveys a prejudice attitude. The novel forces the reader to take at African-American's fight for freedom that followed their so-called emancipation. Gaines also furthers the story as he comments on capital punishment. He delineates its unethical side when Grant remarks in the text, "I could not get that date and time out of my mind. How do people come up with a date and a time to take life from another man? Who made them God?" Gaines incorporates segregation, tragedy, and injustice into this emotional story. By comprehending the struggle these characters go through, the reader gets a broader view of society and the lessons it teaches its individuals. A Lesson Before Dying is a dynamic story that suits readers of all types. Ernest Gaines truly reaches out and the makes the readers apart of the novel itself--whether they're ready for it or not.

Among the "must read" novels of all times, "A Lesson Before Dying" ranks at the very top of the list in that literary category. It is the type of reading that expands the bounds of the mind, strokes the soul, and tugs at the heart strings. At its conclusion you are left with a plethora of emotions and thoughts that linger for days and remain in your repertory of thought forever. It's one of those novels that you read and say,"Unbelieveable" as you wonder, when will the sequel be published? Ernest Gaines truly solidifies his position as one of the greatest writers ever with this novel.
Gains transports you back to a time when the lines between justice and injustice, right and wrong, fair and unfair are obscured and ultimately crossed and broken by race, socio-economic status, prejudice and segregation. The reader is drawn into the lives of the characters on an intimate level through Gaines' masterful dialogue and vivid descriptive details. This is a novel that challenges the idea of "accepting the things you cannot change" and places a very original spin on the concept of "dying with dignity."
"A Lesson before Dying" is a story that unfolds around the main character's final months on death row after being falsely accused of killing a white store owner during a time when the color of one's skin dictated just how "blind" justice will be. The lessons and realizations he, and those persons who hold a significant place in his life, must come to grips with before his death are heart-wrenching and life-altering.
From the teacher who, under great duress, is forceably assigned the awesome task of "teaching" the main character the "lesson," to the reverend who collaborates with the teacher but from a completely different viewpoint on how the "lesson" should be taught, and the various other characters that vicariously impact upon and influenced the way in which the main character internalizes his plight, each of these characters are left with "lessons" that escalate to the riveting conclusion of this story. Ultimately each of these pivotal characters' lives are altered as a direct and proximate result of the main character's death sentence and the manner in which he learns to die with dignity.
This is a story about self-respect, self-denial, self-sacrifice, self-esteem and self-defeat. It is a story of family, friends, authorities, and enemies and how they are integrally entwined to shape each other's lives. Written in a time when the constraints of racism and economic status divided and at the same time, drew together a community whose heartbeat came to pulsate in conjunction with the heart beat of the main character. Reading this novel in and of itself will prove to be "A Lesson" of memorable magnitude.

This book is classic history of turmoil within the Black culture. When Jefferson entered that car, he turned everyones life upside down. However, at the end of his life, he made people "look at themselves" and not only did he die with dignity (he walked straight, like the man he was - he was no hog); he brought a family that was torn apart together. And even I understand why the Black man ran from the South; I understand his anguish of being a man, but really not. After reading this story, I think of all those who have had bitter experiences as slaves. These people never knew what it was like to be loved or respected and as one of Jehovah's Witnesses', I look forward to seeing these ones in the resurrection foretold at Rev. Chapter 18-21:3,4. Can you imagine seeing their faces knowing that God loved them! Can you imaging seeing their faces when they will be given respect; treated with dignity and the land that they toil on will the THEIR'S. Yes, to meet Ms. Harriet Tubman, Mr. Frederick Douglas and many many more. They will know unbounded love. And what's more, racism will no longer exist because the real perpetrator will be done away with. But imagine the faces of the perpetrators of racism, especially since they thought they were doing "the Christian thing". Imagine them facing these ones and realizing the hurt, humiliation and shame that they entertained upon individuals who were once princes and kings. Gloria Stanley

How can one thank an author for painting a picture so wonderfully that you enter into their world? Thanks to Mr. Gaines for creating Jefferson, an angel in his own right, who saves so many souls. This book was so painful to read, yet it cleansed the spirit! This book and the book Understanding: Train of Thought are the two best books I've read this year.

I also highly recomend the book Where the Heart Is.

A Lesson Before Dying is about a black man named Jefferson. The setting is a small town in the 1940's. Jefferson is on trial for robbery and murder. This is the time of segregation. Although there was evidence of him not committing murder, he was still sentence to death row because the juries were all white. During this time there was a lot of discrimination against black. So Jefferson was not given a fair trial. To the white Juries he was a black man. To them he was already guilty. Also during the trial his own lawyer called Jefferson a hog.
Although the book is about Jefferson, the main character is Grant Wiggins. He is a school's teacher in the town where Jefferson is. Grant promised Jefferson's godmother to make Jefferson into a man but Grant himself doesn't know the meaning to be a man. As Jefferson is waiting for the day of his execution, Grant tries to talk to Jefferson as much as possible. As the execution day draws nearer, Grant and Jefferson will form a bond of friendship.
Although this book was a very good, I didn't like it because I like to read mystery books. I recommended this book to anyone that like to read about human stereotype of others and the discrimination that African-American face during this time. About how they are treat more like a "hog" than human. Although this book was very good, there was a lot of part where it was very boring and confusing.
Critical Reaction
The themes of the story for A Lesson Before Dying are based on Gaines ideology. "We all know--at least intellectually--that we're going [to die]. The difference is being told, 'Okay, it's tomorrow at 10 a.m.' How do you react to that? How do you face it? That, it seems to me, is the ultimate test of life. Quote by Ernest J Gaines, by Vintage Books. That quote tells of how Jefferson feels. Knowing that the exact date and time of his death. The author is trying to tells the reader what it would be like to be on death row for something of which you have not done and discrimination of which the people during that time had to endure.
The author writing style is a bit unusual. Although the story is about Jefferson, throughout the entire story I mainly focus on Grant. Throughout the story it mostly focus on Grant and his life. It wasn't until the end that the author let the readers read about Jefferson perspective. It wasn't until the very end that the readers will know about what Jefferson was thinking.
Throughout the story there was too much unnecessary information that the author put in. So that made the reading boring for me. It talks too much about Grant's life instead of more about Jefferson. But over all the book was a good one, I would recommend anyone to read this book.

A lesson Before Dying, by Ernest J Gaines, is a moving novel about a black man, Jefferson, who sits on death row. I, an eighth grade student at San Francisco Day School, read this book alongside To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I found that the ideas explored in A Lesson Before Dying, such as discrimination, prejudice, pride and death, were very similar to those introduced through To Kill a Mockingbird. Although the ideas explored were the same, the point of view taken by the narrators in the books differ greatly, as one author is white (Harper Lee), and the other is black (Ernest J. Gaines). These contrasting views are shown best through the narrators expectations for the outcomes of the two trials, which take place in each book. To Kill a mockingbird is about the trial of a black man, Tom Robinson, after he has been accused of raping a white woman. Although it is quite obvious that Tom did not commit the crime, the jury reaches a guilty verdict, as could be expected in the racist time and society in which the book took place. Atticus, (Tom Robinson's lawyer and the father of the narrator, Scout) however, has a very optimistic view in both the start and finish of the case, and believes that as time progresses racism will be diminished through the progressive generations. His views, and the views of Harper Lee, are expressed through his closing argument, which makes it apparent he believes change will come. In the beginning of his closing argument Atticus states that the courtroom is the one place that all men are created equal, "...a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller, the stupid man the equal of Einstein, and the ignorant man the equal of any college president." He finishes his closing argument with: "I am confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the evidence you have heard, come to a decision, and restore this defendant to his family. In the name of God, do your duty." The events which take place in A Lesson Before Dying, are very similar to those occurring in To Kill A Mocking bird: a young black man (Jefferson) is put on trial for a crime he didn't commit, and although it is apparent he is innocent, the white jury returns with a guilty verdict. The view of the narrators Grant Wiggins, an educated black school teacher, is much more pessimistic than that of Harper Lee/Scout. Grant believes that society will never change and he has no hope that blacks will he treated as equal as time progresses. This is shown through the opening lines of the book, "I was not there, yet I was there. No, I did not go to the trial, I did not hear the verdict, because I knew all the time what it would be." Grant thinks, that even though Jefferson did not commit the crime, the white jury will find him guilty. He has no hope that this racism will change, not with this case, and not ever. Reading A Lesson Before Dying taught me not only about the ideas of racism and justice, but also made me realize how strongly an authors background and personal feelings reflect upon their writing. It was very clear how differently the two authors felt about racism and the future of blacks in this country. Ernest J. Gaines felt less hopeful because he himself had experienced racism, and he understood how hard it would be to break out of this mold which people followed. Harper Lee, on the other hand, being white, was more hopeful that this mold would be broken, not realizing how severe discrimination really was. Had A Lesson Before Dying been written by an author of a different race, particularly a white person, it would have turned out to be a very different book, and I therefore realize how deeply an authors personality and beliefs impact their writing. A Lesson Before Dying was a very well written and realistic book which helped to broaden my view on the issues of discrimination, the death penalty, and many others.

"A Lesson before Dying" is a powerful novel which confronts racism as well as many other social issues. Although the novel is enjoyable at face value, it also allows for an abundance of individual interpretation of the text. I feel one of the most significant symbols in the novel is the friendship between Grant and Paul. Grant, a pessimistic African American school teacher is the frustrated protagonist. While Paul, a white guard at the local jail, is a young man who comes from "good stock". Although not a large character in the book, Paul is a key representation of one of the many underlying messages in the text.
I personally interpreted the friendship between Grant and Paul as a sign of change. That, in time, everything changes and Grant's pessimistic feelings should change as well. Paul signifies a new generation, one that is far from the previous generations of narrow minded southerners. Grant feels that things will never change, that as long as he is in the south he will be caught in a latent society. Paul is evidence that the age of bigotry is declining. Their friendship foreshadows the progression of relations between the races in the future. Paul is the symbol of hope for the future, and a vision of equality among all men.

A lesson before dying takes place during the 1940s. A young black man named Jefferson is in the middle of a liquor shootout. Being the only one standing he is accused of the deaths of the other people. And is sentenced to death. Wiggin's a teacher is sent by his aunt and Jefferson's Godmother to visit Jefferson in jail to enlighten him.

I really liked this book, because it teaches how tough it was in the 1940s. And how certain people were treated differently. colored people had to refer to white men as sir. and that white people they never gave them respect. And it also shows how mean teachers where in the 1940s. Like when you got the answer wrong they would hit your hand with a ruler. I would recommend this book to others if they like to read about tragedies and drama.

In my 8th grade English class, I chose to read A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines from a list of books by black authors. After reading a summary of the book, I chose to read it because I felt it would make a big impact on me and leave me thinking. While I was reading the book, I was also reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee for English class. To Kill a Mockingbird and A Lesson Before Dying are similar in that they are both about a black man accused of a crime on a white person. However, I liked A Lesson Before Dying because it wasn't about a black boy trying to prove his innocence to escape the death penalty. It was about a boy who had accepted his fate as a Black and the main character who tried to teach him to be a man before he died, for the defense attorney said to the jury, "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." A Lesson Before Dying seemed to be more true to the way it really was for blacks accused of a crime. They had almost no chance of being declared not guilty. This book really made an impact on me. I learned to appreciate my life more, and I know that what happened to Jefferson could happen to anyone. Just being at the wrong place at the wrong time could lead to consequences as extreme as being convicted of a murder and receiving the death penalty. It taught me about the struggles that Blacks had to go through in the thirties. One reason why Gaines might have written the book was to express the fact that Blacks who have been accused of a crime with a white person as the victim have no chance of being free. When Grant and Jefferson's Aunt Emma went to visit Jefferson, Jefferson had lost all hope of being set free and said, "...it don't matter." But, Grant wanted to teach Jefferson to stand proud when he died, as it would give more Blacks the strength to stand proud in society.

This book deals with a young black man about to face death in the electric chair in a small southern town. It's not about whether he is guilty or not guilty, but how he deals with the end of his life on earth and how the people who have known him all his life relate to him. I'm not black, and I do believe in Capital Punishment, but this book puts you in the shoes of loved ones who have to deal with death. If this book doesn't touch your heart, you're already dead.

"A Lesson Before Dying" is a touching and powerful noval set in the late 1940's in Bayonne, Louisiana. It tells the story of a twenty-one-year-old African American field worker, Jefferson, who is wrongfully accused of robbing and murdering a white man than sentenced to death by electrocution. His godmother, Miss Emma, wants Jefferson to die with dignity. She than turns to Grant Wiggins, a black teacher at the local plantation school, and asks him to teach Jefferson to be a man. Grant's pretty much convinced he could do nothing but agrees to visit Jefferson in jail. Grant later on teaches Jefferson to regain dignity and reconnect with their community. Friends, family, and the black community try everything possible to save this innocent man's life and convince this wasn't his doing. As the story goes through a whole time order of events and trial's, the reader is able to tell that Jefferson gets stronger and stronger and is more ready for what has to come. He's ready to experience "the importance of standing" and be a man. This is a very powerful noval. It shows how the African American community had to suffer just to get justice and respect, and still today, have to put up with many of the same things their ancestors had to go through. I recommend this book to anyone who is intrested in history and truth. This book would make any reader anxious for what could happen next and yet reluctant and afriad for what might happen to an innocent man...

A Lesson Before Dying, written by Ernest J. Gaines illustrates the struggle of a highly segregated community and the death of an innocent man. The novel is somewhat slow at the start but is appealing to those who enjoy rich character development. The story takes place during the 1940s on a small sugarcane plantation in Louisianna. Jefferson, a young black man, is falsely accused of killing two white men and is sentenced to execution in the electric chair. Miss Emma, Jefferson's aunt, hopes for Jefferson to accept his responsiblitities and not run away from them. Before she dies she wants to see the black man stand for her. She plans to accomplish this by using Grant Wiggins, an educated school teacher, for the job. Throughout the course of the novel, Grant makes many visits to the jailhouse to talk with Jefferson. This point in the novel is where I began to lose interest because the numerous visits are drawn and the same conversation among the characters is repeated in every visit. Miss Emma wants Grant to teach Jefferson how to break the cycle of the community and to rise above, "this vicious circle." as Grant Wiggins put it. Grant decribes the cycle of the community by stating that each time a male child is born, the people hope this child will be the one to change the vicious circle. Miss Emma believes that both Grant and Jefferson can break this cycle by encouraging Jefferson to walk up to the chair and stand as the tallest and the bravest man in the room. This novel is not only about Jefferson's development into a man before his death, but also about the development of an entire community including Grant Wiggins. I recommend this book only to those who don't mind a slow novel but enjoy reading the transformation in a deprived community.

A Lesson Before Dying is a book devoted to the moral understanding of one's self. Jefferson, a black teen wrongly accused of murder, and Grant Wiggins, the teacher on the Pichot Plantation, both exemplify the struggle for pride and integrity. The degradation Jefferson faces in the courtroom by his own attorney calling him a "hog" serves as motivation for his grandmother to change him into a man. Grant is asked to teach Jefferson about pride, however, Grant finds himself the one being taught. As both these young men forge a bond, they defy the expected and prove themselves as men of dignity. The book was thought-provoking with a timeless lesson: every man can be a hero. Ernest Gaines creates a passive protagonist in Grant to portray the importance of small actions. Throughout their bonding, what might seem as an insignificant comment or action is really a major psychological turning point for both Jefferson and Grant. The depth of introspection of both main characters provides the reader with the opportunity to examine his/her own beliefs and self limitations. By discussing controversial subjects such as the death penalty and the existence of heaven, the reader's religious faith is strengthened for his/her own views prevail taking a stand on the issue of death. The details of life during the 1940's in a Cajun community is directly influenced by Gaines who grew up in that environment. Gaines's expertise in these surroundings create the mood of prejudice and condemnation of African-Americans generating the mood in which Jefferson becomes ashamed of himself. With his simple vocabulary, Gaines creates a rather easy reading book. Although the book can be read in a short amount of time, sometimes the realization that something was important causes the reader to review past chapters. A Lesson Before Dying represents the struggle of integrity, pride, and dignity by Jefferson's journey to the electric chair and Grant's path toward the strong principles of his manhood.

"A Lesson Before Dying" offers multiple lessons which anyone can be guided by. In this compelling novel, Gaines incorporates his own background and experiences in a similar setting into making the characters and events come alive. This book addresses many themes such as injustice, discrimination, and the death penalty. However, the single theme that most stood out to me was the concept of pride and dignity. Jefferson's pride has completely been torn apart by the unfair accusation for a crime he didn't commit and by being called a "hog" by his defense lawyer. Grant's mission, as he visits Jefferson in prison, is to teach him to regain a sense of pride, so that he can die with dignity and face his death courageously. He also teaches that heroism can be achieved by simply having the courage to defy and stand up to those in authority. This book really got me thinking, especially concerning the death penalty. When you think about it, it really can sound unethical for one person to be able to determine the date and time to take away life from another person, especially if they didn't even deserve to die in the first place, as in Jefferson's case. Overall, "A Lesson Before Dying" was an outstanding, realistic, and moving book with lessons that can educate any reader. I highly recommend it for anyone who would like to learn something about any aspect of the human soul.

I like the book A Lesson Before dying by Ernest J. Gaines. There are two interesting character: Jefferson and Grant. Jefferson is a mentally challenge guy and is going to be electrocuted because he was at wrong place at the time. Grant is an educated black man forced in to helping Jefferson become a man before he dies. It is interesting how he describe their building friendship from the beginning to the inevitable end.

The narrations by Grant show what he thinks and feels. It describes what he wants to do and do not want to do. It shows his anger and his love toward people. He sucks in his anger when talking to his relative and everyone can relate to that. You feel like saying it but you know you can not. Everyone has those moment, for instance when your force to doing what you do not want to do. That is what happened to Grant when Miss Emma told him to help Jefferson and he did not want to. He describes what he wanted to do and say. It's very entertaining.

It was beautifully written. He makes you feel compassion for Jefferson and his mother Miss Emma. He describes to you what life was in the 1940s. It shows people like Grant, views on society and what they wish they could do. It tells you there were more people like Jefferson and that they were framed and got the ultimate punishment for being innocent.

First off i would like to say that I was suprised that a classical book would trigger my individual book taste...but i was truly impressed. I loved this book, and suggest everyone read it. It is a story of a misaccusted young black youth who by being at the wrong place wrong time, must die in jail. Coming from a very respectable family they wish him to be visited by a teacher...in hope that he can die like a man. They give the unwilling teacher the great responsibility of opening a young man's eyes and heart, and teach him that he (a black boy) is much more than what white society may view him as. In the end the boy is able to possess integrity, strength, faith, and pride although fate has short future for him. Defanantly a beautiful and soul-fufilling book.

This was a great book! My childen and I read every day,then at night before bed we all talk about what we read that day. I have always taught the kids that the color of a persons skin does not matter.So when I talked about this book it really upset them!My ten year old girl was really upset. Her BEST friend is a colored girl and they are together ALL the time.They are like sisters.If you have not read this book,Get it and read it. You will love it!

A " Lesson Before Dying" by Ernest J. Gaines is a powerful and moving book. It's realistic insight on black suffrage,in Louisiana in the 1940's, keep a readers full attention. I thought that the religious symbolism that Gaines uses was innovating. His comparison of Jefferson's character to that of Jesus Christ was very insightful. Gaines also uses descriptive writing to explain different situations and express various characters throughout the book. This use of descriptive writing makes the novel interesting and easy to read. The only aspect that prevents this novel from achieving five stars is Gaines' tendency to not flow from chapter to chapter. It seems that every chapter begins to present a new idea instead of continuing with where the previous chapter left off. One example of this is in chapter 19 throughout the chapter he writes of this "lone gift against the tub of dirt"(p.151) but yet throughout the rest of this story nothing is ever mentioned again about this gift. Although this book does have this one flaw, it is definitely worth reading. One of the best books I've ever read.

Ernest J. Gaines's, A Lesson Before Dying, was a great book. The characters in the book were very well developed. The main theme in the story was; heroism is not discrimination, racism, and the death penalty. The setting of the book was during the time when racism was the biggest thing around. During the time period, there were strict rules of blacks using water fountains for blacks, sitting in the back of the bus, eating in a black only cafe, etc. This book was very strong and contained many different views of racism.
Harper Lee's, To Kill A Mockingbird, was similar to this book because they both contained signs of racism and discrimination. Both stories had a character(s) who defended blacks, trying to show that they weren't bad or to be discriminated against.
From reading this book, I found that Blacks or any other kind of race different from whites, should be respected and not treated with cruelty. I recommend this book to everyone because this book can really tell you lots of things. This book teaches you lessons about how to judge people and that violence is not the way to solve things. I think that this book is not only a story, but also a book filled with advice and lessons which people learn overtime. This was a great book.

Taking place in World War II era Louisiana, A Lesson Before Dying depicts the struggle of a community through the experiences of one man. Grant Wiggins, born and raised on a sugar cane plantation, on which he is now the schoolteacher, is faced with the challenge of shaping a young innocent man named Jefferson, unjustly convicted for murder, into a man before his execution. "Now his godmother wants me to visit him and make him know-prove to these white men-that he's not a hog, that he's a man. I'm supposed to make him a man. Who am I? God?" Grant struggles with himself and the others around him in search of his own identity. The faith of the community lies upon Grant as a hero, and forces him to realize his importance to his people. As a result of his revelation Grant comes to understand his role amongst his peers and accepts the challenge presented to him by the matriarchs in the story, Miss Emma, and Grant's Aunt, Tante Lou. A Lesson Before Dying, although slow at times, was rich in character development, and is worthy of much praise due to its wonderful account of the struggle of a people. A classic story of faith, love, struggle, and heroism, A Lesson Before Dying promises to enhance the perspective on which one views life, basically a wonderfully told tragedy.

Ernest Gaines did a terrific job with bringing the reader to the scene and feeling the plantation life. I found I wanted more exploration of the characters, especially his aunt and his girlfriend. What about a more definite redemption at the end for Grant? I was left wanting more. I learned a lot about things that I had thought weren't occurring in the 1940's which was very thought provoking. Over all a good book, but not a masterpiece.

A Lesson Before Dying is a strong novel that starts to control your emotiuons. This novel was written in the time of the 1940's, where Affrican Americans were still begin discriminated. The two main characters, two African American men, Grant Wiggins, an elementary school teacher, and a man named Jefferson, who was sentenced to death for convicted murder are forced to come together to change Jefferson's life. The white attorney who prosecuted Jefferson said that Jeffereson was going to die a hog, and not a man because Jefferson was illiterate and not intelligent. Jefferson's god-mother, Miss Emma raised Jefferson all his life, and was devastated to hear this statement and wanted someone to help change Jefferson to prove the white men wrong. Miss Emma then had Grant Wiggins to help change Jefferson from being a hog as stated to a person who was going to die a man. Grant and Jefferson are two every different people, with different intentions. What was the outcome at the end... you must read the novel to find out!

If you have ever had someone in your family that has had cancer and they knew they were going to die before they actually passed away, you could probably relate to this book. Although this book isn't about a man with cancer, it is about someone who is going to die who was falsely accused of a crime. Miss Emma a godmother to Jefferson the man who is sentenced to death wants Jefferson to die a "man." In court the District Attorney tried to get Jefferson off by saying you might as well kill a hog as to kill this Jefferson. Miss Emma wants Jefferson to be educated and stand as a he walks to the electric chair electric chair.

In A Lesson Before Dying Grant is a School teacher who has to try and teach Jefferson to stand as a man before being executed. Grant has trouble at times trying to stand up on his own, facing a lot of racial prejudice with most of the white community thinking that they are superior to the blacks in the community. While visiting Jefferson Grant rarely talks about god and this angers their Reverend. At one point in the story Reverend Ambrose said, "We have to get something straight around here," speaking to Grant, referring to teaching Jefferson about God. Grant does not have the faith the Reverend would like him to have. Grant bought Jefferson a radio which the Reverend didn't agree with either. Grand believed that the radio was just company for Jefferson and said, "I call it company, Reverend Ambrose," in a argument between the two. Grant beleiverd that Jefferson needed to realize important things about living before he had to die. Towards the end of the book Grant read in the notebook that Jefferson wrote, "allow me to be your friend Mr. Wiggins."

In conclusion A lesson Before Dying is a very compelling and moving book. There are many lessons to be learned within the book. I believer that Grant who is still living learned just as many lessons as Jefferson who stood as the strongest man in the execution room. I would recommend this excellent book to anyone who likes a moving book about great relationships between families.

Capital punishment, segregation, and acceptance have been a part of past and present times. Those issues along with tragedy, injustice, and accomplishment are part of the fascinating story, A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest Gaines. The setting for this novel is a small town in the south during the 1940s where the two main characters are Jeferson and Grant. Jefferson is condemned to death by electrocution for a crime he did not commit. When his godmother realizes that nothing can be done for his freedom, she asks Grant to help him die like a man. After being called a hog by his defense attorney, Jefferson looses the little dignity he had and it's up to Grant to restore it. Grant doesn't like the idea, but he's forced to comply to it by his aunt. In return, Grant learns about the soul and spirit. Gaines writes this tragic story and reveals his feelings of capital punishment, segregation, and the difficulty of acceptance in a unique way, which thus makes this novel a 1993 winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction. Ernest J. Gaines was born into the world he describes in A Lesson Before Dying. "Though the places in my stories and novels are imaginary ones, they are based pretty much on the place where I grew up and the surrounding areas where I worked, went to school, and traveled as a child..."(Vintage Books) depicts Gaines. Although what he says, Gaines has a special way of letting the reader know what his opinion is on capital punishment. He describes his feelings about this form of punishment through Grant. When the date for Jefferson's death is set, Grant thinks about the way someone can plan a man's death. "How do people come up with a date and time to take a life from another man? Who made them God?" Those were the thoughts going through Grant's mind, and they showed the billiance of an author who expresses his feelings in a unique manner. Grant and Jefferson convey to the reader the true meaning of soul and spirit by teaching each other those values. Grant shows Jefferson to die with dignity. Then, conversely, he is learns a few things about the soul. The way they respond to each other is described so clearly, it's as if the reader is in that lonely and desolate cell. Gaines also wrote about the mulattos to tell the reader about the struggle with acceptance. He teaches the reader about segregation and acceptance through his other characters. Bars in the back of town for "blacks only", "blacks only" restrooms, and the school where Grant teaches for "blacks only" are only some of the examples of segregation Gaines so explicitly places in the novel. A Lesson Before Dying is a touching and powerful novel that reaches out to the reader and portrays a time of injustice, inequality, and struggle. Gaines does an exquisite job of describing thoroughly the pain of enduring those issues. That description makes the story powerful enough to change some readers' thoughts. By comprehending the struggle these main characters go through, the reader gets a broader view of society which makes him/her a better person.

Most of the books we read in english class were stodgy classics that came out of an era filled with 12 letter words and 30 word sentances. A Lesson Before Dying avoids this pretension and states its powerful message in a readable way. It makes a great fast paced, interesting novel, that can be breezed over, and it can be perused more carefully because it is worth the invested time and effort. However you choose to read it, rest assured that it will entice you and enlighten you.

The books starts in segregation-era, Louisiana. A young black man named Jefferson is falsely accused and convicted of murder, and he's waiting his execution date. Jefferson's mother, the godmother of Grant, asks Grant a favor. She wants Grant, who is the best educated man she knows, to make Jefferson a man before he dies. So Grant starts to go and meet him in jail. As the story goes on, Gains writes the background of Jefferson, how he grew up, how he was educated, and how other African-Americans' lives were like in the segregation-era. Everything was different between the Caucasians and the African-Americans : The quality of the education, what part of the town they live, where they hang out, and the church they go to was different. He also shows how the African-Americans had to act differently in the presence of Caucasians.
In the end, Jefferson dies, but there are so many lessons from his death. Everyone inside the book, and outside the book learns a lesson from his death, especially in his diary. Jefferson's diary show the steps of him, becoming a man.
While you read this book, you will be able to experience the pains and sorrows of the African-Americans during that era, and also learn more about racism. I didn't really understand what racism was, and how serious it was because I grew up in a Asian culture.

I feel that this book has a powerful meaning that touches those who have a sense of heart and pride. It slowly enfolds itself several days after one has finished reading it. It is not a book with action and/or suspense, rather it is a book that causes the reader to think for him/herself. It starts out plainly and ends the way the reader might perceive it to end. It is completely predictible; it is this predictability that directs the mind and spirit toward a deeper meaning of the book.
The two main characters, Grant and Jefferson, transform through their hesitant openness to change. Their changing causes them to realize their purpose in life and what it means to have faith. They begin to grasp a sense of pride as they journey through this transformation and as this pride grows stronger, they grow stronger. Finally, I recommend this book to those who enjoy reflecting on and analyzing books, and/or to those who would like to get in touch with their inner-self. It is a great book that will hopefully inspire faith, hope, and herosim in each and every person that reads it.

"A Lesson Before Dying" is a moving fictional account of a black man sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit. Jefferson is convicted of a convenience store murder, being the only person left alive after a shootout, despite having not pulled any triggers. His lawyer attempts to get him acquitted by telling the jurors that they might as well convict a "hog," which sparks the book's main storyline - Jefferson's aunt convinces local black teacher Grant Wiggins to visit Jefferson in prison and teach him how to be a man, instead of a hog. Gaines's prose is plain but evocative; ultimately, the novel explores the themes of racial identity in the face of oppression, universal human dignity and worth, and what it means to be a (hu)man.

A Lesson Before Dying is a simple novel with a life-changing lesson. Set in rural Louisiana in the 1940's, it is a story centered on Grant Wiggins, the local teacher who is sent to teach Jefferson, a man wrongly sentenced to die for a murder he did not commit because he was a black man in the wrong place at the wrong time, to be a man and walk to his death.
The novel forces the reader to examine what it is that, makes a man a man, and not an animal in the face of oppression. Jefferson learns that his education and his possessions do not define a man, but rather the respect he has for himself and others. Grant, while teaching Jefferson something to do something Grant could not do himself, learns an important lesson about the value of sacrifice and family.
The lessons learned in this novel can be applied not only to the characters themselves, but also to today's society, where dignity and pride are often secondary to material possessions. A thought provoking book that is readable on many levels, A Lesson Before Dying is well worth reading.

When I first started to read this book, I was a little aprehensive. Being an African-American, sometimes when I know that books deal with the oppression of my race, I frankly get upset and don't want to read it. This was not the case with "A Lesson Before Dying." Set during the 1940's in a segregated cajun community, this story is about overcoming barriers with others, but most importantly overcomming barriers within yourself. As Grant the protaganist of the story is faced with the task of educating Jefferson, a black male who is faced with the death penilty, due to a crime that he didn't commit. Grant does more than teach Jefferson to "be a man" in his last days,he teaches himself as well. Grant and Jefferson change their lives, and well as others, with the greatest lesson in life. "A Lesson Before Dying" is an excellent book to read for anyone, it causes you to look at yourself, discover the barriers you have with others, but mostly you discover the barriers within yourself, and soar to become a better person.

I have heard over and over how good this book is. I have finally decided to read it, I am about 2/3 of the way through it, and I am not at all impressed. Maybe because this is not my first rodeo... I'm familiar with the theme, I've read many other works dealing with racial inequalities... For me, this one falls flat. I'm hoping "the good part" is in the last third.

We were very frustrated by the Audible version of this work. It is well performed and well read, but when they abridged the work, they really cut it. Sometimes 3 or 4 cuts within a single page of the original. It is very frustrating trying to follow along. I cannot recommend purchasing the Audible version of Lesson Before Dying.

A Lesson before Dying, written by Ernest J. Gaines, is a non fiction book that has many themes addressing stereotypes. As the book starts Jefferson, the main character, is convicted of a murder that he did not commit. He is a very poor and uneducated man, so all he can do is beg for his life in front of a grand jury who finds him guilty of murder. Jefferson's Aunt, Ms. Emma convinces Grant Wiggins, an educated black teacher to help Jefferson die a proud man instead of a coward little "hog." They use "hog" in the book many times to describe Mr. Jefferson's life. As you read deeper into this book your emotions will change, from sadness to happiness, as Jefferson dies a proud man instead of a hog.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about African American History. Also this would be a great book for high school or middle school students. There are many themes and emotions about this book that could be analyzed in different ways. This book doesn't really stagger along and you will always enjoy it. Personally, I liked the first couple of chapters about Mr. Jefferson and his crime that he was accused of committing. One aspect of the book that I did not enjoy was when Grant talks to Mr. Jefferson in his cell. It was very unenthusiastic and didn't excite me. If you are familiar with Ernest J. Gaines writings you will also like this book because most of his books are similar with this one.

Throughout this book we are always kept on edge. We are never completely sure whether or not Grant will be able to help Jefferson. In the begging of the book Jefferson is convicted of murder. When his god mother learns this, she asks Grant to teach him a lesson in dignity before he dies. Her god son, Jefferson, is not well mannered and she wants Jefferson to die with a purpose for himself. She wants Grant, a really emotional person, to teach Jefferson how to be dignified. Throughout the novel we are constantly guessing what Grant's actual emotional state is. He is doing fine one minute, then another minute he is thinking about something bad and his worst character traits surface. He has a married girlfriend, he can't leave the neighborhood he so desperately wants to, and he lives in a era where it is bad to be African American. Will he ever be able to escape his present situation and become the man he wants to be? All of these elements add to his unstable emotional state and a large climatic moment in the book. This book was put together really well. Adding all of the subtle elements makes for a real good read.

Ernest Gaines did a terrific job with bringing the reader to the scene and feeling the plantation life. I found I wanted more exploration of the characters, especially his aunt and his girlfriend. What about a more definite redemption at the end for Grant? I was left wanting more. I learned a lot about things that I had thought weren't occurring in the 1940's which was very thought provoking. Over all a good book, but not a masterpiece.

A Lesson Before Dying is a strong novel that starts to control your emotiuons. This novel was written in the time of the 1940's, where Affrican Americans were still begin discriminated. The two main characters, two African American men, Grant Wiggins, an elementary school teacher, and a man named Jefferson, who was sentenced to death for convicted murder are forced to come together to change Jefferson's life. The white attorney who prosecuted Jefferson said that Jeffereson was going to die a hog, and not a man because Jefferson was illiterate and not intelligent. Jefferson's god-mother, Miss Emma raised Jefferson all his life, and was devastated to hear this statement and wanted someone to help change Jefferson to prove the white men wrong. Miss Emma then had Grant Wiggins to help change Jefferson from being a hog as stated to a person who was going to die a man. Grant and Jefferson are two every different people, with different intentions. What was the outcome at the end... you must read the novel to find out!

If you have ever had someone in your family that has had cancer and they knew they were going to die before they actually passed away, you could probably relate to this book. Although this book isn't about a man with cancer, it is about someone who is going to die who was falsely accused of a crime. Miss Emma a godmother to Jefferson the man who is sentenced to death wants Jefferson to die a "man." In court the District Attorney tried to get Jefferson off by saying you might as well kill a hog as to kill this Jefferson. Miss Emma wants Jefferson to be educated and stand as a he walks to the electric chair electric chair.

In A Lesson Before Dying Grant is a School teacher who has to try and teach Jefferson to stand as a man before being executed. Grant has trouble at times trying to stand up on his own, facing a lot of racial prejudice with most of the white community thinking that they are superior to the blacks in the community. While visiting Jefferson Grant rarely talks about god and this angers their Reverend. At one point in the story Reverend Ambrose said, "We have to get something straight around here," speaking to Grant, referring to teaching Jefferson about God. Grant does not have the faith the Reverend would like him to have. Grant bought Jefferson a radio which the Reverend didn't agree with either. Grand believed that the radio was just company for Jefferson and said, "I call it company, Reverend Ambrose," in a argument between the two. Grant beleiverd that Jefferson needed to realize important things about living before he had to die. Towards the end of the book Grant read in the notebook that Jefferson wrote, "allow me to be your friend Mr. Wiggins."

In conclusion A lesson Before Dying is a very compelling and moving book. There are many lessons to be learned within the book. I believer that Grant who is still living learned just as many lessons as Jefferson who stood as the strongest man in the execution room. I would recommend this excellent book to anyone who likes a moving book about great relationships between families.

Capital punishment, segregation, and acceptance have been a part of past and present times. Those issues along with tragedy, injustice, and accomplishment are part of the fascinating story, A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest Gaines. The setting for this novel is a small town in the south during the 1940s where the two main characters are Jeferson and Grant. Jefferson is condemned to death by electrocution for a crime he did not commit. When his godmother realizes that nothing can be done for his freedom, she asks Grant to help him die like a man. After being called a hog by his defense attorney, Jefferson looses the little dignity he had and it's up to Grant to restore it. Grant doesn't like the idea, but he's forced to comply to it by his aunt. In return, Grant learns about the soul and spirit. Gaines writes this tragic story and reveals his feelings of capital punishment, segregation, and the difficulty of acceptance in a unique way, which thus makes this novel a 1993 winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction. Ernest J. Gaines was born into the world he describes in A Lesson Before Dying. "Though the places in my stories and novels are imaginary ones, they are based pretty much on the place where I grew up and the surrounding areas where I worked, went to school, and traveled as a child..."(Vintage Books) depicts Gaines. Although what he says, Gaines has a special way of letting the reader know what his opinion is on capital punishment. He describes his feelings about this form of punishment through Grant. When the date for Jefferson's death is set, Grant thinks about the way someone can plan a man's death. "How do people come up with a date and time to take a life from another man? Who made them God?" Those were the thoughts going through Grant's mind, and they showed the billiance of an author who expresses his feelings in a unique manner. Grant and Jefferson convey to the reader the true meaning of soul and spirit by teaching each other those values. Grant shows Jefferson to die with dignity. Then, conversely, he is learns a few things about the soul. The way they respond to each other is described so clearly, it's as if the reader is in that lonely and desolate cell. Gaines also wrote about the mulattos to tell the reader about the struggle with acceptance. He teaches the reader about segregation and acceptance through his other characters. Bars in the back of town for "blacks only", "blacks only" restrooms, and the school where Grant teaches for "blacks only" are only some of the examples of segregation Gaines so explicitly places in the novel. A Lesson Before Dying is a touching and powerful novel that reaches out to the reader and portrays a time of injustice, inequality, and struggle. Gaines does an exquisite job of describing thoroughly the pain of enduring those issues. That description makes the story powerful enough to change some readers' thoughts. By comprehending the struggle these main characters go through, the reader gets a broader view of society which makes him/her a better person.

Most of the books we read in english class were stodgy classics that came out of an era filled with 12 letter words and 30 word sentances. A Lesson Before Dying avoids this pretension and states its powerful message in a readable way. It makes a great fast paced, interesting novel, that can be breezed over, and it can be perused more carefully because it is worth the invested time and effort. However you choose to read it, rest assured that it will entice you and enlighten you.

The books starts in segregation-era, Louisiana. A young black man named Jefferson is falsely accused and convicted of murder, and he's waiting his execution date. Jefferson's mother, the godmother of Grant, asks Grant a favor. She wants Grant, who is the best educated man she knows, to make Jefferson a man before he dies. So Grant starts to go and meet him in jail. As the story goes on, Gains writes the background of Jefferson, how he grew up, how he was educated, and how other African-Americans' lives were like in the segregation-era. Everything was different between the Caucasians and the African-Americans : The quality of the education, what part of the town they live, where they hang out, and the church they go to was different. He also shows how the African-Americans had to act differently in the presence of Caucasians.
In the end, Jefferson dies, but there are so many lessons from his death. Everyone inside the book, and outside the book learns a lesson from his death, especially in his diary. Jefferson's diary show the steps of him, becoming a man.
While you read this book, you will be able to experience the pains and sorrows of the African-Americans during that era, and also learn more about racism. I didn't really understand what racism was, and how serious it was because I grew up in a Asian culture.

I feel that this book has a powerful meaning that touches those who have a sense of heart and pride. It slowly enfolds itself several days after one has finished reading it. It is not a book with action and/or suspense, rather it is a book that causes the reader to think for him/herself. It starts out plainly and ends the way the reader might perceive it to end. It is completely predictible; it is this predictability that directs the mind and spirit toward a deeper meaning of the book.
The two main characters, Grant and Jefferson, transform through their hesitant openness to change. Their changing causes them to realize their purpose in life and what it means to have faith. They begin to grasp a sense of pride as they journey through this transformation and as this pride grows stronger, they grow stronger. Finally, I recommend this book to those who enjoy reflecting on and analyzing books, and/or to those who would like to get in touch with their inner-self. It is a great book that will hopefully inspire faith, hope, and herosim in each and every person that reads it.

"A Lesson Before Dying" is a moving fictional account of a black man sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit. Jefferson is convicted of a convenience store murder, being the only person left alive after a shootout, despite having not pulled any triggers. His lawyer attempts to get him acquitted by telling the jurors that they might as well convict a "hog," which sparks the book's main storyline - Jefferson's aunt convinces local black teacher Grant Wiggins to visit Jefferson in prison and teach him how to be a man, instead of a hog. Gaines's prose is plain but evocative; ultimately, the novel explores the themes of racial identity in the face of oppression, universal human dignity and worth, and what it means to be a (hu)man.

A Lesson Before Dying is a simple novel with a life-changing lesson. Set in rural Louisiana in the 1940's, it is a story centered on Grant Wiggins, the local teacher who is sent to teach Jefferson, a man wrongly sentenced to die for a murder he did not commit because he was a black man in the wrong place at the wrong time, to be a man and walk to his death.
The novel forces the reader to examine what it is that, makes a man a man, and not an animal in the face of oppression. Jefferson learns that his education and his possessions do not define a man, but rather the respect he has for himself and others. Grant, while teaching Jefferson something to do something Grant could not do himself, learns an important lesson about the value of sacrifice and family.
The lessons learned in this novel can be applied not only to the characters themselves, but also to today's society, where dignity and pride are often secondary to material possessions. A thought provoking book that is readable on many levels, A Lesson Before Dying is well worth reading.

When I first started to read this book, I was a little aprehensive. Being an African-American, sometimes when I know that books deal with the oppression of my race, I frankly get upset and don't want to read it. This was not the case with "A Lesson Before Dying." Set during the 1940's in a segregated cajun community, this story is about overcoming barriers with others, but most importantly overcomming barriers within yourself. As Grant the protaganist of the story is faced with the task of educating Jefferson, a black male who is faced with the death penilty, due to a crime that he didn't commit. Grant does more than teach Jefferson to "be a man" in his last days,he teaches himself as well. Grant and Jefferson change their lives, and well as others, with the greatest lesson in life. "A Lesson Before Dying" is an excellent book to read for anyone, it causes you to look at yourself, discover the barriers you have with others, but mostly you discover the barriers within yourself, and soar to become a better person.

I have heard over and over how good this book is. I have finally decided to read it, I am about 2/3 of the way through it, and I am not at all impressed. Maybe because this is not my first rodeo... I'm familiar with the theme, I've read many other works dealing with racial inequalities... For me, this one falls flat. I'm hoping "the good part" is in the last third.

We were very frustrated by the Audible version of this work. It is well performed and well read, but when they abridged the work, they really cut it. Sometimes 3 or 4 cuts within a single page of the original. It is very frustrating trying to follow along. I cannot recommend purchasing the Audible version of Lesson Before Dying.

A Lesson before Dying, written by Ernest J. Gaines, is a non fiction book that has many themes addressing stereotypes. As the book starts Jefferson, the main character, is convicted of a murder that he did not commit. He is a very poor and uneducated man, so all he can do is beg for his life in front of a grand jury who finds him guilty of murder. Jefferson's Aunt, Ms. Emma convinces Grant Wiggins, an educated black teacher to help Jefferson die a proud man instead of a coward little "hog." They use "hog" in the book many times to describe Mr. Jefferson's life. As you read deeper into this book your emotions will change, from sadness to happiness, as Jefferson dies a proud man instead of a hog.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about African American History. Also this would be a great book for high school or middle school students. There are many themes and emotions about this book that could be analyzed in different ways. This book doesn't really stagger along and you will always enjoy it. Personally, I liked the first couple of chapters about Mr. Jefferson and his crime that he was accused of committing. One aspect of the book that I did not enjoy was when Grant talks to Mr. Jefferson in his cell. It was very unenthusiastic and didn't excite me. If you are familiar with Ernest J. Gaines writings you will also like this book because most of his books are similar with this one.

Throughout this book we are always kept on edge. We are never completely sure whether or not Grant will be able to help Jefferson. In the begging of the book Jefferson is convicted of murder. When his god mother learns this, she asks Grant to teach him a lesson in dignity before he dies. Her god son, Jefferson, is not well mannered and she wants Jefferson to die with a purpose for himself. She wants Grant, a really emotional person, to teach Jefferson how to be dignified. Throughout the novel we are constantly guessing what Grant's actual emotional state is. He is doing fine one minute, then another minute he is thinking about something bad and his worst character traits surface. He has a married girlfriend, he can't leave the neighborhood he so desperately wants to, and he lives in a era where it is bad to be African American. Will he ever be able to escape his present situation and become the man he wants to be? All of these elements add to his unstable emotional state and a large climatic moment in the book. This book was put together really well. Adding all of the subtle elements makes for a real good read.

i noticed that the teenagers found this book too slow, too boring, too unrealistic......too bad most of them that read it did not have the maturity to actually expand beyond the pages of this book. (my 15 year old would probably not like it either) i found it very honest...very real....and one that makes me more aware of the prejudices that we have all grown up with and are exposed to on a daily basis. well written....

The lessons we learn through books are truly amazing, while reading "Lesson Before Dying" By: Ernest J. Gaines is based on the story of a young man who is sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit. He was convicted by the color of his skin, and for being at the scene of the crime. While reading this capturing book I thought about the book "True North" by: Kathryn Lasky. "True North" is based on the Underground Railroad, which follows a white woman's friendship with a black woman who is an escaped slave making her way to the Canada border. Both authors show the reader how strong the characters are through thick and thin. The character in "A Lesson Before Dying"; Jefferson undergoes change through trust of another black man by the name of Grant Wiggens, and understands the real meaning of life. Jefferson's nanna persuades a young schoolteacher Grant Wiggens to visit Jefferson in his cell and help him learn his pride of being a man before his death. Grant Wiggens is quoted in the novel "do you know what his nanna wants me to do before they kill him? The public defender called him a hog and she wants me to make him a man. Within the next few weeks, maybe a month, whatever the law allows- make him a man" Before the story is over the two men forge a bond showing being a man not a hog is truly a great thing to have. The teacher lets a confused teenager understand that he is not the victim, but is for the color of his skin. The characters in "True North" undergo the change of life, understanding of two different races coming together and understand the real meaning of life. This historical fiction book lets the reader understand the meaning of life in the 19th century. Fourteen-year-old Lucy being the youngest daughter of a proper, upper-middle-class family lives in Boston. The other character Afrika, a young slave knows it is time to run for freedom to the Underground Railroad. Both of the girl's lives collide when Lucy discovers Afrika Hiding in her grandfather's house. Lucy quickly changes her thoughts on slavery, as the girls become better friends. Afrika shares her life of slavery to Lucy, while the reader can imagine the real terrors of slavery. "Afrika turned her back to Lucy and began to take off her heavy wrap, and then she unbuttoned her blouse. She removed it and the chemise so she was naked from the waist up. A blaze of cold moonlight illuminated the awful spider web that stretched across Afrika's back. Crying softly, Lucy traced the terrible embroidery of scars with her finger. It was then that the unimaginable became imaginable. That night, the two girls fell asleep in each other's arms." The author gives vivid detail and the characters perspectives on life. Both of these books go through change through each character, while they both find the real meaning to life. Gains and Lasky paint a picture for the reader about each of the characters who undergo change. Let's the readers escape and imagine what it is like for Jefferson, Wiggens, Afrika's, or even Lucy's way of life, through friendship and understanding.

I have to admit, this isn't the worst in-class reading assignment I've ever had to sit through. I probably wouldn't read it independently, as it simply isn't my genre of interest, but that doesn't mean I disliked reading it.

The book is beautifully written. Ernest J. Gaines is a very descriptive author, with amazing character development. You really gain a wonderful understanding of the characters and their relationship with each other. It is also a great depiction of the time period it is based in, and has a perfect point of view from the african community during that time.

However, the book often seems hard to follow. It's drawn out, and you may very well be half way through the book before you actually find the main point of the story. As such, I would most likely never have been able to finish it on my own. It isn't very engaging, although it does teach great lessons that everyone should learn.

If a reader like yourself wants to read about a man looking for himself, read this book! Maybe you will have something in common with this man. His name is Grant Wiggins. He's in love with someone, but that's not even working out for him! I felt sorry for the guy sometimes. This man is the main character of the story. He doesn't know what he is, what he wants to do. He is very confused. Maybe it can be that his aunt treats him like a child or a lot of people depend on him. Maybe he can't handle the pressure of getting depended on. He's caught in a sitution he can't get out of (of course because of hi aunt). His aunt practically forces him to visit a man on death row to make a "man" out of him. This man is innocent, and everyone know's except the people that want to believe he's guilty. Grant, himself, is not yet a man. Yes, he's a teacher and very educated, but he's like a confused child. The boy has no intention of listening to Grant. He's just waiting to die. How is Grant going to get through this and his other problems? You'll just have to read the book to find out.

I recently read the book, A Lesson before Dying, by Ernest Gaines. I picked up the book because the title grabbed my attention. The actually book is a lot less exciting than the title makes it sound. The first few pages were very interesting but after that it is all down hill.
The book begins with a poor black man, Jefferson, being tried for murder. Although he wasn't the one with the gun that killed the poor white store manager, or the one that actually pulled the trigger, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Jefferson's lawyer knew he was going to be convicted he asked the jury to not give Jefferson the death penalty because he said why would you want to kill a hog? After the lawyer said that comment it upset Jefferson's grandmother so much that she bound and determined to convince Jefferson that he was a man before he died. And who better to do it than, the black school teacher Mr. Grant Wiggins.
Although you follow Mr. Wiggins' journey to make Jefferson realize that he is a man, you find yourself reading the same thing over and over. There seems to be no big climax and no surprising ending. Gaines does a good job with description of the town and lets you know how hard it was for a black man in that little southern town. But he doesn't go in-depth with any conflicts or make anything happen that would throw a twist in the story.
A Lesson before Dying, was a very disappointing book. I thought that Gaines could have done a better job of making this story interesting but unfortunately he was far from that. I wouldn't recommend this book for a person that enjoys reading a book that has twists and surprises or even a climax.

A Lesson Before Dying is at the same time deep, meaningful, and touching. Gaines' depictions of the events are vivid and seem very real. The novel brings to light the feelings and prejudices of that time period, the 1940s. It shows the changes that both Grant and Jefferson undergo as the date of his execution nears, as well of the consequences it has on others in the community after his death. Overall a great novel.

Gaines is an excellent writer, meticulous in detail and touching. Yet he is too restrained in the expression of his characters' feelings. Relying too much on the reader to feel the characters' struggles. Overall a great piece of work, Gaines is able to take the reader into a small Cajun community allowing the reader a peek into the minds of those who are struggling to gain pride in themselves.

I am a high school student that was assigned this book over the summer and this is my honest rating of this book. I am rating this book a 2 out of 5 because of its slow reading and lack of a message for high schoolers. I DO NOT recommend this book for high schoolers. I would have rated this book a 1 out of 5 but the discussions that sprawled from this book in class were quite enjoyable and enriching. Despite the fun class time, reading the book felt like torture.

The book is about two African Americans. One, a teacher, and the other, a prisoner on death row who was convicted for a murder he had only witnessed. The story started out extremely slow, and it is only later that you figure out why the story is called "a lesson before dying". After completing the book, I was left in shock at how mundane the message or "lesson" was from the story.

I can see my future self contemplating the deep meaning, but after consulting with a few of my friends we all came to a consensus that the story did not provide us with a meaningful message that we would understand or care about until later in our lives.

Based on the complexity of the message and boring face value, I rate "A lesson before dying" a 2 out of 5

There were parts that got boring and you could race through. But others where you really needed to slow down and ponder your own life and values. I always like books that explore the social conscience.

A book dealing with the problems of African-Americans in the 1950's, this book mainly concentrates on the life of a black man, Jefferson, sentenced to die and a friend, Grant, trying to make him realize his humanity. Though dealing with the problems of a specific minority, the book can easily be extended for all people in all minority groups. Though not all would have to deal with aspects like racism, they would have also have problems with oppression. Heroism and heroes or lack of them might be one of those problems. The life of the characters is awful and explicitly described by the author. Gaines's mostly simple and concise sentences show everything he wants to show and the rest is left up to the reader. This book is a book that traverses cultural boundaries, and can be applied to anyone and everyone. Overall however, though it tells of other things, the book tells about its own title: A lesson before dying.

THERE IS A BOOK THAT COMES AROUND ONCE IN A PERSON'S LIFETIME THAT TOUCHES THE HEART STRINGS AND OPENS UP THE FLOOD GATES, SUCH IS "A LESSON BEFORE DYING". NOT ONLY WERE THE CHARACTERS BELIEVEABLE, THEY WERE MEMORABLE. I SIMPLY COULD NOT PUT THE BOOK DOWN. THE BOOKS TWO MAIN CHARACTERS WERE ENTHRALLINGLY P0RTRAYED. I CRIED TILL MY HEAD STARTING HURTING. DEFINITELY A MUST READ!

One of the reasons I love using this book in the classroom is because so many have been affected by relatives in prison. Our society does not talk enough about or examine the after effects of prison. Why aren't there support groups like ALANON, but for family members of prisoners? Before reading the book, I ask my students (anonymously) to write down every family member they know of who has been in prison or jail (not write the names, but the relationship -- for example: grandfather, aunt, brother etc.). It was eye-opening the first time I looked at the results. The vast majority of students in my urban high school had several relatives with prison records. Tapping into this prior experience, or background, helps them connect more with this book than anything else that I teach.

This was a real overwrought tale of "injustice". What surprised me the most was how truely racist it was, not against blacks, but against whites. The plot may have occurred years ago, but the writer's sentiments were clearly written with a racist attitude from right now. Want to read a real story of injustice, read "Snow In August" by Pete Hamill. He doesn't color the time about which he is writing with his own current attitudes and opinions.

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines is a good book; however, it has a very complex plot and very complex themes so the book makes for a slow borring experience. The main character, Grant Wiggins, is engaged in an internal conflict throughout the book between his disires to leave the plantation where he teaches and move to the city with his girlfriend and between his love for his girlfriend and his aunt who ask him to educate a black boy before he dies for a crime he did not commit. Hence the title A Lesson Before Dying. The book was good because of the character devolopment that Gaines used for his characters. For Grant he goes through a rite of passage that will change him forever. The rite of passage is a good and efective way to develop a character and Gaines does a good job of doing just that. the rite of passage has everything from the mentors the symbols to the most important part the ritual. Even though this book has good characterization the slow plot greatly out weighs the good points; therfore, I do not reccomend this book to people expecting an easy read. Unless you can appreciate good characterization i do not reccomend this book unless you want to be borred to death.

Prejudice. Racism. Oppression. These are some of the most commonly heard of subjects, not only in history, but even to this very day. However, A Lesson Before Dying refers to these subjects these subjects during the Nineteen Forties. These subjects of prejudice, racism, and oppression are the subjects of this review.

"He looked at me as if to remind me that I was supposed to say Mister before a white man's name," from page 188 is an excellent example of the racism that African-Americans faced then. Obviously, many white people, at the time, expected African-Americans to show respect for them no matter what the situation was. This show how white people thought that others are inferior to them.

"I followed them into the inner yard, up the stairs to the back door," from page 18 symbolizes how white people thought it beneath themselves to allow blacks and others to enter through a visible entrance. A great example of the prejudice and oppression that white people showed and sometimes still show others is what this is. Once again, white people see other races as their inferiors.

"I was too educated for Henri Pichot," from page 21 is somewhat of the reverse of the themes of A Lesson Before Dying. This is a good quote because, even though white people saw themselves as the higher race, black people thought of them as just stuck up people who weren't as superior to everyone else as they had thought that they were. Basically, what this quote implies is that people who see themselves as superior to everyone else normally aren't as superior as they think.

In conclusion, I chose to tell of how this book does a fantastic job of describing the subjects of prejudice, racism, and oppression that African-Americans faced at the time this novel is based. It just goes to show that people can show prejudice against others of different races; however, no one race is better that any other in the end. Finally, I have decided to rate this novel at three out of five stars. I do this because, even though it is a great novel about the prejudice people faced, I found it somewhat boring as it tended to drag on at some parts.

"A Lesson before dying" is about a man who is convicted of murder in the town on Bayonne, Louisiana. Jefferson the man's name said he was not guilty of the charges. He says he was on his way to the bar, but changed his mind and decided to tag along with two men who were on their way to a liquor store. When they arrived Jefferson had no idea that they had planned on robbing the store, and when the two men started arguing with the store clerk a shoot out started. After that everyone was dead and Jefferson panicked and did not know what to do. When the cops came he was arrested and tried for murder and later found guilty. Jefferson always says " I'm a pig, I eat like one to."

When Jefferson's godmother hears about the verdict, she refuses to let Jefferson to die like a hog, but instead die a man. So she asks Grant Wiggins to help turn Jefferson into a man. At first Grant is very reluctant about helping them because he doesn't want anything to do with the case, but after a lot of bugging and nagging from Miss Emma and Tante Lou he gives in, and says he will try hard as possible to turn him into a man. On there first visit Jefferson heard the lawyers words, and took it to heart. Jefferson resents Grant, and doesn't talk much at all, which makes it even harder for Grant to reach him.

Grant tells Jefferson, "I don't have to be here so don't threaten me. During Grants next visits it doesn't get any better. Jefferson still insists to be stubborn and malice, but Grant doesn't lose his cool because if he blew up at him then left the judge would know that there conversations are not going well. Visit after visit it is the same thing over and over, sit for an hour with no conversation, looking at each other with dislike and antipathy. On his fourth visit, Grant sparks conversation about Jefferson's last meal. After awhile he admits that he wants a gallon of vanilla ice cream. As they get along better and better Grant promises him a radio. So he has to go around town trying to get money from people to help pay for the radio.

On Grants next visit he gives Jefferson a note book to write down all of his thoughts. On Grants visit after his gives Jefferson the note book he has filled up page or more. After awhile they begin to connect more and get along much better.

The book A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines lacked excitement and creativity throughout the whole novel. The main part of the story was the struggles of understanding life and the relationship between the two main characters, Grant and Jefferson. A good book consists of change, twists, and dynamic story lines. But their relationship mostly consisted of Jefferson; a black man wrongly accused of murder, acting like an animal and not wanting any help from Grant, a schoolteacher sent out by Jefferson's aunt, Miss Emma, to teach him how to be a man before he is executed. " They called my boy a hog, Mr. Henri," Miss Emma said. "I didn't raise no hog, and I don't want no hog to go set in that chair. I want a man to go set in that chair, Mr. Henri." The visits to Jefferson to make him a man became boring, repetitive, and progress was rarely shown. So here is the whole book leading up to the end, Jefferson's execution, and the ending was predictable and with no excitement. Although the novel had a well thought out lesson and explained the character of certain people, it had nothing to draw me into the book in order to make me appreciate these lessons. So, if you are looking for a novel that will excite you, before reading A Lesson Before Dying, remember my lesson, don't!

A Lesson Before Dying is a story about a young black man, Jefferson, that is accused of murder. His lawyer trys to get him off by calling him a "hog." Jefferson is found guilty and sentenced to death. He is going to die not only knowing he did not commit a crime but also convinced that he is a hog.
The main character, Grant Wiggins, is forced by his aunt to go visit Jefferson in jail. She wants Grant to convince Jefferson that he is not a hog. Grant finds the task hopeless and does not want to do it. Grant considers his visits to Jefferson are a waste of time to him and he would rather run away from it all.
Overall I thought that the book was very good. I felt that the lessons that people could draw out from the book. The book was very adequate about dealing with issues that were common in the 1940s. I would recommend this book to someone that likes books that have morals.

As a voracious reader, I find that many books disappear from my memory pretty quickly. This book really touched me--it made me think...care...feel ...cry. I have passed it on to 5 of my coworkers so far, and it's still going. Every single one of them loved it, and I love getting to talk to them about it after they finish. Mr. Gaines, my thanks for a truly inspiring piece of work.

A simple story, simply told that packs an incredible emotional punch. In this story of a black teacher struggling to appreciate his own worth, who tries to "teach" a condemned man what it is to be human, Gaines demonstrates that individual worth and dignity are part of us all. This is the sort of book to read at one sitting, but be prepared to remember it for a long time.

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines begins with a young black man, wrongfully accused of murder, sentenced to death by an all white jury. Grant Wiggins, a local school teacher is sent by his aunt to teach the prisoner, Jefferson, to respect himself. Although Grant is reluctant, he begins to understand himself during this process.

Gaines takes a look at racism and segregation in his novel. Grant feels confined by the small town he grew up in but his job options are limited, even though he is educated, because he is black. I think that on this level, Grant feels that he and Jefferson are similiar in that they are both imprisoned in some way. Jefferson helps Grant to realize that resistance and calmness in the face of fear can in some instances be the sign of a true hero. Both men gain mutual respect for one another and they learn the true definition of a hero.

I would recommend this book to anyone.

A Lesson Before Dying is a must for anyone's home Library. It is definately what one would call a "modern classic". I read this book with an online book club whose name is reflected in the title of this review JustBookIt2001. We had a very poignant discussion on this book. So many themes and issues are evident in this novel. You could debate forever on the subject of capital punishment alone. Mr. Gaines does an excellent job of setting the era and letting us visualize the location that these events take place in. This novel takes you back to a time that unfortunately was not that far into our nation's past, where there is racial inquality and judicial injustice. The question is who really learn's the lesson in this story? And how far have we really come in this day and age?

I was disappointed with this book. There was nothing profound about the characters or the story. I can appreciate that it's about two black men in the south when segregation was still very prevalent. However, the characters are flat and not intriguing. I kept waiting for some breakthrough moment for one of the two main characters and it just didn't happen.

Yes, it's sad. Yes, it involves life lessons for both characters, but this book was dull and involved a lot of unnecessary scenes and dialogue.

"A Lesson Before Dying"
Ernest Gaines
When reading the suspenseful book, "A Lesson before Dying" by Ernest Gaines, we felt sorrow not only because Jefferson, the main character was black and uneducated., He was treated unfairly by society because of the color of his skin and for a crime he did not commit. This book intertwined an national issue with a real life scenario. This book takes a black man and puts him in a bad position. He is at the wrong place and at the wrong time. He is then wrongly accused of the murder. He is then later put down many times, but learns how to die with dignity. Also when viewing a movie version of the book, it too portrays a good image of the book. This book would be enjoyed by young adults and older. We thought it was a great way to portray life issues along with national. The book was enjoyable to read and also to learn from.

This book is very touching. The author does a very good job of making you feel like you're right there witnessing everything for yourself. I actually cried as the book ended because, again, I felt like I was there the whole time. A must read!

The novel A Lesson Before Dying has a realistic 1940s Southern Louisiana setting and perhaps the realistic setting is due, in part, and parallel to the childhood life of the author, Ernest Gaines. That said, the book revolves around a black individual, who was convicted under an entirely white jury, the book paints a portrait as if he was innocent. He supposed murdered a white store clerk in a robbery gone bad, however that is up to the reader to decide. As he is waiting on Death Row, the local school teacher, Grant, at the request of his aunt Emma, tries to turn what Jefferson describes as a 'hog' into a man. Thus, Grant, against his own volition agrees and attempts, numerous times in vain, but in the end turns Jefferson into a man who is willing to accept his death with pride and dignity. All in all Jefferson 'showed more strength than anyone in the room.'

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines shows a classic case of prejudice in that existed in southern states in the 1940s. For a young man to be classified as a hog, and shown no respect is a prime example of the ruthlessness. Jefferson did not have a fair trail. What ever happened to the United States law that states every man is innocent until proven guilty. The outstanding prejudice of the small Cajun town send a man who was not rightfully trailed to death. Who made us God, and how are they to try and do Gods' work. Prejudice is a bad discrimination among people that not only hurt others, but hurt ourselves. Prejudice divides communities, teaches children to hate, and weakens the economy. Ernest Gaines shows us through the townspeople that prejudice just makes things worst. Jefferson was not killed by his actions, but by the prejudice of the people.

If you knew today was your last, what legacy would be left behind? Characters in the novel, A lesson Before Dying, struggle against the very confines of this question. Their story takes place in a small Cajun community during the 1940's where prejudice is thick, as is pious religion. One young black man named Jefferson is found guilty under the charges of murder. He is falsely accused and sentenced with the death penalty, though he is merely a victim of unfortunate circumstances. Both accuser and defendant believe he is less than a human- only an "old hog they fattening up to kill for Christmas." Jefferson's godmother refuses to let these words render truth and believes the one man capable of penetrating these lies is the local school teacher, Grant Wiggins. Though Grand wants nothing to do with the condemned man and feels as uncertain about life as the one sentenced, he agrees to visit the cell. Together, the two men must impact one another to discover the purpose of life.

Upon finishing the novel, I truthfully had a mixture of feelings. I felt as though I could not give it immediate praise, nor complete criticism. Its commendable features are displayed in the novel's message about the importance of life, love, and equality. Grant is forced to see life beyond selfish ambition, whereas Jefferson discovers the importance of love in his last days, and both defy prejudice expectations. However, beyond these amiable qualities, I personally do not agree with the novel's open sexual references regarding Grant and a married woman or the novel's blatant profanity. These issues caused my experience with the novel to be negatively affected. If not for these avoidable flaws, I would render A Lesson Before Dying as a masterpiece of painted culture, valuable lessons, and heart wrenching depth. It is one that causes the reader to ponder over the same question concerning our legacy as did the characters. Jefferson has to choose whether to stand as a man or die like an animal, just as we must also do today. I commend the novel for its impressionable look into life's realities and values, but cannot fully recommend it due to my personal stand on its lack of morality. Though my opinion is one of torn feelings and may fail to persuade one in their decision of reading it, I hope to open one's eyes to both the novel's strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, I leave my honest opinion at the door of the next anxious reader to choose for themselves. After all, each choice becomes a part of our own legacy- even the evoked thoughts from a piece of literature.

This is a fine, well-written book that takes on a subject crossing all racial lines-leaving this world having lived with some dignity. I was a little confused in the beginning. I thought the narrator's voice was that of a child since he was referring to coming home from school and passing his mother and Jefferson's nannan at the table and wanting to avoid them on the way upstairs. But it was a school teacher's voice. And what a wonderful voice it turned out to be! The teacher does not sugarcoat his own mixed feelings when faced with the task of meeting again and again with Jefferson, a young black man who has been condemned for a murder he did not commit, a young man whose attorney had argued for mercy on the grounds that sending Jefferson to the electric chair would be no different than electrocuting a hog. Jefferson's nannan wants the teacher to give him lessons on going through his terrible fate with dignity. The dignity of many lives, such as the children now growing up where Jefferson did, hangs on the outcome. A very well-told story that leaves the reader with a lot to think about.

It's suprising the things that humans can do. In Ernest Haine's novel "A Lesson Before Dying", told beautifully with the lyricism and poetry of a true artist, we are haunted by reality, death, racism, and the never-ending struggle between finding God and finding ourselves in the process. Mr. Wiggins, the teacher of reading, writing and arithmetic, helps Jefferson find the strength within himself to face the electric chair and in the process learns a little more about the world then he expected. Discover, in these pages, the lessons people can learn before dying.

The lessons of this book are obvious and all too common. I cried, sure. But I also laughed. I saw no mention of the Nativity show produced by the plantation school children. Reading this made me laugh first, then I saw the true beauty of the poor black children's faith with so few physical possessions to make them smile. Their love and trust in God (and their teacher) sustained them. It was a story as much about these children as it was about Jefferson. I will never hear the word "hog" again without thinking about this book. I pray more dedicated black males seek careers as educators so that more black males, especially, will have as positive a role model as Grant, even though he did not fancy himself as one. Delores Meyers ([email protected]), Dearborn, Michigan USA

I read this for my high school ap english II class last year. I thought it was very well written and showed how "white"/caucasian people tended to blame everything on "black"/african american people. You really feel for the main character Grant and especially Jefferson. I cried at the end of the book.

thank you for your time,
Loran

This novel caught, then lost, then recaptured my attention. I can't say that I care too much for Grant. I definitely didn't like the way he treated his kids-or his girlfriend for that matter. Jefferson I was touched by and by his transformation. The last two chapters were by far the best part. But there were way too many pages to force myself through. But in all there is something to learn from Jefferson, I'm not too sure that Grant had.

This is by far the best book I've ever read!! Set in a small town in Louisiana in the late 1940's, A Lesson Before Dying tells the story of Jefferson, a young man sentenced to death for a murder he did not commit. Jefferson's grandmother wants Grant Wiggins, the university educated teacher, to teach Jefferson how to die like a man. At first, Grant thinks it's not a good idea but as the book progresses, Jefferson and Grant forge a bond so strong that not even the stronghold of racism can break. I really loved the transformation of Grant throughout the novel. "When you act educated, I'll call you Grant. I'll even call you Mr.Grant when you act like a man." Grant has to realize that sometimes you have to put aside your pride and help someone else. He noticed that everything cannot be about him all the time. This book is very moving, especially at the end when Grant cries because it is then you realize that not only Jefferson learned a lesson, but Grant does also. I recommend this book to anyone who believes in the power of the human spirit.

I was force fed this novel in 11th grade English. I won't go into the details of the story as they're written above, but there is one chapter that must be mentioned.

The chapter titled "Jefferson's Diary" is the highlight of this novel. It is written without punctuation and with no grammatic consideration. This is where Gaines' ability to write shines through. This chapter is a much needed rest from the previous mundane chapters.

I did not find the novel appealing in anyway. The protagonist is weak and annoying. The story drags on and on as Grant tries to help Jefferson mature out of his mental childhood. Metaphors and other literary techniques are present, but the novel is so boring that it's not even worth noticing them. The author's writing style is noteworthy, but again the slow pace and seemingly useless details overshadow the style. Don't pick it up unless you really need to, and if that's the case, get some kind of summary.

A Lesson Before Dying is about an African-American man named Jefferson who is falsely accused of murder and is jailed. He is sentenced to death by electric chair and is called a "hog" by the judge. After Jefferson's grandmother, Miss Emma, hears what the judge says, she asks Grant Wiggins, an elementary school teacher, to help her grandson die with dignity. Grant refuses to help Jefferson, but changes his mind after seeing Miss Emma sad and depressed. Jefferson refuses to accept Grants help at first, but after repeated visits both become friends. A Lesson Before Dying is a good book, but I did not find it to be very interesting. There was not much going on in the story and there was no action whatsoever. This is a great book if you want to read about how events in life can change a person or what life was like for an African-American in the 1940's.

Arter reading the book I felt that there were a lot of unanswered questions.I kept asking myself whatever happened to..? I also felt that there was a lot of times in the book were the author was babbling about nothing and it was just not saying anything of importantence. But overall it was a good experience but I dout that I will ever raed it again

Gaines presents the stories of two different yet similar African-American men in the South during the late 1940's. One man, Jefferson, is wrongly convicted of a crime and now believes himself to be less than a man, a hog. Grant, the teacher in the Quarter, feels trapped in a stereotypical cycle and has not yet learned how to be a man. Together, these men break down inner walls of self-hate, pain, and ignorance to become the men that they truly are. Also A Lesson Before Dying is about defying stereotypical roles and assumptions, especially racial stereotypes. In fact, if the reader just reads the book for historical content, then he/she is missing out on the true purpose of this novel. A Lesson Before Dying is about love of self, love of your community and heritage, courage, and inner strength. The book may seem slow, but sometimes the best lessons learned in life are the ones learned over time.

Although the novel never bored me, it didn't move me with great force either. Actually, the book didn't get very interesting until the last 3 chapters. It wasn't until Jefferson opened up by way of his notepaad that I started to really feel for him. Very well written. . clear, concise prose. That alone makes this a quick read worth the effort.

The story takes place in a small Louisiana town during the 1940's, when racism was a prominent issue in the south. A young black man, named Jefferson, is convicted of killing a white man and is sentenced to death by the electric chair. The question of the book is not if Jefferson will die, but will he face his death like a man or as a hog, as his defense attroney characterized him.
Jefferson's godmother, Miss Emma, begs a school teacher named Grant to visit Jefferson in his cell and educate him so he could die like a man. Reluctantly, Grant and Jefferson work together and develop a strong bond through Jefferson's writings. This book is about two heroes, Jefferson and Grant, who were able to overcome unbeatable odds and gain respect for a black man in a town full of white supremacists.

A Lesson Before Dying is a fantasic book! Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down! I love books that keep you on edge, and this one definitley has that effect.

A black man, Jefferson, is on trial and proved guilty to a murder that he didn't do. He is to be executed for it and his godmother, Miss Emma, wants Grant, a school teacher, to go and talk to Jefferson and make him a man before his execution. Grant goes through all sorts of trials in order to be able to visit Jefferson, and once he gets involved he's ridiculed for all sorts of things that he does. The hardest thing for Grant to do, however, is get Jefferson to listen to him and talk to him before he is executed.

This is a wonderful book and once you pick it up, you won't be able to put it down until you know what happens in the end.

An intensely vivid view of 1940's Southern racial injustice in a small Louisiana town. Grant Wiggins endeavors to impart his greatest lesson and gift to Jefferson...dignity and personal redemption... in his struggle to face a death penalty he neither deserves nor is willing to accept.

A Lesson Before Dying is a novel about Jefferson, a black man sentensed to death for a crime he did not commit. Jefferson is accused of being at the worng place at the wrong time, yet it is because of his color that he is not given a fair trial. This novel shows the hardships, trials, and crooked morals of a white society on a black man.
It is Grant Wiggins, Jefferson's, teacher, who instructs Jefferson to stand up to society and die with dignity. The task undertaken by Grant is not easy because he too being black is treated like a criminal when he visits with Jefferson. However, it is through his unwillingness that Grant himself has a change of mind and wants to visit Jefferson to help him overcome his fear and walk. In short A Lesson Before Dying in the end is a classic.

"I was not there, yet I was there. No, I did not go to the trial; I did not hear the verdict, because I knew all the time, what it would be...
A Lesson before Dying, by Ernest J. Gaines is a moving, powerful novel about a black individual put on death row for a crime he did not commit. In a small Cajun community, in the1940s, a young black man is about to go to the electric chair for murder. The story is set in racist Louisiana and tells of the redemption of a death row prisoner and the teacher sent to help him die with dignity.
Symbolism is a major part in the understanding of the book. The book was top notch for the theme of heroism. One theme that is predominately heard throughout the novel is "actions speak louder than words". As Grant struggles to convey a sense of pride to Jefferson before he must face his death, he learns an important lesson as well: heroism is not always expressed through action--sometimes the simple act of resisting the inevitable is enough.

I read the book for my 10th grade English class. I kept wondering why was this book picked until I reached the end when I came upon the diary of Jefferson, the black boy sentenced to death. Yes he learned that lesson before he died, but I hope the author would make that progress a bit more presentable than a verbose, uninteresting way of filling in unrelated-info to test the readers' patience.

I found the book amid my old junk last week and wanted to read it again, but without a teacher and a class I lack the patience to endure the 19 or so chapters before the climax, and when I jumped to it directly...it tasted awefully pain without the contrast of all the boring content before it.

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines is a book of people learning and realizing what life is all about. Grant Wiggins is a person who changes and realizes what life is really about.

Grant is a person who others come to for help because he is the teacher. They expect him to know most everything. This is why he is chosen to help Jefferson. Jefferson is in jail for participating in a robbery and murder which he did not commit. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. At the end of the trial, the prosecutor calls Jefferson a hog. Now Grant's aunt and Miss Emma want Grant to convince Jefferson that he is not a hog, that he is a man.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Grant, I'm helping them white people to humiliate you. I'm so sorry. And I wished they had somebody else we could turn to. But they ain't nobody else." (p. 79)

Just about every Friday Grant goes to see Jefferson, unwillingly though, to try and make Jefferson realize he is a man. Jefferson, at first doesn't even talk. Eventually, however, Jefferson starts talking. By the time of his execution, Grant has convinced him that he is a man. He is not only a man, but a hero. He is a man/hero because not everybody will give up there life and take the chair as Grant knew Jefferson would.

"Do you know what a hero is, Jefferson? A hero is someone who does something for other people. He does something that other men don't and can't do." (p. 191)

Grant changes throughout this book. He goes from being sad and sorry for himself, to realizing that life isn't so bad.

"I wanted to scream at my aunt; I was screaming inside. I had told her many, many times how much I hated this place and all I wanted to do was get away. I had told her I was no teacher, I hated teaching, and I was just running in place here. But she had not heard me before, and I knew that no matter how loud I screamed, she would not hear me now." (p.15)

"Yes, I'm lucky," I said. "Some of us are." (p. 255)

These quotes prove that he has changed. He realizes that he is lucky to have what he does have, and to be grateful for it.

Overall, I think this was an excellent book that helps teach you that you should be grateful for what you have, and not be mad or upset about what you don't. It takes a while to learn, but all you have is time. For those people who do not have time to learn should think about their lives as they are now. Yes, sure, you can always pick out the bad things in your life, but why would you want to?

Overall I feel that this book is extremely well written. The book is centered on one main character and gives you the ability to get into his mind. While reading this book I was never bored or disappointed. The chapters were not long and drawn out which kept my attention and forced me to read on. I enjoyed how the author used descriptive detail in order to give me a clear understanding of the setting, characters and moral of this novel. I loved the fact that this book touched me so much even though it wasn't happening to me. I felt as if I was there, yelling at the white people for treating the blacks so poorly and feeling their pain. This novel will forever stay with me; it has opened my mind to a new perspective on how something that occurred so far away can have an effect on me, right here, right now.

Than death itself. Jefferson, wrongly committed for murder awaits his sentencing in a 6 x 10 cell. I have learned more about life through hearing a man die. The homecooked food will never comfort Jefferson from the haunting jingling of the shackles. A Lesson Before Dying opened my eyes and taught me how to prepare for death.

I'm currently listening to the unabridged audio version of this book and I find the narrator's quirks of pronunciation irritating. I have to remind myself to concentrate on the substance of what's said and not to allow these pronunciation oddities to color my impression of the character. Why does he have to over-emphasize every consonant? Every "t" in the words "often," "sweater," or "water," for example. I know the teacher is a pedantic boor (at least so far), but this narrator makes him seem even worse than intended.

This is one of those books you will never forget. Filled with kindness, desperation, yearning, charity, fear, faith, and love, it will leave you haunted and inspired. It is a story of two opposites who come to be one. One in heart and soul. Brothers. Friends. This is what life is all about. Or should be.

A Lesson Before Dying made me so sad. However, it is well-written and holds your interest. Although I see racism every day as a I work in an urban school and my family is biracial, it is sad to realize as you read this book how some people are just stuck because of where they live. Some places in the US are worse than others. I think that this should be recommended reading in high schools.

A black teacher in 1940's Louisiana; cynical, self-centered and unsure of who he is, helps a poor black man from his plantation community unjustly destined for the electric chair discover his worth. Told from the point of view of the teacher with no real twist of fate at the end, this book tells a surprisingly positive story of choice, bravery, faith and humanity.

A Lesson Before Dying is a novel that takes place in a small community in Louisiana. It is about a young uneducated black man, named Jefferson, who has been convicted of robbery and the murder of a white store keeper. He is in turn sentenced to death in the electric chair. Jefferson has a daunting task ahead, to die like a man. Grant Wiggins has been given the seemingly impossible challenge of teaching Jefferson to die with dignity.

"I was not there, yet I was there. No, I did not go to the trial, I did not hear the verdict, because I knew all the time what it would be..." These are the opening lines said by Grant. Although Jefferson is only guilty of being at the wrong place at the wrong time and it is actually his two friends who murder the store keeper, a black man has to be punished for the murder of a white, and Grant knows this.

We find out that Grant is a University graduate. He has returned to the community where he grew up to live with his aunt. Grant is the school teacher at the small school for blacks in the church, although he hates teaching. But Miss Emma, Jefferson's godmother, and Tante Lou, Grants aunt ask him of a favor, to teach Jefferson one last lesson before he is executed. "Somebody got to do something for me one time `fore I close my eyes." Miss Emma repeats over and over to Grant and everyone else she needs help from. Grant gives in only because his aunt forces him to.

At first Grant struggles to communicate with Jefferson because he thinks that he is a hog. After buying Jefferson a radio, a notebook and gives an inspirational speech, Grant becomes Jefferson's best friend. "I am a slave." This is my third quote Mrs. Hickethier!

"A Lesson Before Dying" begins in a small town in Louisiana the year around 1940. The novel portrays how the African American race was treated unjust. Jefferson a black man is accused for murder, a crime I think he did not commit. But because he was black he was sentenced to the electric chair. Even thought Jefferson was not an immoral man. His aunt Nannan want Jefferson to die with pride and a believer in God. This is where Grant comes into play. Grant despises where he lives but he cannot leave because he needs the community he grew up in. Grant is faced with a task; he has to transform Jefferson into a dignified man before his death. I particularly liked this book very much. The only faulty part of the novel was the predictable ending it had. After reading the first couple of pages you can depict what is going to happen. The novel is a run on of one idea, making the novel dry and not enjoyable to read. Although I have conflicting thoughts and comments about the book I would highly recommend this novel to anyone. The novel touches on a fair amount of feelings as you continue reading. As Jefferson and Grant grow as friends, each one grows more mature and wiser. If I had to rate this book I would give it an eight. This is only because the novel was to predictable and slow. But it shows us all the differences in life not even that long ago. "A Lesson Before Dying" will heighten the perspective or views of any person.

In this novel of complex themes and dynamic characters, a school teacher, Grant Wiggins, and Jefferson, a wrongly and unfairly accused murderer, are forced to converse with one another against each others' will in order to educate someone who society called a mindless animal.

There were parts of the story that came a little slowly, but overall i thought it was very interesting. There was a lot of interaction between all of the characters. The story was not just centered on Jefferson and Grant, but instead included the feelings and emotions of all the members of their black community as well as the input from the white community. I don't recommend this book for recreational reading, but as far as intellectual school reading goes, this book is high on my list.

I was prompted to buy this book because it is being made into an HBO Special and I thought that it sounded like a wonderful story. I was not disappointed at all. It seems I can't stop talking about it. I am the mother of two small children and A Lesson Before Dying was a wonderful means of escape to me. Ernest Gaines kept me involved throughout the entire book. As the characters found themselves it allowed me to discover more of myself. An excellent read!!

I found A Lesson Before Dying to be a very enjoyable novel. Set in 1940s Louisiana, it tells the story of Jefferson, a black man sentenced to the death penalty for a crime he didn't commit. Grant Wiggins, a local black school teacher, undertakes the task of teaching him to walk to the electric chair like a man, instead of a "hog." This is a captivating novel, written in a way that is accessible and enjoyable. Complex, well-developed characters and an engrossing storyline cause this novel to breeze by--it's nearly impossible to put down. It's also a very moving reminder of disgraceful period of American history that should never be forgotten. I would strongly recommend this book to everyone. It is a poignant, compelling novel that is well worth your time.

Have you ever thought about what it was like to be a black man in the 1940s? Have you ever thought about being executed for something you didn't do? Have you ever learned one of life's little lessons without even knowing it? This is what A Lesson Before Dying is all about.

Jefferson, a young black man, is an innocent by stander to a liquor store shootout in which two black men and a white man are shot. Jefferson is then sentenced to death. Grant Wiggins, a school teacher from the plantation, is pressured into going to visit Jefferson by his aunt and Jefferson's god mother. Later in the story Grant and Jefferson become good friends. Once Grant and Jefferson become friends, Grants life is never the same.

Jefferson's attorney said, "I would just as soon put a hog in the electric chair as this." This book shows how black men were treated. Not the same as today and not the way they should have ever been treated. This book also shows that blacks were characterized as not smart. Grant says, "I was supposed to have said don't. I was being to smart." This book also show s that not all white men disrespected blacks. For example at the end of the book Paul, a jail deputy, stuck out his hand and said, "allow me to be your friend Grant Wiggins.

In conclusion I think this book teaches a lot of life's little lesson's. What it was like to be black. And it shows that if you put in a predicament, no matter what the case, you can be strong.

"No,I did not go to the trial to hear the verdict,because I knew all the time what it would be...". The beginning ,yet the end of his trial is veiwed by Grant Wiggins ,the narrator ,as an injustice and unfair judgement. Jefferson, the man accused of commiting the crime, is soon convicted of this crime and is sentenced to death. The last and most meaningful request of Jeffersons family was to ask Grant, who is also a teacher, to teach Jefferson to die like a man. This story has many powerful lessons woven in it. The truth in these lessons can teach a lesson to the reader. Grant "learns" a lesson too which helps him understand that heroism is not always viewed through action. The title of this book in it's own has a bridge between the ironic symbolism of the lessons learned by two signifigant characters.

This story is simply but profoundly told. It has the artistic quality of waking us up and silently provoking us to ask serious questions.
The man who is to die is a quiet, inexpressive man who worked very hard from childhood. His complicity in the murder for which he is sentenced is fuzzy.
As we read of his meetings with those who care to see him, we begin to appreciate the unique spark within him. We touch his spirit and are drawn into the tragedy of the day on which the electric chair is brought into his town, carefully set up, and made ready so he may be shaved and strapped into it. Then this man, whom we have grown to know and to love, is killed by a righteous state. Or is it righteous?

This book has so many good aspects to it. It deals with so much including racism, society, family, respect. It brings a lite these ideologies in a orginal and new fashion. You can't not see this book for what it is and must look beyond the words written. It is a definite think book. It is wonderful and a good, solid read. The basic plot deals with Grant, a black teacher, living in a small racial segregated town in the late 1940s. Jefferson, is a black man condemned to die for a crime that he says he didn't commit. It is a struggle between right and wrong and between responsibilty and free will. It will open your eyes.

A Lesson Before Dying, written be Ernest J. Gaines, is a captivating story of how a stubborn and selfish teacher named Grant Wiggins and a diminished death row inmate, Jefferson, overcome adversity to form an everlasting friendship and prove to the world how African American men can stand tall in a world where they are oppressed and belittled. When Jefferson is called a "hog" during his murder trial, it starts a chain reaction which ends up the making and death of a friend. Grant must overcome his own personal roadblocks in order for him to reach and connect with Jefferson. The lack of action in the book is easily made up with the amount deep heartfelt emotions that the characters express. A wonderful book that everyone should read.

This book was one of the better ones that I've read. I don't read very much but I enjoyed this book for the most part. I didn't like writing the quotes for school... that kind of ruined what I liked about the book. I had to rush through reading so I could finish the quotes and get a good grade.

What I remember from this book is that Jefferson, a poor black slave, was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was at the scene of a murder and convicted of it because his nationality. So Jefferson went to death row to wait for a seat on the electric chair. His white lawyer called him, "Incapable of planning a murder because he was a stupid hog." So his aunt sent Jefferson's cousin Grant (a black teacher) to educate him and make him believe that he wasn't a hog. She wanted him to die with the pride of knowing that he's a man and that all the white people were wrong about him.

Grant disliked making these trips at first because Jefferson didn't cooperate at all and it seemed pointless. But when the two connected finally, Grant went to see him and got him gifts as often as possible. Jefferson wasn't the only character who learned a lesson or two in this story. Grant learned a few things about himself that could be improved to make him a better person.

I thought the book A Lesson Before Dying was good because it kept me interested and wanting to know what that lesson was going to be.I think girls and boys would equally like this book because it has good emotion. I liked the book but in some spots it was slow paced but it was worth reading on.

This book gave me a good understanding of the racial issues of the 1940's in Louisiana. The author included many faces of the issue: the blacks, the educated and the uneducated; mulattos; attitudes among blacks toward light skinned and dark skinned; the arrogant whites of that era and their wives (who played significant behind the scene roles); black family culture. It is all there and well written. I wish the author had written more about the friendship that developed between Grant and Jefferson. Otherwise, I liked the book and appreciated Gaines's portrayal of Jefferson.

This book is about a black man who lives in the 1940's and is sentenced to the death penalty for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Jefferson was sentenced to the death penalty and a former schoolteacher Grant Wiggins is sentenced to teach him. This book was one of the best. I really enjoyed reading it because it gave me a clear description of what really happened in the late 1940's to other races. The book gave me a description of what people went through in that time period and how people were treated. This book gives you a second thought on how to appreciate what others do for you and how things like this have helped African Americans become more involved in and accepted by society.

What if you were a young man wrestling with the day to day reality of trying to be a man in the segregated South? What if you had no idea how to be a man under these terms? What if you were called upon to teach another how to die with a man's dignity? A dignity that your own life is lacking. What would you teach them? That is the central question in A Lesson Before Dying. This book is disturbing and beautiful in the starkness of the pain it exposes.

I couln't put the book down. It seemed like everytime I had a spare moment I was reading it. The relationship between Grant and Jefferson, although strained,was very emotionally connected. While Grant wasn't sure how to help Jefferson, Jefferson was so reaching out for Grant to help him.

Excellent, high-quality fiction. Gaines is a masterful storyteller and while it took me a long time to focus and find a rhythm, I won't deny that the writing is first-rate. This should be in everyone's library.

I read A lesson before dying a few years ago and I just want to say that the book was very interesting. I think everyone should read this book. Most people have no idea what it is to be a young black man in a white society. Being in prison is tough and knowing that your going to be executed eventually makes a young black man and everyone else (i hope) think what their life is all about. I am against Capital Punishment so reading this book was hard for me swallow but I was brave and I put myself in his shoes and Yes, he learned how to be a man before he died. Way to go Gaines! Keep up the good work.

I thought that, "A Lesson Before Dying," was one of the best books I have ever read for summer reading. It was about a black man named Jefferson who is in the wrong place at the wrong time. He gets caught up in a murder that he did not commit, but was convicted because of his race. It was a really heartbreaking moment in the book when he was convicted and I was really disappointed. Then after he was convicted the rest of the book was pretty self-explanatory. I think the title gave the book away, but I still thought that it was well written. I really like this book and it is now one of my favorites. It was the best story I have ever had the privilege of reading.

I am in an American lit. class in my college and this book was one that was requiered.Despited the morbid undertone of someone getting the death penalty who is innocent this was a very good novel. The racism is so suttle that you almost have to read it twice to catch everything.

A Lesson Before Dying is a great book. In the 1940's, racism was an argument of everyday life for some people. This is the dark side of Louisiana's history the many people do not think about. Ernest Gaines describes the life of a black male, Jefferson, that was arrested for murder and put to the death penalty. Jefferson's family did not want to see him die as a hog , as most people saw him so they sent Grant Wiggins to get him dignity back so he can die like a many. The chapter that contain the journal is a very touching chapter, it shows an uneducated black man progress to becoming a man. This is a great book and I would suggest reading it.

This is a quality literary novel about characters in realistic situations that matter. This book will stay with you long after you've finished reading it. If you liked it, I recommend The Children Bob Moses Led, a novel about Freedom Summer 1964 written by William Heath.

This is the heartbreaking story of predjudice and racism in the South, during the late 1940's. A young man is condemmed to die for a crime that he did not commit. He, with the help of teacher and narrator Grant Wiggins, must learn to accept his fate and become a man.

This is not a cheerful book, because it is about racism and someone being injustly excecuted, but for that very reason it is a good book to read (that, and it has nice, short chapters). It shows how bad racism can be and the problems we once had with it (and still have, to some degree). The main character, Grant, feels trapped in a society that still judges people by how dark their skin is. Another character, a white man who works at the jail, shows through his kindness to Grant that he is a good person, resisting society's pressure to conform to its racist ideas.
I suggest that people read it to keep the lesson itself from dying.