A Lesson Before Dying

Exposition: A black man named Jefferson is being convicted of murder during a robbery in Louisiana. Not if but when he is found guilty by the twelve white jurors he will be put to death by electrocution. During Jefferson's trial his attorney made an effort to get him off by calling him a hog, this had a major impact on how Jefferson viewed himself.

Rising action: Miss Emma who is Jefferson's godmother asks her good friend Lou if her nephew, Grant Wiggins, could talk to Jefferson and make him believe that he is a man.

Mr. Wiggins is a teacher in their hometown but he is strongly against visiting Jefferson. He does so anyways out of respect for Miss Emma. Grant tries to become Jefferson’s friend while visiting but all Jefferson does is call himself a hog and is not willing to say anything else.

Climax: Jefferson's execution date is finally set and it seems to put him at some kind of peace.

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He starts making conversation with Mr. Wiggins and does not have an indignant appearance anymore. This change of attitude in Jefferson made Grant happy.

Resolution: The day comes for Jefferson to be put to death and everyone knew it. A deputy came by Grant’s church to tell him it was over and that Jefferson died like a man.

The theme of A Lesson Before Dying is that everyone has responsibility to the community. In chapter 24 Grant and Jefferson have a conversation while walking around the dayroom as Reverend Ambrose, Miss Emma, and aunt Lou ate their food.

“I could never be a hero. I teach, but I don’t like teaching…I hate it...That is not a hero. A hero does for others. He would do anything for people he loves, because he knows it would make their lives better.”, states Grant. What he is trying to say is that even though you might not want to do something you still have to do it because everyone owes something.

Jefferson went through a major psychological development in A Lesson Before Dying. In chapter 9 Grant and Ms Emma go to see Jefferson for the first time since he went in. Ms Emma asks, “How you feel, Jefferson?”, it goes on to say “He didn’t answer, and kept his eyes on the ceiling.”. The rest of the time the two were there Jefferson hardly said anything and it was like that the next few times they visited. Chapter 29 is Jefferson's diary where he writes down his thoughts. One entry showed significant maturation psychologically it says, “im sory i cry mr wigin...i cry cause you been so good to me mr wigin an nobody aint never been that good to me an make me think im sombody”. This also showed how uneducated he was in writing. This moment is a catalyst of change because in the beginning he did not care about anything all he knew was that death was absolute but now his feelings are back and he is thinking about things.

Reverend Ambrose serves has a foil for Grant. They seem to be complete opposites and are not very kind to each other throughout the book. “You ever think of anybody else but yourself?”, questions the Reverend. Grant says back, “I have my work to do, Reverend, you have yours...Mine is reading, writing, and arithmetic, yours is saving souls.”. Ambrose states a few pages later, “I won’t let you send that boy’s soul to hell...I’ll fight you with all the strength I have left in this body, and I’ll win.”. This shows that Wiggins and the Reverend are not on the same page about how Jefferson should be spending the rest of the time he has got. Even though those two are not perfect together they have a meaning in the story. Reverend Ambrose is trying to help Jefferson prepare for his after life while Grant is trying to make the best of his time on Earth. They are working on two different things but somehow it shows that they are trying to do the same, make a man's life better, they just have contrasting views on how to do it.

Cruelty is what A Lesson Before Dying is all about. Twelve white men put a black man behind bars not because there was evidence he committed the crime but because of his skin color. It’s cruel that they set a date for a man to die. This cruelty reveals that the perpetrators don’t care if he did it or not as long as there is ‘justice’ for who was killed. Chapter one the judge receives the verdict from the jury, “The judge told Jefferson that he had been found guilty of the charges brought against him, and that the judge saw no reason that he should not pay for the part he played in this horrible crime. Death by electrocution. The governor would set the date.”.

Grant Wiggins (dynamic character). Grant is not happy about where he is at and believes nothing will ever change unless he escapes this small town of Luisiana. “I’m tired of feeling committed.” says Grant. Vivian (his girlfriend) says back, “Then why haven’t you gone?”. Wiggins replies, “Because of you.”. This shows he wants to leave but he feels there is things and people that still need him there. By the end of the book though he accepts his responsibility and role as an educator in his town. Educated, bitter, and cynical. Paul Bonin (static character). Paul is the only guard that treats Grant with respect. “We might as well call each other by our names. You’re Grant aren’t you?”, asks Paul. At the end of the book Paul comes to tell Gant that the execution was over, he goes on to say, “Allow me to be your friend, Grant Wiggins. I don’t ever want to forget this day. I don’t ever want to forget him.”. This shows Paul always cared from the beginning and that he was significant to the plot because he was the only white that sympathized for them. Empathetic, honest, and respectful. Tante Lou (flat character). Lou does not talk much throughout the book but when she does it’s all basically the same thing. Aunt Lou says, ““You can spare a few minutes, specially today.”...She didn’t say anymore. She didn’t have to. She was sure I knew what had happened.”. Tante always told Grant what to do. “Do I have to keep reminding you, Grant, this ain’t just another day?”, asks Lou. Aunt Lou had Miss Emma in her best interests and wanted to help her as much as she could. Lou was significant to the plot because she was on who pushed Grant to do all these things for Miss Emma. Thoughtful, religious, and caring.

The setting is a small town in Louisiana that is poor. There is not much there and everyone knows everyone. Whenever the town is described it seems bleak and gloomy. As Grant walks around his school yard he thinks about what he sees, “The cool air felt good on my face, and after standing in the yard awhile, I walked to the road. But there was nothing to see out there but a couple of automobiles- my gray Ford parked down the quarter...a car parked alongside the ditch farther up the quarter. Other than that, all there was to see were old gray weather-beaten houses, with smoke rising out of the chimneys…”. This setting contributes a somber atmosphere to the novel.

Altering the point of view on this selection would change the book entirely. The story is told through the eyes of an educated black school teacher and changing that would cause the novel to change its meaning. Chapter 24 has a scene where Reverend Ambrose, Miss Emma, Aunt Lou, Grant, and Jefferson are in the dayroom about to have a meal. Jefferson and Grant get up to walk around the room and talk. ““To them, you’re nothing but another nigger-no dignity, no heart, no love for your people. You can prove them wrong”...He looked at me in great pain. He may not have understood, but something was touched, something deep down in him-because he was still crying.” says Grant. If this scene were to be in anyone else's point of view other than Jefferson no one would realize how this talk between the two had a great impact on Jefferson.

Grants main internal conflict is a moral dilemma, he wants to escape this town of racism because he believes nothing will change but he has a commitment there as an educator. Wiggins knows he can leave but still hasn’t which shows he can persevere through these hard times.

Hog to Man. This could be an alternative title for A Lesson Before Dying because it has to do with Jeffersons development of how he views himself.