Character Analysis Of Jefferson In Ernest J. Gaines A Lesson Before Dying

She raised him to be the person he is, and now he will not even talk to her. This was making Miss Emma extremely unhappy “she was ready to cry” (72), and Jefferson did not care. He is unable to maintain a healthy relationship. It is not only Miss Emma that Jefferson has a bad relationship with, but also with Grant. Grant thinks these visits are pointless and wants to know if Jefferson thinks the same.

That’s why I try to live as well as I can every day and not hurt people” (Gaines 129) further proves that Jefferson has yet to mature into a man. In the second post discussion note, I stated that Jefferson has not grown since he does not understand how to cherish his time with loved ones. As the plot develops, we observe Jefferson’s growth as he gradually opens up and realizes the importance of those around him. During the final moments as Jefferson walks towards the electrocution chair, we can see that his attitude has changed from one labelled as a hog, to a man who stands up to the injustice in the system, “...he looked at the preacher and said, ‘Tell Nannan I walked.’ and straight he walked” (Gaines 254).

After some time he believe that he wasn’t a hog, he pushed everyone else opinions as side. He took control of his destiny, he wasn’t going to go up to that chair as a hog, but a man. Jefferson did go to that chair as a man “He was the strongest man in that crowded room, Grant Wiggins,”(Gaines,253). He went up to that electric chair standing tall, he didn’t let them choose his future for

Jefferson is a good guy. He is helping out a friend in need and is trying his best, but it gets hard for Wiggins when Jefferson is so nasty and sarcastic about himself. Throughout these chapters, Wiggins does not know if he can help Jefferson if he is not going to take advantage of the good he is trying to do for him. Miss Emma just wants Jefferson to be happy with himself about the life he has had, so she tries to make him the best person he can be by getting the help of Wiggins. As people are visiting Jefferson in jail, he gets more sarcastic with them about the hog deal.

He stared at me, and I realized that I had not answered him in the proper manner. " Sir," I added.” also highlights how the imbalance of power inflicted fear upon the black community. Throughout the book Grant tries his best to ensure that Jefferson’s death has a meaning and an impact on the

In Ernest Gaines’ novel A Lesson Before Dying he uses third person point of views to tackle the issues of racial injustice in the South during the 1940’s. The character Grant Wiggin’s understands that justice was claimed and could not change because of this he successful change Jefferson into a man. About justice showing the audience the significance of the novel as a whole, this novel teaches the reader that in order to make a change in the world they must change themselves or help one another, just like Grant did with Jefferson.        In this novel, Grant claims that he doesn’t care for justice because he knows that it wasn’t going to get severed.

However, powerless against his aunt’s persistence and his lover’s encouragement, he agrees to go to the jail and speak to Jefferson. At the beginning of Grant’s visits, Jefferson resents and jeers at Grant and his other visitors by mimicking a hog. Grant remained distant and pessimistic about his task, as not to become too involved in case he did not succeed in making Jefferson a proud man before he is killed. However, as Grant continues to go,

He also stated, “im strong, im a man” (Gaines 234). For the majority of the novel Jefferson stood firm in the belief that he was a hog, not a man. By Gaines’s redemptive and powerful words he tore down Jefferson’s insecure walls and resurrected a confidence within Jefferson. Many other people went to visit Jefferson, but their attempts at making him into a man failed. Gaines found success because he cared about Jefferson, and Jefferson could feel that compassion

In the end, Jefferson does what Grant had told him to do, walk. Grant was told that "'He was the strongest man in that crowded room, Grant Wiggins,'" (Pg. 253) after Jefferson walked to the chair. Grant is the man who can make a man who had been wrongly convicted, called a hog by his own lawyer and sentenced to death decide that he will walk to the chair, proud of who he

Banneker know his place in terms that he is black, so he is not treated as equal. Banneker brings up the fact that Jefferson knows how he feels, as Jefferson has gone through having his freedom stripped from him. Banneker tells Jefferson to recall the time when “the arms and tyranny” of the king were applied with a stern effort to reduce him to a “State of Servitude.”

When he was told he was an animal, he acted like one, and when he was told he was a human, he eventually began to act like one again. Although the negative commentary seemed to have more of a long-lasting and hard-hitting impact on him, the opinion that was more strongly enforced eventually defeated it. Grant’s reassurance of Jefferson’s humanity helped both of them learn the lesson before his death - people absorb what they are exposed to, and are helpless in how much it affects

At his trial, Jefferson’s identity and manhood is ripped from him, but through the help of his community, he regains them, allowing him to become a hero. The novel

The repetitive use of pronouns and satire are utilized in order to question the credibility and motives behind Jefferson’s actions, thus creating a demanding tone. In order to appeal to Jefferson’s emotions, personification and allusions are utilized to establish guilt for not adhering to his statements. Through Banneker’s letter, not only was his efforts successful in attracting attention to slavery, but it urged other advocates to fight for equality as

At the beginning of the novel, Jefferson said “I was not there, yet I was there” which told a good bit of what situation Jefferson would be in before the novel was read fully. He felt as if no matter what he told the officers or whomever else, he would still be in a bad sticky situation because of his color of skin. Service is a major tool that grant used and offered to Jefferson as well. If it wasn’t for Grant, Jefferson would have been as hopeless as he was on day one Strength may not seem very relevant today but it makes a difference. Being strong is never a disadvantage and that’s what Jefferson felt ever since he got caught or maybe even before.

The main conflict of the story is Grant convincing Jefferson that he is truly a man and that there is hope in the world. After Jefferson’s sentence is set, Jefferson doesn’t have hope for the world and thinks that he going to die anyways, so why care. Grant is teaching him that he can help others and that there is hope in the world and in the future. So, Grant is using character motivation to help Jefferson throughout the entire novel. The other literary term, diction, is repetition of a word to show its importance.