Nonverbal Communication In Ernest Gaines A Lesson Before Dying

A lot of authors provide nonverbal communication in their books to develop the plot and the characters. Ernest Gaines does this particularly well in his book A Lesson Before Dying. Most of the nonverbal communication in this book focuses on the eyes of the people interacting with and around the narrator, Grant Wiggins. Gaines' use of nonverbal communication both enhances the plot and develops the characters in a way that is realistic, effective and easy to read.

People's body language often speaks louder than words; the way they look at you with their eyes, the way their hands move, any small quirks or habits they have. One example of this is in chapter 3. "He was finished talking to me. Now he wanted me to look away. I lowered my eyes. When

Without the description of the other character's appearances, especially their eyes, we wouldn't have a clear and quiet way to know what they are thinking. The first example of eyes being windows to the soul is in chapter 8. "No, he did not say it with words, only with his eyes. You will be the loser, my friend. Maybe he did not say “friend”; he probably didn’t say “friend”; “fool,” more likely" (page 63). Grant knows exactly what they are saying to him, despite not using any words. He can tell exactly what they are thinking, what they are saying to him with just their eyes. The next example is in chapter 6. "She had large eyes, brown and kind. I could see traces of tears that she had tried wiping away" (page 43). Grant describes Inez's eyes as being "kind" he can tell about her and her personality all from her eyes, further proving that Gaines uses eyes as windows into the soul. Another example is in chapter 5. "He put on his hat, and I noticed his eyes. He knew why Henri Pichot wanted me up there, all right. But Henri Pichot had not thought it was necessary to tell him" (page 41). Once again, Grant is able to tell a person’s wishes and motives all by seeing their