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Power Of Education In A Lesson Before Dying

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The Power of Education Education can be for both better and worse. Several different views of education are located everywhere in A Lesson Before Dying. While most people would say education is what helps people get somewhere in this world, being too educated can lead people to becoming selfish individuals. Whether it is about black v. white education, book smarts v. street smarts, or how education does not mean everything, Ernest J. Gaines novel is bleeding with ways on how education affects the events in the novel. In the 1940s, there was quite a difference between black and white education. Grant Wiggins, the protagonist, is a school teacher who is worried about his students not getting the proper supplies for their education. During the superintendent’s visit, Grant stresses this when he says “I don’t have all the books I need. In some classes I have two children studying out of one book.” (Gaines 57). It’s obvious that this is a serious problem, especially when he notes that the books are hand-me-downs from the white schools. Another time when blacks are shown inferior to whites in terms of education is when the sheriff is speaking to Grant abous meeting Jefferson. While discussing how these meetings will affect Jefferson, the sheriff says, “....the only thing you can do is just aggravate him, …show more content…

This could be from obstacles that differentiate black and white education, book smarts and street smarts, or just the idea that someone with a powerful education can not do everything. So where does society draw the line between and underpowered and overpowered education? As portrayed in A Lesson Before Dying, the answer to that isn’t an easy one to solve. Maybe society could go to such great lengths for everyone to have access to equal education. Even better yet, everyone as a whole can learn to accept the fact that everyone should be treated equally, no matter where someone is

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