A Lesson Before Dying Quote Analysis

666 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: A lesson before dying analysis

A Lesson Before Dying 1) “How do people come up with a date and time to take life from another man? Who made them God?” – Grant (Page 157) • This quote exemplifies Grant’s relationship change between him and Jefferson. Throughout the trial Grant didn’t care for the case, seeing Jefferson as almost a lost cause. Now that a date for Jefferson’s death has been set, he preaches that no man has the right to kill another, specifically white people deciding the fate black people. I thought this quote was very strong as it shows how, at the time, many people were getting upset over this case and almost made Jefferson out to be sort of a hero. The fact that he died with courage was extremely strong. 2) "Look at the shape of this skull, this face as flat as the palm of my hand—look deeply into those eyes. Do you see a modicum of intelligence?" (Page 13) • I thought this quote was very interesting because of the strategy the attorney tried to use. It would be very un-expected to learn that this guy is actually trying to defend Jefferson. For this case, Jefferson’s attorney tried to convince the jury that because of his African features that he has no intelligence therefore he couldn’t be held accountable for the crime he committed. I think that this is pretty wrong, from a readers point of view, knowing that Jefferson is actually …show more content…

The attorney claims that it would be wrong to kill a man no more intelligent than a hog. This is seen as very controversial and is almost a turning point in the story. From that moment on Jefferson was dedicated to not die “like a hog” and rather “die like a man”. He learns how to read and write and most of all his dignity was at an all time high. The symbol of the hog has a huge role in this book, as it is the driving force behind the whole bigger meaning of this story. By dying with courage, Jefferson was told he would always be

Show More
Related

  • Racial Injustice in the Book A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

    522 Words  | 2 Pages

    For Jefferson, racial injustice is present in court. Because of the color of his skin, Jefferson was automatically found guilty by those 12 men. “12 white men say a black man must die, and another white man sets the date and time without consulting one black person, Justice?” (157) The jury that decided his sentence was made up of 12 white men. Jefferson’s trial was unfair because the verdict was made by all white men. Jefferson was really just at the wrong place at the wrong time, but the biased jury saw him as guilty before finding any real evidence. This scene from court is an example of how Jefferson is treated unfairly because of the way he is viewed by others.

    Read More

  • Mr. Wiggins in A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines

    980 Words  | 2 Pages

    of the story. Although he was supposed to make Jefferson into a man, he himself

    Read More

  • Analysis of Thomas Jefferson's From Notes on the State of Virginia

    700 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jefferson’s use of strategies and language is ineffective in making his points and persuading readers of his arguments. Using hasty generalization, begging the question, and insulting language in his analysis is a huge flaw which lessens the credibility of his argument and offenses his readers. Jefferson should use other argumentative strategies and prevent himself from using insulting language in order to convince readers of his arguments.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast A Lesson Before Dying

    1317 Words  | 3 Pages

    African-American life in pre-Civil War America and life in pre-African-American Civil Rights Movement have many comparisons and also many differences. Some comparisons are the ideas of racism and segregation and some of the differences include the education during these two times and freedoms. These comparisons and differences are related to the novels Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass which is written by himself and A Lesson Before Dying written by Ernest Gaines. These two texts will compare and contrast how life was being an African American during these different periods of time.

    Read More

  • Thomas Jefferson Hypocrite

    1208 Words  | 3 Pages

    He wrote many times that salve ownership was directly against one’s personal and God given freedoms and liberties. On the contrary, he owned slaves and quite a few at that. Naturally, people are quick to label Mr. Jefferson a hypocrite because of this. But once you look deeper into Jefferson’s situation and his life you see some complications he would quickly run into if he were to release his slaves. During his lifetime, Jefferson was in a lot of debt and his slaves were his property. So his slaves acted as collateral to his debt. If he was to release his slaves then he would have run into some pretty heavy financial problems. I think that Jefferson had a big realization about deserved freedom for all humans but by the time he realized all of this it was too late. He already had an established life and if were to give it all up because of his realizations he would have been ruining his own life. He knew that he couldn’t do that to himself or his family. I don’t think we can stamp hypocrisy onto Mr. Jefferson. His heart was in the right place I think he might have just been too scared to completely give up his life for his beliefs because he knew what the consequences would

    Read More

  • Analysis of Frederick Douglass, The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro

    1284 Words  | 3 Pages

    It was a remarkable articulation of the Black people voice living in the United States of America at that point of time because Black people were going through too much humiliation on physical and moral levels (Andrews, 1991, p.46). In order to get to the gist of the speech and reveal the emotional resonance it creates, a historical background timeline needs to be sketched. The period of the 1850s in the USA was especially tough for slaves due to several significant events that happened within this period of time. First of all, there was the Nashville Convention held on June 3, 1850, the goal of which was to protect the rights of slaveholders and extend the dividing line northwards. September 18 of the same year brought the Fugitive Slave Act, according to which the slave who managed to escape from his owner to the free state was to be caught and later returned back with all the consequences to follow.... ...

    Read More

  • A Lesson Before Dying

    852 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the novel A Lesson Before Dying, Grant and Jefferson are black men in the era of a racist society; but they have struggles with a greater dilemma, obligation and commitment. They have obligations to their families and to the town they are part of. They lived in a town were everybody knew everybody else and took care of each other. "Living and teaching on a plantation, you got to know the occupants of every house, and you knew who was home and who was not.... I could look at the smoke rising from each chimney or I could look at the rusted tin roof of each house, and I could tell the lives that went on in each one of them." [pp. 37-38] Just by Grant’s words you can tell that that is a community that is very devoted to each other.

    Read More

  • Characters In Grant Wiggins And Jefferson, By Matthew Jefferson

    1103 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jefferson exemplifies the young black male who has internalized into self-hatred the hatred shown him by white racists. Because of his court-appointed attorney 's racist remark, he sees himself as a beast — not worthy of the dignity and respect due all human beings. His lack of self-worth and self-esteem is a major factor in his apathy and defeatist attitude. In order to reach him, Grant must first break through the barrier of his self-hate.

    Read More

  • African Americans' Attitude Toward Whites as Seen in Grant Wiggins and Jefferson

    911 Words  | 2 Pages

    It took Grant much time and strength to convince him that he should live his last days with pride and dignity. Jefferson looks at the entire situation as his fault and will only do what Miss Emma and Tante Lou see fit for him to do. Grant begins his teaching as he has taught for ye...

    Read More

  • Argument Analysis - Declaration of Independence

    765 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...kes a negative attitude throughout the article. He simply states the facts, supports them, and moves on to his next point. Jefferson never appears to be angry and does not point out anything that distracts the reader from the message that he is trying to convey. He keeps a serious tone throughout that keeps the reader drawn into what he is saying the entire time. The reader feels a sense that Jefferson is serious about what he is saying and he is not to be taken lightly at all.

    Read More

  • Lessons Learned In A Lesson Before Dying

    807 Words  | 2 Pages

    Firstly, Jefferson is an example of a person who never gave up. He is young black man that is sent to jail under the false charges of murdering. During the court session, he was referred to as a hog. This made him believe that the word “hog” defines him as a person. However, after a few long talks with Grant Wiggins he started to stand up for himself as a proud black person. We begin to see this happen when Jefferson did not refer

    Read More

  • The Declaration of Independence

    702 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jefferson used two main strategies in convincing his audience. First, as I have already mentioned, he uses factual evidence to support his claim. The list of cruel acts is his factual evidence. The amount of details that make up this list shows how much importance Jefferson placed on factual evidence as support. If he had used fewer facts here, the document might not have fully explained why the Americans demanded independence. Second, Jefferson exercised appeal to values in supporting his argument. He wanted others to feel the pain and suffering that has haunted the Americans and share similar morals. In paragraph five he says, "Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies" (17). Here he tries to evoke the sense of feeling. He assumes the reader will feel this pain and agree that King George III is wrong for his actions. He then goes on to say, "The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of injuries and unsurpations, all having in direct object the exact establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States" (17).

    Read More

  • Fate In A Lesson Before Dying

    1152 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jefferson decided to react wrongfully during the situation which in the long run modified the result of his future by getting a capital punishment. The setting of this novel takes place during the post civil war and pre civil rights era which shows how hard it is to escape history and tradition before then. Prejudice was still everywhere and blacks had practically zero rights or equity. Very much aware of his circumstances Jefferson knew what was best for him to do yet he choose to do the complete opposite. If he had got out of harm’s way by leaving the crime scene he would not have to face death for a murder he did not commit. Since Jefferson decided to utilize his freewill negatively his outcome was reflected from it. The subject of unrestrained choice is basically an issue of organization, of who is in control as many experience life settling on a wide range of

    Read More

  • Human Dignity in A Lesson Before Dying

    1355 Words  | 3 Pages

    Though Grant may have had some advantages compared with Jefferson, his position in life was not significantly better than Jefferson’s. Grant knows that if he had been the black man sitting in the courtroom, he too would have been convicted. In his powerful opening to the novel, Grant says, "I was not there yet I was there...

    Read More

  • Becoming a Man in A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

    848 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the beginning of the book when Grant and Jefferson are talking at the jail, Jefferson says““I’m a old hog,” he said. “Youmans don’t stay in no stall like this. I’m a old hog they fattening up to kill.””(Gaines 83). Jefferson has no dignity whatsoever and clings to the belief that he is a worthless hog. However, by the end of t...

    Read More

More about A Lesson Before Dying Quote Analysis

Open Document