A Lesson Before Dying Social Prejudice Analysis

Scouting out Prejudice

Halie Selassie said that “We must become members of a new race, overcoming petty prejudice, owing our ultimate allegiance not to nations but to our fellow men within the human community.” Throughout literature, many novels impress upon the idea of overcoming racism to influence their reader. Harper Lee and Ernest Gaines utilize social systems and racist actions to explain how characters are effected by prejudice. In Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and Gaines’s A Lesson Before Dying, the actions taken towards Tom Robinson and Jefferson illustrate racial and social prejudices and have an impact on their self-worth.

The idea of racial and social prejudice is portrayed in To Kill A Mockingbird through the social system and the

townspeople’s display of amusement for a trial that is life altering for Tom Robinson. He is faced with these discriminatory acts because he was accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell. Despite the town’s knowledge of his innocence, most of them know the verdict will be guilty. This is because the caste system that exists in Maycomb revolves around racial differences. When explaining this system to the reader, Scout said, “They took for granted attitudes, character shadings, even gestures, as having been repeated in each generation and refined by time” (Lee 132). Black people are hated by everyone in Maycomb that is held in higher regard. For Robinson, it is impossible to escape the condemnation that is associated with the lower level in society. Because he is regarded as extremely low socially, it angered many that a white man such as Atticus would defend him. HIs trial is so intriguing that nearly the entire town attended. Scout described to the reader that, “It was a gala occasion… the courthouse square was covered with picnic parties” (Lee 162). The town has prepared for this as a ‘social’ event. They arrived with food packed for a picnic and newspapers for seating. It is evident that people planned on attending the trial for an extended period of time and are eagerly awaiting a guilty verdict in anticipation of the conviction of a black man. In addition to Tom Robinson, Jefferson also faces many challenges due to prejudice.
Throughout Ernest Gaines’s A Lesson Before Dying, racial and social prejudices are displayed to Jefferson thorough the actions of others.

The lawyer that was assigned to his case defamed him when he said, “Gentlemen of the jury… do you see a man sitting here? Look at the shape of this skull… do you see a modicum of intelligence?”(Gaines 7). They claim that because he is African American, he must be too stupid to commit the crime. Through this, he is exposed to the judgments that many hold against him. Degrading comments such as these stuck with him throughout his time in jail. He often referred to himself as a hog that did not deserve to live. Jefferson never would have felt this way if people had treated him with the respect that every human deserves. Another discriminatory man is Professor Antoine. He displays his prejudice when he says “Don’t be a damned fool. I am superior to you. I am superior to any man blacker than me” (Gaines 39). As a man of mixed race, he should understand what African Americans go through. However, he decides to make Jefferson feel worse in order to make himself feel better. This comment only adds to his extremely low self-worth. For both Jefferson and Robinson, it seems impossible to escape the continuous

slander.
Harper Lee and Ernest Gaines explain the prevalence of racism and prejudice in their novels through the main characters. Both novels show that even in the face of hopelessness as a result of discriminatory actions, characters that struggle can still improve their situations. Jefferson and Robinson are extremely similar characters in that they both have the same two options in life; to deny their fate, or accept it and learn from it. Both are African Americans that have been accused, convicted, and killed for something that they have not done. A trait that Jefferson demonstrates when put into prison is that he still enjoys little moments in life. He accepts the radio and diary from Grant. The fact that he wants these things shows that his imprisonment does not defeat him. Tom Robinson on the other hand, has a gentle and kind personality that does not waver in spite of his circumstances. His willingness to fight for his innocence in a respectful manner illustrates his genuine personality and ability to look past the racial judgments of others. Both novels exemplify that while dealing with prejudice actions, it is still possible to overcome them.
Through Jefferson and Tom Robinson, Harper Lee and Ernest Gaines impress upon the idea of overcoming racism. Although the racist comments made against them negatively affect their self-worth, in the end, they conquer their hardships. In a society that thrives on judgment and discrimination, characters will always face the repercussions of the actions that result from prejudice. In both Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and Gaines’s A Lesson Before Dying, characters’ struggles with race and social status are used to show the effects of prejudices.