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A lesson Before Dying
'Without the women in A Lesson Before Dying by Gaines, Grant and Jefferson would never have been able to change.'
Is this your view of the women in a Lesson Before Dying by Gaines?
The women in 'a lesson before dying", Vivian, Miss Emma and Tante Lou, play a very influential role in most of the decision making situations, and strongly contribute to the motive behind Grant and Jefferson's ability to change.
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These women are pivotal to the text, as they contribute the driving force that is needed for the story to unfold.
Earnest Gaines' "a lesson before dying" is an insightful piece with many points of discussion. Racism, human dignity, personal relationships and Afro-American conflict are some of the issues raised in this novel. However, my focus is how I felt the women in the book contributed to the story.
By trying to impart some human dignity in Jefferson through Grant, the women's intervention in local town affairs caused a domino effect that bought about not only personal growth for Jefferson but also influenced other characters in the book.
Without the women in 'a lesson before dying' Grant would have never considered visiting Jefferson. He had no need, it was none of his business, and had no obligation to do so. Grant himself is an unhappy, angry man who dreams of escape, but because of the women in his life he feels bound to stay.
Grant Wiggins is a black teacher living with his aunt Tante Lou, whose best friend Miss Emma, is godmother to Jefferson a boy wrongly convicted of attempted robbery and murder. When the defending attorney calls Jefferson a hog Miss Emma is determined to have him taught that he is aman before he dies. Grant is forced to accompany the two old ladies to the home of Mr Henri Pichot the plantation manager, which Grant does out of a sense of duty. They convince Mr Pichot to make a request to the local Sheriff Sam Guidrey to allow Grant to teach Jefferson. It is Miss Emma who applies the obligation on Mr Henri Pichot for Grant to visit Jefferson as she has done many things for his household in the past, and she reminds him of that "I done done a lot for this family and this place, Mr. Henri…All I'm asking you talk to the sheriff for me. I done done a lot for this family over the years." (p1) But Grant is cynical about the efficacy of teaching and begins to share his former teachers views, He had told us then that most of us would die violently, and those who did not would be brought down to the level of beasts.(p6) and that we had no other choice but to run and run.(p6)
Grant is doubtful about visiting Jefferson for he believes that education is tainted with prejudice. "They tell me how to succeed in the South as a coloured man.(p 65.) I teach what the white folks around here tell me to teach.(p 1) Though desperate to escape, he believes that if he stays his only option is to, Just go on and be the nigger you were born to be, (p65), Grant is tied to the quarter by his love for Vivian Baptiste. Vivian gives her support to Grant, and it's through her support he gains the strength to be the man he dreams of being. Whilst meeting at the Rainbow Caf they discuss Jefferson and Miss Emma's request. Vivian is Grant's soul mate and he believes the main motive for visiting Jefferson in his cell is because of her.(p)"If they say yes I want you to go for me". Vivian is his reason for living and nothing else in the world can offer what Vivian has. She is everything that is important to him. Vivian is a major influence over Grant and it is because of his love for her that he complies with his aunt's request to visit Jefferson. Vivian helps Grant through his journey and always supports him with her love. The lesson before dying is that we cannot escape our commitments - our ties to those who love us.The women bring in the notion of love and commitment. It is the women who seem to bring forth the morals within the text and provide backbone for the novel. They dictate most of the decision-making made by the characters, even the sheriff's wife pressures the sheriff into allowing visiting time for Miss Emma which is more convenient for her.
Grant's relationship with his aunt Tante Lou declines as the novel progresses. His aunt treated him like a hog and wanted total obedience, yet she wanted him to make a hog into a man. Tante Lou was not a very nice person, she would only show kindness towards people who shared many of her views and therefore was probably a very hard person to get along with e.g. " you going with us up the quarter you going up there with us, Grant, or you don't sleep in the house tonight." He went to visit Jefferson because Miss Emma and his aunt more or less forced him to do it. Grant did not want to do this chore for them but there was a hidden obligation. Tante Lou took Grant to live with her when he was a boy and Grant's secret, sub-conscious love for her makes him visit Jefferson. The transformation of the two men was really Miss Emma and Tante Lou's doing. They would even bring in people who were inappropriate, such as Rev. Ambrose, just to enforce their decision in Grants mind.
Grant really had no motivation except that his aunt would shun him if he did not comply. Tante Lou spoke for him where as Miss Emma would say "He don't have to go" Tante Lou would reassure her by saying " He go'n do it" without even asking Grant.
Miss Emma was afraid that Jefferson would die a hog and in doing so would have lived a meaningless life. She wanted him Not to crawl to the white man, but to get up and walk to him at the end. Miss Emma tries to make Jefferson's last moments on earth as comfortable as possible.
Miss Emma's relationships with others deal more with obligation and commitment, especially with the sheriff and Mr Henri Pichott. She makes people feel as if they owe her so she can get what she wants, but her reasons for doing this is to help Jefferson achieve some dignity in his final days.
Grant uses Miss Emma as motivation to make Jefferson do things and tries to manipulate Jefferson's love and loyalty toward his Godmother Miss Emma. When Jefferson eats his Nanan's gumbo the change is evident in him. Miss Emma's food is almost a symbolism of love and respect, she triggers the reason why Jefferson learns to express his feelings, ignore racial prejudice and develops a self-understanding. Therefore, by accepting his own responsibility for what had occurred on the day of the robbery, Jefferson no longer portrays himself as a victim.
By understanding what happened to Jefferson, one also notice the changes in Grant. Grant realises he has learnt more from this experience than Jefferson has and Jefferson is now a stronger man than Grant " I need you much more than you could ever need me. I need to know what to do with my life. I want to run away, but go where and do what? I'm needed here and I know it, but I feel that all I'm doing is chocking myself. I need someone to tell me what to do. I need you to tell me, to show me…You-you can be bigger than anyone you have ever met." (p1) Grant tells Jefferson this before he eats the gumbo. We can see here that Grant has learnt the greatest lesson from this experience. With Jefferson's ability to change so has Grants, which all go back to the original source, women.
Therefore, I believe it is right to say that the women did play a major part in the change between Grant and Jefferson, separately and combined. Miss Emma instigated the event, Tante Lou is the aggressive force behind it and Vivian with her compassion, support and love made Grants decision to help more palatable. Through using Grant as their tool, they were rewarded with seeing Jefferson grow as a human being with dignity. Jefferson was able to face his death not only as man but as a brave man.
"But tell them he was the bravest man in the room today.I,m a witness Grant Wiggins . Tell them
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