Close Reading of “A Lesson Before Dying”

            It’s the late 1940’s in a small town in Louisiana. Grant Wiggins, a schoolhouse teacher of several years on a plantation, crosses paths with a slow-witted man named Jefferson, who is being convicted of murder and sentenced to death by electrocution. Grant, being an educated man, is then convinced by Jefferson’s godmother, Miss Emma, to help Jefferson die like a man, not a “hog” which is what Jefferson’s lawyer refers to him as when he is on trial. To make a long story short, Jefferson dies a symbol of confidence and potential. The two major theme’s that occur throughout the book are racism and education. A Lesson Before Dying is a book written by Ernest J. Gaines who is an African American author. Gaines uses the names of former slave-owning presidents as his main characters to suggest a more complex model of education.

            From the very beginning of the book, Gaines describes a very racist society in a small- plantation town in Louisiana. During the trial the defense attorney says this about his defendant, “What you see here is a thing that acts on command. A thing to hold the handle of a plow, a thing to load your bales of cotton, a thing to dig your ditches, to chop your wood, to pull your corn.” Before we even know the name of the man on trial for murder, his lawyer names him as a “hog.” This is the character the reader will find out is named Jefferson. The approach of this dehumanizing effect of language can be recognized throughout the history of racist comments. Later in the book, Grant along with Miss Emma are walking to see Jefferson in his cell. As they walk, they notice something, “The white prisoners were also on this floor, but in a separate section. I counted eight cells for black prisoners, with two bunks to each cell. Half of the cells were empty, the other had one or two prisoners.” They have just recognized that their reasons for being locked up may not be any better than Jefferson’s. This shows the struggle of blacks to live and die like humans in a racist world.

            Education plays a key thematic role in the novel, yet the novel’s interpretation of education is not as simple as “education is good.” The schoolhouse that Grant teaches is filled with poor black students. He has an epiphany about school: the things taught from this “education” have no significance to the kind of work society permits black people to do during these times. Basically, he does not understand why these students are receiving an education they will not use because it will not improve their lifestyle in the future. Grant has no respect for his profession as well, “I had told her I was no teacher, I hated teaching, and I was just running in place here.” Education is a two-way street. Even as Grant teaches Jefferson, Grant learns to be more moral himself, sacrificing his own dignity for the betterment of Jefferson. A conversation proves this between the sheriff and Grant after the execution of Jefferson. The sheriff says that he saw the transformation in Jefferson as he went to the electric chair, but Grant takes no responsibility for the so-called transformation. The sheriff presses, “He never could have done that himself. I saw the transformation. I am a witness to that,” and Grant replies, “Then maybe it was God.”

            In the end, Jefferson’s behavior can only alter a racist society so much, but Gaines suggests how racism could be fought in the future, through education. Racism and education tie together to make sense of the whole book. Jefferson matures and comes to serve as an honorable representative of the black community. Jefferson can be referred to as a Christ-like figure for his people, the people that need him, “Me, Mr. Wiggins. Me. Me to take the cross. Your cross, nannan’s cross, my own cross.” Only through mutual understanding, or educating, with Grant can the two races become one. The solution is education. But not the education we know. Grant tells Jefferson this, “My eyes were closed before this moment, Jefferson. My eyes have been closed all my life. Yes, we all need you. Every last one of us.” Grant’s moral transformation is only possible through the rejection of traditional education where the teacher passes on knowledge to the student. Education is this sense is a mutual understanding.

            In conclusion, the reader can see how Gaines use of the names of former slave-owning presidents as his main characters suggests a more complex model of education. Ulysses S. Grant, as well as Thomas Jefferson, were presidents of the United States who owned slaves. The reader must take a deeper look into this because of the importance of education throughout the entire story. If education is the solution to end racism, why is this not a topic of discussion in U.S. History courses? Understanding our past is the key to our future. A Lesson Before Dying is truly a lesson for all people of every race, gender, and ethnicity.

Reference:

Gaines, J. Ernest. A Lesson Before Dying. New York: Vintage Books, 1993. Print.