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From the author of A Gathering of Old Men and The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman comes a deep and compassionate novel. A young man who returns to 1940s Cajun country to teach visits a black youth on death row for a crime he didn't commit. Together they come to understand the heroism of resisting.
Grant Wiggins, the hope of the community, has returned to teach school after having left for a university education. He fights internal demons, his aunt, and his guilt-ridden sense of community in deciding whether to escape the small town (and the small- town mentality) or to stay. He receives a visit from his aunt, Jefferson's godmother. With the pain of history on her face, the godmother spoke. "Called him a hog... I don't want them to kill no hog," she said. "I want a man to go to that chair, on his own two feet." Grant's mandate was to instill in Jefferson a firm sense of self in the short time prior to his execution—a Herculean task, in that Grant had yet to come to terms with his own expectations of himself. In the end, and through their interaction, the two men come to realizations that allow each of them to successfully meet their demons.
In A Lesson Before Dying, Ernest Gaines personifies the angst of expectation that comes with being the first of a generation to succeed, the resolute power of community, and the importance of reciprocity—giving back to that which nurtured us.
"A Lesson Before Dying reconfirms Ernest J. Gaines's position as an important American writer."- Boston Globe
"Enormously moving... Gaines unerringly evokes the place and time about which he writes."- Los Angeles Times
CHAPTER ONE
I was not there, yet I was there. No, I did not go to the trial, I did not hear the verdict, because I knew all the time what it would be. Still, I was there. I was there as much as anyone else was there. Either I sat behind my aunt and his godmother or I sat beside them. Both are large women, but his godmother is larger. She is of average height, five four, five five, but weighs nearly two hundred pounds. Once she and my aunt had found their places--two rows behind the table where he sat with his court-appointed attorney--his godmother became as immobile as a great stone or as one of our oak or cypress stumps. She never got up once to get water or go to the bathroom down in the basement. She just sat there staring at the boy's clean-cropped head where he sat at the front table with his lawyer. Even after he had gone to await the jurors' verdict, her eyes remained in that one direction. She heard nothing said in the courtroom. Not by the prosecutor, not by the defense attorney, not by my aunt. (Oh, yes, she did hear one word--one word, for sure: "hog.") It was my aunt whose eyes followed the prosecutor as he moved from one side of the courtroom to the other, pounding his fist into the palm of his hand, pounding the table where his papers lay, pounding the rail that separated the jurors from the rest of the courtroom. It was my aunt who followed his every move, not his godmother. She was not even listening. She had gotten tired of listening, She knew, as we all knew, what the outcome would be. A white man had been killed during a robbery, and though two of the robbers had been killed on the spot, one had been captured, and he, too, would have to die. Though he told them no, he had nothing to do with it, that he was on his way to the White Rabbit Bar and Lounge when Brother and Bear drove up beside him and offered him a ride. After he got into the car, they asked him if he had any money. When he told them he didn't have a solitary dime, it was then that Brother and Bear started talking credit, saying that old Gropé should not mind crediting them a pint since he knew them well, and he knew that the grinding season was coming soon, and they would be able to pay him back then.
The store was empty, except for the old storekeeper, Alcee Gropé, who sat on a stool behind the counter. He spoke first. He asked Jefferson about his godmother. Jefferson told him his nannan was all right. Old Gropé nodded his head. "You tell her for me I say hello," he told Jefferson. He looked at Brother and Bear. But he didn't like them. He didn't trust them. Jefferson could see that in his face. "Do for you boys?" he asked. "A bottle of that Apple White, there, Mr. Gropé," Bear said. Old Gropé got the bottle off the shelf, but he did not set it on the counter. He could see that the boys had already been drinking, and he became suspicious. "You boys got money?" he asked. Brother and Bear spread out all the money they had in their pockets on top of the counter. Old Gropé counted it with his eyes. "That's not enough," he said. "Come on, now, Mr. Gropé," they pleaded with him. "You know you go'n get your money soon as grinding start." "No," he said. "Money is slack everywhere. You bring the money, you get your wine." He turned to put the bottle back on the shelf. One of the boys, the one called Bear, started around the counter."You, stop there," Gropé told him. "Go back." Bear had been drinking, and his eyes were glossy, he walked unsteadily, grinning all the time as he continued around the counter. "Go back," Gropé told him. "I mean, the last time now--go back." Bear continued. Gropé moved quickly toward the cash register, where he withdrew a revolver and started shooting. Soon there was shooting from another direction. When it was quiet again, Bear, Gropé, and Brother were all down on the floor, and only Jefferson was standing.
He wanted to run, but he couldn't run. He couldn't even think. He didn't know where he was. He didn't know how he had gotten there. He couldn't remember ever getting into the car. He couldn't remember a thing he had done all day.
He heard a voice calling. He thought the voice was coming from the liquor shelves. Then he realized that old Gropé was not dead, and that it was he who was calling. He made himself go to the end of the counter. He had to look across Bear to see the storekeeper. Both lay between the counter and the shelves of alcohol. Several bottles had broken, and alcohol and blood covered their bodies as well as the floor. He stood there gaping at the old man slumped against the bottom shelf of gallons and half gallons of wine. He didn't know whether he should go to him or whether he should run out of there. The old man continued to call: "Boy? Boy? Boy?" Jefferson became frightened. The old man was still alive. He had seen him. He would tell on him. Now he started babbling. "It wasn't me. It wasn't me, Mr. Gropé. It was Brother and Bear. Brother shot you. It wasn't me. They made me come with them. You got to tell the law that, Mr. Gropé. You hear me Mr. Gropé?"
But he was talking to a dead man.
Still he did not run. He didn't know what to do. He didn't believe that this had happened. Again he couldn't remember how he had gotten there. He didn't know whether he had come there with Brother and Bear, or whether he had walked in and seen all this after it happened.
He looked from one dead body to the other. He didn't know whether he should call someone on the telephone or run. He had never dialed a telephone in his life, but he had seen other people use them. He didn't know what to do. He was standing by the liquor shelf, and suddenly he realized he needed a drink and needed it badly. He snatched a bottle off the shelf, wrung off the cap, and turned up the bottle, all in one continuous motion. The whiskey burned him like fire--his chest, his belly, even his nostrils. His eyes watered; he shook his head to clear his mind. Now he began to realize where he was. Now he began to realize fully what had happened. Now he knew he had to get out of there. He turned. He saw the money in the cash register, under the little wire clamps. He knew taking money was wrong. His nannan had told him never to steal. He didn't want to steal. But he didn't have a solitary dime in his pocket. And nobody was around, so who could say he stole it? Surely not one of the dead men.
He was halfway across the room, the money stuffed inside his jacket pocket, the half bottle of whiskey clutched in his hand, when two white men walked into the store.
That was his story.
The prosecutor's story was different. The prosecutor argued that Jefferson and the other two had gone there with the full intention of robbing the old man and killing him so that he could not identify them. When the old man and the other two robbers were all dead, this one--it proved the kind of animal he really was--stuffed the money into his pockets and celebrated the event by drinking over their still-bleeding bodies.
The defense argued that Jefferson was innocent of all charges except being at the wrong place at the wrong time. There was absolutely no proof that there had been a conspiracy between himself and the other two. The fact that Mr. Gropé shot only Brother and Bear was proof of Jefferson's innocence. Why did Mr. Gropé shoot one boy twice and never shoot at Jefferson once? Because Jefferson was merely an innocent bystander. He took the whiskey to calm his nerves, not to celebrate. He took the money out of hunger and plain stupidity.
"Gentlemen of the jury, look at this--this--this boy. I almost said man, but I can't say man. Oh, sure, he has reached the age of twenty-one, when we, civilized men, consider the male species has reached manhood, but would you call this--this--this a man? No, not I. I would call it a boy and a fool. A fool is not aware of right and wrong. A fool does what others tell him to do. A fool got into that automobile. A man with a modicum of intelligence would have seen that those racketeers meant no good. But not a fool. A fool got into that automobile. A fool rode to the grocery store. A fool stood by and watched this happen, not having the sense to run.
"Gentlemen of the jury, look at him--look at him--look that this. Do you see a man sitting here? I ask you, I implore, look carefully--do you see a man sitting here? 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? Do you see anyone here who could plan a murder, a robbery, can plan--can plan--can plan anything? A cornered animal to strike quickly out of fear, a trait inherited from his ancestors in the deepest jungle of blackest Africa--yes, yes, that he can do--but to plan? To plan, gentlemen of the jury? No, gentlemen, this skull here holds no plans. 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. That is what you see here, but you do not see anything capable of planning a robbery or a murder. He does not even know the size of his clothes or his shoes. Ask him to name the months of the year. Ask him does Christmas come before or after the Fourth of July? Mention the names of Keats, Byron, Scott, and see whether the eyes will show one moment of recognition. Ask him to describe a rose, to quote one passage from the Constitution or the Bill of Rights. Gentlemen of the jury, this man planned a robbery? Oh, pardon me, pardon me, I surely did not mean to insult your intelligence by saying 'man'--would you please forgive me for committing such an error?
"Gentlemen of the jury, who would be hurt if you took this life? Look back to that second row. Please look. I want all twelve of you honorable men to turn your heads and look back to that second row. What you see there has been everything to him--mama, grandmother, godmother--everything. Look at her, gentlemen of the jury, look at her well. Take this away from her, and she has no reason to go on living. We may see him as not much, but he's her reason for existence. Think on that, gentlemen, think on it.
"Gentlemen of the jury, be merciful. For God's sake, be merciful. He is innocent of all charges brought against him.
"But let us say he was not. Let us for a moment say he was not. What justice would there be to take this life? Justice, gentlemen,? Why, I would just as soon put a hog in the electric chair as this.
"I thank you, gentlemen, from the bottom of my heart, for your kind patience. I have no more to say, except this: We must live with our own conscience. Each and every one of us must live with his own conscience."
The jury retired, and it returned a verdict after lunch: guilty of robbery and murder in the first degree. The judge commended the twelve white men for reaching a quick and just verdict. This was Friday. He would pass sentence on Monday.
Ten o'clock on Monday, Miss Emma and my aunt sat in the same seats they had occupied on Friday. Reverend Mose Ambrose, the pastor of their church, was with them., He and my aunt sat on either side of Miss Emma. The judge, a short, red-faced man with snow-white hair and thick black eyebrows, asked Jefferson if he had anything to say before the sentencing. My aunt said that Jefferson was looking down at the floor and shook his head. The judge told Jefferson that he had been found guilty of the charges brought against him, and that the judge saw no reason that he should not pay for the part he played in this horrible crime.
Death by electrocution. The governor would set the date.
The questions, discussion topics, and author biography that follow are designed to enhance your group's reading of Ernest J. Gaines's A Lesson Before Dying. We hope that they will provide you with multiple ways of looking at—and talking about—a novel whose eloquence, thematic richness, and moral resonance have called forth comparisons to the work of Richard Wright, James Baldwin, and William Faulkner. In a story so simple that it might be a lost parable from the Gospels, Gaines has compressed the entire bitter history of black people in the South—and, by extension, in America as a whole.
Anonymous
Posted October 29, 2008
I Also Recommend:
A Lesson Before Dying is a book about a mentally retarded man, Jefferson. Jefferson is wrongly convicted of a murder. He is called a 'hog' during his trail. His aunt, Miss Emma, wants him to become a man before he dies. Miss Emma asked the community's teacher, Grant, to make her son a man before his execution.<BR/>Grant is left with an enormous task when he reluctantly agreed. Grant has to break down the barriers surrounding Jefferson, who refuses to eat and talk to his visitors, but in the end, two complete opposite people become the best of friends.<BR/>I really enjoyed this book. It has a moving plot that makes you think about the life you are living. At times in the middle of the book it got a little tedious waiting for the end, but it picked up speed again toward the end of the story.<BR/>This book is a historical fiction book set in the 1940's while whites still had the upper hand. This book is for advanced young adults readers and older.
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Fully
Posted April 17, 2011
This is a modern day classic. I've read and taught this book since 1998. I never get tired of the story and I constantly find new facets of the book that I am just now seeing. From the Christ figure of Jefferson to Grant's ambiguous atheism, Gaines takes an interesting look at the problems of faith for black men in the 1940's Deep South. Also, Grant's journey to manhood parallels Jefferson's. Could either of them have done it without the other? Their are other themes present as well: Human dignity, Community Responsibility, Running away from one's problems,and Universality are some of them. I've found that I learn something from this book every single time I read it with my classes. The humanity of Jefferson's diary always moves my students. Even though Jefferson isn't an educated, or even a smart man, he is still a man deserving of dignity and decency and justice. While seeming to be a rather dark subject, A Lesson Before Dying is an uplifting story of hope and redemption. I can't imagine not having this book in my classroom.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This was a great book I really enjoyed this book it was an easy read and I could not put it down once I started! I originally picked this book up because I read the first chapter on an online review page and on this website you are limited to one chapter so after I had read the first chapter I was hooked on the book I tried to get the book as soon as possible so I could read it. I loved this book so much that I would be willing to read this book a second time and I have never considered reading a book twice that is how much I loved this book. Throughout the book Jefferson displays the theme of redemption in death. At the end of the novel Jefferson redeems himself in front of his community because he defies his society that tells him that he is a hog but instead of acting like the hog that everyone says he is he makes his community proud by standing strong at the execution being the "strongest man in the room." This novel is a heart wrenching book that made me feel for Grant Wiggins, Jefferson and Jefferson's friends and family and at points made me wanted to cry. The only thing I did not like about this book was that it went into extreme detail for instance the author would explain what the characters were eating and it said things that were not important sometimes, but other than that Ernest J. Gaines is a brilliant author. This book should be considered a classic literature but I do not think that it should be taught in high schools just because it had some bad parts and some not so good language it is definitely considered a young adult book it has some mature themes in it. One of the many things that I liked about this book is how much smarter Jefferson is than everyone gives him credit for. One thing that I like about the main character Grant Wiggins is that he never calls himself a teacher but in the end he teaches a "hog" to be a man and is a very smart man. One thing that I would change about this book is just not putting in every detail about Grant Wiggins and Vivian's relationship because I did not see how it tied into the story. This book reminds me of the movie The Green Mile. The Green Mile is about a guard who works in the jail for the people that are going to be executed. Tom Hanks plays a character that feels bad for a jailer that is to be soon executed. This movie reminds me of this book because there is a guard in there named Paul and he is emotionally compensated about the execution of Jefferson. This book has been a truly inspiring book it has taught me many life lessons for instance choose wisely on the people you hang out with it might cost your life.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 30, 2008
I am honestly so surprised to see that so many people rated this book as high as they did. After seeing what this book was about I really was excited to read it. I thought that there would be a lot of dialouge about life within the man's cell and that it would be something I could apply to and that would encourage some thought. Bottom line: absolutely nothing happens. The convicted man changes overnight, with no description whatsoever at what truly changed him. One minute he's a hog and then the next he's listening to this teacher guy which, personally, I really didn't care for as a character. I have to admit I'm a harsh critic, I rarely read books I'm truly moved by. This one didn't even come close though. Terrible book.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 7, 2013
Amazing book. I have read it several times. The first was when I was in high school.
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Posted March 3, 2013
Jjdf
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Posted February 22, 2013
This has got to be one of the best works of fiction that I have ever read. Some of the most beautiful and moving passages ever written -- especially the writings by Jefferson. Felt like I was there. Unforgettable!
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Posted November 21, 2012
I'm reading this in class, and it is really suprising. I love the concept of the story and the plot. The movie is also something to look foward to, but it may look boring but I thought it would be good read because i have black/ french heritage so i could relate ancestors with this novel!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.jsiriann
Posted September 30, 2012
This book was great,I recommend this to anyone that can relate to the coming of age. This novel brings you to a small town in the southern states in the 1940's. A uneducated black man named Jefferson is in the middle of a shootout, where Jefferson is the only survivor. Jefferson is put on trial for murder, and as Jefferson and his friends and family are put though life changing events where they learn about each other and their ideals. Jefferson learns about heroism and how some push to be a hero and some fail to try.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.ReadsalotNK
Posted August 31, 2012
Well told.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This book is very interesting; however, sad at the same time. Unfortunately, this book displays the truth about the horrible events that happened in African American's in the 1940's. There was a total disregard for African American’s, human life in the 40's.
I questioned, "What were people thinking?" Secondly, there were moments I questioned the behavior of the teacher in regards to the children... It is unfortunate that the structure of teaching was based on fear. This was a great read, I suggest everyone to read this book...There are a lot of life lesson when reading this book for each of us.
Anonymous
Posted July 6, 2012
This book was a very god read. I read it in high school and it was interesting and it pulled out all my emotions. Books like this take you on a journey into the life if the characters.
Anonymous
Posted April 4, 2012
This novel had good potential, but it was very dry and boring. The middle of the novel is very repetitive; the same thing happens over and over again. It was very difficult to like the characters, Grant is very whiney and Jefferson shows no emotion. Grant shows little compassion toward Jefferson and seems agitated when he is asked to help him by Jefferson's elderly godmother. The beginning and ending of the novel were pretty good, but all the pages in between showed no development or contribution to the plot. The characters remained flat and they were very predictable. Jefferson's Diary at the end was a horrible reading experience. It is understood that he was not educated properly as a child back in the 1940s, and life was VERY hard for him, but not many readers want to sit around and waste their time reading a whole chapter of "...i done eat my rice an beans an i done had my cup of milk an the sun comin in the windo cause i can see it splashin in the flo..." (Gaines 226). Also, the theme of the novel was apparent from the first page, which was racism. This theme dominated the novel to the highest extent, and it made the whole plot very predictable. The only positive point about this novel is its message. It shows the hardships people endured in a racist world and how they dealt with it.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 4, 2012
This book ws very good and i would recommend this to anyone that loves the type of old shool books with colored and white people and i believe that you would really be able to get into this book
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Jacob-Larsen
Posted March 2, 2012
For all who haven’t read this book, I would definitely suggest reading it in the near future. It isn’t the most exciting and exhilarating book ever written, but over all there is a good message that comes out of reading it.
The story is about a black man named Jefferson who is accused of robbing and murdering a white liquor store owner. Hoping for Jefferson’s innocence the jury finds Jefferson guilty and puts him in jail until the date is set for his execution. Jefferson takes the snide comment from the defense attorney about him being a “dumb hog” to heart and no longer thinks of himself as human. After finding out that her godson was sent to jail and sentenced to electrocution, Miss Emma, Jefferson’s godmother, is determined to make Jefferson think he is human again and for him to regain his self respect.
In order to do this she asks a local school teacher, Grant Wiggins, to visit Jefferson in jail until he comes around again. After several visits, Jefferson, as well as Grant who has also been having some struggles in his life, finally begins to regain his self respect and knowledge of the importance of life. Grant realizes that his life might not be as bad off as he thought since he isn’t the one stuck in jail about to die. This recollection builds up Grant’s hope and faith that he is able to make a difference in Jefferson’s life. The big question is whether or not Jefferson realizes the importance of life and if he will walk with his head held high on the day of his execution.
Overall, the book was very inspirational and made you value the importance of life. Some people in the world have a lot more trials and struggles in their life than others. We need to all realize that even if there is a time when we are struggling, we probably aren’t as bad off as a lot of people. The book was very well written and made you reflect on how you are living your life. The only weakness that I saw personally in the book was that it was a little slow. It was easy reading, but many of the same things kept happening over and over. The whole book was based in the same location which made me loose a little interest. These weaknesses however are small and shouldn’t stop you from reading this inspirational novel.
ChocolateBookworm
Posted July 8, 2011
I just so happen to be reading this book at the same time as the Casey Anthony trial. And I tell you I found this book compelling. It had me thinking of how many innocent people were put in chairs like that all over this country. But a mother who admitted that she knew her child drowned and didn't report it could just go free angered me.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The_Diabetic
Posted March 23, 2011
This book was well written and the charaters are very disteinct and "interesting". But this books is a sob story from beginning to end and it has a very anti-climatic ending I suggest if you are looking for a happy ending you won't find it here.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 23, 2011
I thought it was a splended book. i would not recomend it for people looking for a thrill. But i would for people who likes a good plot and a story line. Glourious
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Cheat_Activated
Posted March 23, 2011
A couple positives i see in this book is that it has lots of hooks in the story you wouldnt expect. Another positive would be about the characters in the story are very unique. A couple negatives in this story is that it is a narrative story and not a fictional story. But another negative is that the story lengthens and has some information that i didnt find needed for the story making the book a lot longer.
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 23, 2011
It was an ok book, it was very slow at some parts. Some parts made the book seem boring and not worth reading, but in the end it turned out to be an ok book. The positive of it are that it has an iteresting story, and the negative is that it is boring. The characters got me confused at parts, but vivd ones made sense at fit well int the story. It is based only in a small town so there is'nt alot of action or story to tell.
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Overview
From the author of A Gathering of Old Men and The ...