In thinking about your next essay:
We constantly compare and contrast people and events in our lives though often we are not consciously aware that we are making a comparison. We choose our friends by discovering the similarities between their lives and ours. We choose classes in a way that we think will most benefit us.
For this paper, compare and contrast two characters, themes, motifs, symbols, places etc. from A Lesson Before Dying. You will need to choose a topic that is significant, that gives the possibility of depth of thinking and/or creativity, and that would be interesting for your reader to consider.
The first step in this paper writing process will be to make a long, detailed chart of the similarities and differences between the two literary devices, people, or places (yes, you DO need to actually write this down and turn it in with your drafts). The second step is to decide from the items on the list which major areas of comparison you will take up in your paper; in other words, what will each paragraph cover? The third step is to choose an angle (specific point of view) from which to write the paper and a method of organization: AAA BBB or AB AB AB. Since you cannot post your entire chart on the blog, write a free write about the two things you wish to compare and share them. Be sure to bring your detailed chart to class on Monday. Your posts are due by 3 p.m. on Monday.
Your rough draft is due next Friday, 12/9. You should bring 5 copies to class, one of which you will turn in to me. Below are some notes on how to begin your rough draft.
Some notes on the rough drafts:
1. You don’t have to use all the details on your chart. Some won’t fit into your major categories anyhow.
2. After you take up the points in one part, the points must be taken up in the same order in the other part of the essay. Be sure each part has equal space.
3. The points must echo each other. There must be an active comparison or contrast going on. You will need appropriate transitions and linking expressions.
4. Your final paragraph must come to some judgement or conclusion about the two things being compared.
5. Make your comparison as complete and clear as you can. Use examples and/or supporting evidence to make your point interesting and vivid. What do you really want to say about these two? Is it clear? Is it interesting?
6. Be sure your rough draft is double spaced and you have included all the necessary information on your first page such as: your first and last name, your section, the date, your teacher's name, that your quotes are in proper MLA format, etc. Comma errors, fragments, and run-ons are not acceptable. Edit carefully.
You could also read the compare/contrast section of your English text for more examples of these types of essays.
47 comments:
One of the of the largest conflicts in the book is Grant struggling with society. Each character in the story represents a different aspect of society that grant is fighting with.
Grant is ever-changing, but society in his community is always the same. His school teacher, Matthew Antoine, symbolizes this. Antoine told grant to "run and run," but Grant ended up stuck as a teacher, just like Antoine. The annual christmas show never changes, nor does the life of a colored person. Grant reflects on how the kids he went to school with are either dead, or slowly wasting away. He says, "I need to go someplace where I can feel I'm living... I don't want to spend the rest of my life teaching school in a plantation church" (29).
As a colored man, Grant struggles with the idea of white superiority that society has. He is constantly viewed as inferior because of his color, even though he is highly educated. Henry Pichot represents this part of society, as a white man who Grant needs a favor from. This is shown when Grant goes to Pichot's house, and has to wait for an extensive amount of time. When Pichot asks him how long he had been waiting, Grant says, "'About two and a half hours, sir.' I was supposed to say 'not long,' and I was supposed to grin; but I didn't do either"(47).
Grant also differs from society because he believes that Jefferson did not shoot anybody. The judge who convicted Jefferson is a symbol of a community against Jefferson, because he didn't think twice about the case. The men of the jury were praised for reaching a verdict quickly, but the only thing Jefferson was guilty of is having dark skin. Even though Grant was not at the trial, he knew what the outcome was.
In A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines, Grant’s internal conflicts are very similar to his external conflicts. Grant has many internal conflicts and many of them end of affecting his external conflicts drastically.
For instance Grant’s religious beliefs form and affect his conflicts with Reverend Ambrose and Tante Lou. This is an example of how his internal conflicts and external conflicts are similar. to be continued…
Another example is Grant longing to escape from the plantation that he lives on. This internal conflict affects many of his physical conflicts. His relationship with Vivian is swayed by this characteristic of Grant, “I need to go someplace where I can feel I’m living” (29). Vivian would love to go with him but she has children, students, and technically is still married. Grant wanting to get out of where he is also affects the way he teaches. Like his former teacher, Mr. Antoine, who thought he could only teach the boys and girls one thing how to run, Grant develops a seriously cynical attitude towards life. This cynical view on life is due to the fact that he is trapped in a cycle of hopelessness and discrimination. He now teaches half-heartedly thinking that it won’t help, “And I thought to myself, What am I doing ... Am I doing anything?” (62).
Lastly, discrimination changes all black peoples lives and we really see this in A Lesson Before Dying. Grant and his job as a teacher are complicated by the idea that white people are superior to black people. Grant is given insufficient school supplies and the superintendent treats him unfairly, “And besides looking at hands now he began inspecting teeth” (56). In the society, the sheriff and Henry Pichot also exercise their racist attitudes towards Grant, “Been waiting long… About two and a half hours, sir” (47). White people and their malicious attitudes towards Grant and the other black people in the book change everything for them. Not only does it affect Grant’s job but everything about him.
Claire- I agree with your points on the cycle and how the christmas show and the life of a colored ma never changes. I thought you worded that nicely and overall, I strongly agree with your points
One of the biggest conflicts present in A Lesson Before Dying is the relationship between Grant and Jefferson. These two characters share multiple interactions that affect both of them in different ways. Neither of them want to talk to the other. Grant just simply doesn't know what he can do to help, and Jefferson simply thinks that nothing matters anymore. The two are similar because they are both black men, living under the same conditions found in the white society. Grant mentions one major similarity between the two of them and that is that they both owe something to the people they love. Grant says he owes his acknowledgement to Vivian and Jefferson owes his acknowledgement to Mrs. Emma. This is what Grant tries to tell Jefferson again and again but Jefferson still doesn't seem to care. One obvious, yet important difference between the two characters is their position in the society and their successfulness in life. Grant is a well educated teacher, whereas Jefferson is just another grown student that hasn't amounted to anyone much different than before. Grant always says that the world around him is not changing. Grant is someone out there who is trying to make a difference. Jefferson is another human being walking in the footsteps of others. That is essentially Grant's belief.
The biggest conflict in A Lesson Before Dying is Grant's conflict with society. In a number of different situations Grant is faced with struggles that provide reason for his negative attitude.
Grant has no hope for his students. Every day Grant teaches, he feels is a day wasted. The students will only grow up to work on the plantation, just as their parents and grandparents have. One example that Ernest J. Gaines highlights is the Christmas pageant. This chapter was a tedious, yet important aspect of the book. Gaines reasoning for the excessive detail of people at the pageant was to point out that it is the same every year. There is nothing in the audience that is new to Grant's eyes; he can predict where and what everyone will be.
Not only does Grant feel like he is "spinning his wheels", but he is also humiliated on a daily basis. The relationship between blacks and whites was still sour at this time in history. Grant is not respected by the white men in his community nor does he receive fair treatment from them. For example, when Grant visits Jefferson in the jail cell, he is searched as if he has done something wrong. The basket of food is searched, his pockets are searched, etc. This starts to effect Grant because he is searched every time he visits Jefferson. Grant does not want to be at the jail in the first place, and to be humiliated on top of that makes Grant think that he is giving up everything he has ever been taught to stand up for and/or defend.
A third cause to Grant's frustration with society is a combination of the two that have been listed above; the inequality between white and black schools in Louisiana. When the superintendent makes his annual visit to Grant's classroom, he shows little to no concern of Grant's needs and complaints. There is a double entendre that speaks perfectly of the way the superintendent treated the students. It reads "I appreciated his humanitarianism"(56). The superintendent was disrespectful of the students and of Mr.Wiggins. He claimed that all of the schools were suffering with supplies. Mr.Wiggins knew they weren't as bad off as his class because he had their used materials and hardly any chalk to teach his students with. This experience proved to Grant that the society did not expect much from the black students and would not support Grant in his attempt to change that.
Ben- You have good points about Jefferson being careless now that he knows he will die soon, and the effect that has on Grant's willingness to teach Jefferson. Also, I didn't consider the fact that the way Jefferson and Grant grew up would have a similar effect on the way they see their community and society as a whole. Nice job!
In A Lesson Before Dying Grant is always fighting with himself.
One internal conflict between Grant and himself is that he hates how blacks, including himself, in his community are being treated. Black people are always being looked down upon by white people and no one is standing up for them. This conflict is caused by the white people, but Grant battles himself because he gets treated unfairly and doesn’t think he can do anything about it, which he doesn’t like. Grants conclusion is that he can’t do anything about this issue because it would be improper and lead to worse things. This conflict is shown when Grant is at the Pichot’s house, “I had come through that back door against my will, and it seemed that he and the sheriff were doing everything they could to humiliate me even more by making me wait on them. Well, I had to put up with that because of those in the quarter, but I damned sure would not add hurt to injury by eating at his kitchen table” (48). Grant hates how he is being treated, but doesn’t do anything because he thinks he has to put up with it.
Another conflict between Grant and himself is his unescapable past. Grant is disturbed by his past because of how people treated his when he was a kid. He tries not to think about it very often, but it often comes up because he wants to leave and change his life style. Grant realizes what his life is like when he is grading papers one Sunday morning, “But I had been running in place ever since, unable to accept what used to be my life, unable to leave it” (102). Grant can’t accept what his old life was, because he wasn’t treated well and didn’t have a bright future. Currently, Grant can’t accept his life because he is stuck, not doing anything and he has lost all hope. He can’t escape from his current life because he can’t leave his students and Vivian won’t go with him.
The last thing that Grant struggles with is his level of hope. The conflict here is that he used to have hope in his students, that they would eventually grow up and leave the community. He had hope that he could make a difference and educate them so they wouldn’t be murdered or rot behind bars like most of kids he remembers from his childhood are doing now including Bill, Jerry, Claudee, Smitty, and Snowball. Grant looks at Jefferson and thinks about how he got the same education Grant is giving his students and now he is rotting behind bars awaiting electrocution. Grant can’t find any positive aspects of his teaching. Grant and Vivian are talking about their futures and careers when Grant says “I don’t want to spend the rest of my life teaching school in a plantation church. I want to be with you, someplace where we could have a choice of things to do. I don’t feel alive here. I’m not living here. I know we can do better someplace else” (29). Grant says that he is wasting his time, trying to teach his students, but they won’t end up anywhere.
I think that the biggest conflict in A Lesson Before dyeing is between Grant and Reverend Ambrose. They are both black men in a prejudice society. They both have chosen jobs of guidance and teaching, and they both want to help Jefferson. They seem to be very alike but there are also many things that set them apart. The reverend is a Christian, he baptized Jefferson and wants him to remember god before he dies so that he can go to heaven” He needs god in that cell”(181). Grant is not a believer anymore, Grant still cares very much about Jefferson, but he believes that talking about god is not going to help Jefferson; Grant wants Jefferson to know that he is a man, and to walk to that chair as a man. Grant does not care whether or not that man is a Christian. It can also be argued that Grant also want this so that he can show the world that this man is not a hog, thus helping to shatter the racism that embodies this town.
Grant and the reverend both hate the racism in the south, but they respond differently two it, Grant is constantly in situations were he is being discriminated by white men, but he does not take it. This happens many times in the book, like when he goes to Mr. Guildrys house and is made to wait in the kitchen, “About two and a half hours, sir. I was supposed to say not long and I was supposed to grin; but I didn’t do either”(47). The reverend accepts the racism in some way, tries his best not to let it get to him. Grant not only hates it, but he want to leave. He thinks that he is spinning in circles and can’t help anyone here. The reverend may accept the racism, but he also not leaving his people. This can be view in two ways, Is this noble, or just stupid. I would say that it is noble, and that Grant is in some ways being a coward.
Sumner- you had a lot of very good quotes, they helped make your writing a lot stronger.
Sumner- I really liked your post and it seems like you put a lot of thought into it. Your first example about the Christmas pageant is very strong. I think you could make this even stronger by adding a quote from the chapter. Overall, very nice job!
In a Lesson Before Dying, Grant Wiggins and Vivian Baptiste have many things in common, yet they also have many differences. Vivian and Grant both have careers as teachers in their small community. Both of them have a goal to educate their students so they may be able to make good decisions in the outside world. However, Grant is slowly starting to give up on his goal because he believes his teachings are not having an affect on his students. He notices all of them eventually end up in jail or found dead. Vivian, on the other hand, still perseveres to make a change in the community and really thinks their teaching will reach out to the children. She pressures Grant to keep teaching and not give up on trying to make a difference.
Grant and Vivian are both well-educated, and because of that, they are respected among the black community. In Grant’s point of view, they didn’t end up in jail or weren’t found dead because of their education and good decisions. Although Vivian is as educated as Grant, Miss Emma chooses Grant as the person to visit Jefferson. Even though Miss Emma didn’t know Vivian at the beginning of Jefferson’s imprisonment, Miss Emma could have changed her mind when she was introduced to her.
Grant and Vivian’s personalities also have differences. Grant has a low threshold for temper management because he gets a tone of anger when he is forced to do something he doesn’t want to. However, Vivian is calmer than Grant, and even in situations which she doesn’t agree on something, Vivian always calmly explains her way out of the situation. She never seems to get flustered or frustrated while Grant has to think of lies, deceit, and cunning in order for him to please everyone else. Grant believes it is not his responsibility to change Jefferson into a man before his death, yet Vivian believes so.
Claire-
You had very good points and were supported well with your quotes. It would be more interesting and detailed if you backed up your quotes rather than just placing them on the end of your paragraph. Great post, though.
In the book A Lesson Before Dying, there are many conflicts throughout the story. One of which is the conflict between the white community and the black community. Gaines shows how racism is prevalent in every part of society by putting down blacks in everyday interactions between whites and blacks.
One reason why racism is prevalent is because of the power the whites have over the blacks. The blacks are always waiting on the whites. For example, Grant Wiggins waited to talk to Henry Pichot for two and a half hours. " I had been standing there nearly two and a half hours" (46). Also, the jury for Jefferson's trial was made up of all white men. Even though Jefferson was innocent, he was still sentenced to death. Lastly, blacks are subject to unreasonable tasks. For example, each time Grant visits Jefferson he is searched, "as if I'm some kind of common criminal. Maybe today they'll want to look into my mouth, or my nostrils, or make me strip. Anything to humiliate me"(79).
Another reason why racism is so prevalent is because of the poor education blacks receive and what they are destined to become. The colored schools are no place learn because of the lack of supplies and poor condition. "I don't have all the books I need. In some classes I have two children studying out of one book. And even with that, some of the pages in the book are missing. I need more paper to write on, I need more chalk for blackboards, I need more pencils, I even need a better heater"(57). Also, the colored people in this community all are destined to an unsuccessful life. Like Grant said, "it's just a vicious circle"(62). Even his friends grew up the same way. "They had chopped wood here too; then they were gone. Gone to the fields, to the small towns, to the cities--where they died"(62). Next, the advice from Matthew Antoine says it all. He told Grant as a child that he should just "run and run" because there is no freedom where they live. He told him that he would end up in the fields and that most of them would "die violently"(62). The power of the whites leads to the poor education and destiny of the colored people. Which in turn leads to the racism that occurs.
Above all, the dynamic created by the white power and the blacks destiny causes the blacks to become inferior to the whites. For example, while Grant was talking to Henri Pichot he thought of how to respond. "Whether I should act like the teacher I was, or the nigger I was supposed to be"(47). This mindset shows how the racism in the community forces him to feel inferior. Along with this instance, Grant is humiliated each visit with Jefferson because he is searched like he is "some common criminal"(79). Lastly, Matthew Antoine said, " I am superior to any man blacker than me"(65). These instances show how racism in the communities force the blacks to feel inferior to anyone whiter than them.
Claire-
I really liked how you compared Grant's conflicts with three different parts of the society. Great Work!
The biggest conflict in the book A Lesson Before Dying is between Grant Wiggins and the society he lives in. This is the conflict that affects Grant the most and is what he basis his opinions off of. It also is what causes him to interact with people that way he does. The area in which Grant lives is very focused on race. Even at this point in time the blacks are treated as inferior. They are “separate but equal”.
An example of this is when Grant is waiting at Henri Pichot’s house. He has to wait for over two hours and when he is asked if he has been waiting long he replies honestly. “‘About two and a half hours, sir,’ I said. I was supposed to say, ‘Not long,’ and I was supposed to grin; but I didn’t do either”(47). The white people are always trying to show their superiority and make sure the blacks feel like they are inferior to them. Grant doesn‘t feel inferior to them but he still has to act that way. “ I tried to decide just how I should respond. Whether I should act like the teacher that I was, or like the nigger that I was supposed to be…To show too much intelligence would have been an insult to them. To show a lack of intelligence would have been a greater insult to me”(47).
Another example is the trial itself. “The judge commended the twelve white men for reaching a quick and just verdict” (8). This makes it seem like the jury had already made up their mind before the trial was even over. Jefferson was convicted by a jury of all white men and he was found guilty without evidence or proof. The only reason Grant can see for this is because of the color of Jefferson’s skin.
One of the most dramatic conflicts in the book a Lesson Before Dying happens between reverend Ambrose and Grant Wiggins. Throughout the story, we see both men repeatedly clash heads about many different opinions. This is because the core beliefs within both men are wildly different, and so how they deal with them is not surprisingly different. Issues involving racism, teaching, and faith are all evaluated differently to both men.
The important subject of racism is a large motif in A Lesson Before Dying. Both reverend Ambrose and Grant Wiggins are black men living in the Deep South. Everyday, they face unfair scrutiny, prejudice, and discrimination. Neither of the men enjoy such cruel lifestyles, yet how the choose deal with such misfortunes differ. Reverend Ambrose chooses to simply endure the discrimination, in the hopes that someday god will repay him for his suffering. But being an educated man, Grant does not see eye to eye with the church’s teachings. Without sufficient evidence, Grant feels as if god is not the answer to everyday problems, instead, Grant believes he can leave the south, and be free from discrimination. "I need to go someplace where I can feel I'm living... I don't want to spend the rest of my life teaching school in a plantation church" (29).
Another issue facing the black community is teaching. Both Grant and reverend Ambrose see a place for studies. Both men also have faced difficulty providing that education, because they have few resources to use. Both are widely respected and admired by the community. However, while reverend Ambrose believes in the teachings from the bible, once again, Grant refuses the church. Reverend Ambrose believes that what he teaches leaves a lasting impact on his pupils, while Grant feels at a dead end.
In the book "A Lesson Before Dying", there are many visible conflicts amongst the black and white communities. The author Gaines really intertwines some key points of how racism was so prevalent during the late 1940's.
One of the first examples of how the whites display their "superiority" towards the blacks is when Grant visits Henri Pichot. Pichot was not only white but part of the upperclass society and wasn't afraid to show it. Grant went over there in the first place to speak about Jefferson and the privileges of him visiting the jail to talk to him. With Pichot admist his dinner already Grant is forced to wait in the kitchen just standing until they are done with there meal. "I had been standing there nearly two and a half hours" (46). Grant was offered food but turned it down, in a way he was displaying pride. He also remained standing the entire time until he was called into the room where he saw all white people sitting and eating food in front of him.
Another small yet important point that racism was still going on was when Grant would go to visit Jefferson in jail and he would be searched each time he entered the jail. "as if I'm some kind of common criminal. Maybe today they'll want to look into my mouth, or my nostrils, or make me strip. Anything to humiliate me" (79). As you can see from this line Grant lets his true emotions get the best of him as he is frustrated by these unreasonable tasks. It is not surprising that Grant reacted this way seeing that the discrimination against blacks was growing even larger.
One of the most visible things that had a connection to racism was the lack of education blacks received even though that most of them would end up not needing it. As a young black child your future was set, you were going to work for the whites no matter what your upbringing might be. The schools that they were learning in had poor materials if they had any materials at all. "I don't have all the books I need. In some classes I have two children studying out of one book. And even with that, some of the pages in the book are missing. I need more pencils, I even need a better heater" (57). As you can see from reading that quote the conditions and lack of the most simple things lacked in the black community.
John-
I really liked how you brought up all of the key points that separated the blacks from the whites back in the 1940's. You chose some good quotes that went well into your individual paragraphs. nice job.
Grant Wiggins and Vivian Baptiste prove that opposites attract, though they have a few similarities. It is obvious throughout the book that Grant is against the church. He opposes religion because he can not believe in a God that would send a black man to death row with the only evidence of guiltiness being he was at the scene of the the crime. He clashes with Reverend Ambrose on many occasions due to his unfaithfulness.Vivian goes to church every Sunday, “I went to nine o’clock mass”. (114). She believes in hope.
Vivian is kind and selfless. Despite not wanting to move, she offers to move away with Grant. She is very encouraging to Grant though he is a very negative person. Grant is very selfish throughout the book. He insists on leaving town without any consideration of Vivian and her children. He also doesn’t ask her about her life he just instantly goes off about his own.
Grant and Vivian are both well-respected teachers in the black community. Grant is stuck spinning his wheels and losing hope in teaching. When Grant asked his former teacher, Matthew Antoine for advice he states, “It doesn’t matter anymore. Just do the best you can. But it won’t matter” (66). Grant feels like his students have no hope and that he should not waste his time for the one. He wants to give up, “I wish I could just run away from this place” (94). Vivian believes that everyone of her students has potential and it is worth it to teach even if she only reaches one student. She wants to stay and actually do something to improve the town rather than giving up like Grant.
Erich- I liked your views on racism during the 1940s. Your quotes made your argument stonger. Good job!
The most prominent conflict in A Lesson Before Dying is Jefferson's feeling of defeat and his struggle with society. Jefferson has been oppressed by a society ruled by the white man. They are ready to send him to the chair the same way they would carelessly send a thoughtless "hog" to the chair. Jefferson is crushed by their decision to kill him, he feels defeated. Jefferson gets locked up in a cell by himself and naturally always is thinking about what they did to him and that his life is going to end no matter what happens. He begins to not only hate the men who put him in there but himself, he begins to feel very sorry for himself and expects his loved ones to feel sorry for him too because he knows that the white society that put him in jail as a hog doesn't. the only way he can feel satisfied is by not eating the white mans food in jail and not eating his nanan's food so that she'll feel the hurt that he does. Grant constantly asks him "what does it benefit you to hurt her." but isn't it obvious? Jefferson is selfish and wants everyone to feel the pain and hurt that he does. His struggle with society not only effects him but the ones that he loves.
Lindsey- good job comparing and contrasting the different viewpoints of Grant and Mr. Ambrose. Maybe give a quote or two for each man to support your statement, but other than that yo did a good job explaining one of the major conflicts of the book.
Grant and Jefferson are two main characters in A Lesson Before Dying. A main conflict is present between them due to their meetings in the jail house. Their conflict is caused by their differences, although they also have some similarities.
A difference between them is in how they live their lives and how they feel about the life they are living. Grant is very unhappy with his life in Louisiana and constantly thinks about leaving. He feels that there is something better for him out there and that he is just wasting his time by being there. Jefferson, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to have any problems with the way he lived, but only with his life now, awaiting his death penalty. Jefferson seems to be comfortable in Louisiana and thinks that it is just the way his life is supposed to be.
Grant and Jefferson both feel like they are being repressed by the white people. Grant is very well educated and knows a lot. In the presence of white people however, he isn’t supposed to show that he may be smarter than them. When Grant buys Jefferson a radio and brings it back to the jailhouse, Sheriff Guidry asks if it came with “batries.” “’Yes, sir, batries,’ I said. I had almost said ‘batteries’” (177). Grant knows better than to seem like he is correcting the sheriff. Jefferson also feels repressed. He feels, that since he was called a hog, he should act like one as well. He says that hogs only eat corn and he imitates a hog when he eats.
Another similarity between Grant and Jefferson is that they have both lost hope. Grant has lost hope in his life on the plantation. He doesn’t feel like he can help the children he teaches or lead them to a better life. He doesn’t think he can help Jefferson feel like a man. Jefferson has also lost hope in his life. He knows he is going to die soon, so he turns very bitter and disrespectful and doesn’t feel like he deserves to be treated well.
Kendra- I really like the points you used for your topic. I think they are really good examples of Grant's internal conflicts. The quotes you used were also really good. Nice Job!
Tante Lou and Miss Emma are two crucial characters throughout the story who both have a major effect on Grant’s decisions. Their different philosophies and ideas cause conflict on what Grant’s choices are.
Miss Emma is much more humble and kind than Tante Lou. She is very emotional about Jefferson and only wants Grant to make the right decision for himself. When Grant refuses to visit Jefferson alone Miss Emma tells him it is not necessary and says he doesn’t have to go “if it’s a burden” (79). During this time Tante Lou doesn’t back down telling Grant “he’s going” (79).
Miss Emma is a very open person who expresses her emotions freely. She tells Grant how she feels and seems to let people know what she thinks. Tante Lou is very tough and does not let the outside world know how she is really feeling on the inside. She is extremely opinionated and very judgmental, especially of Vivian.
Even though both of these women have very different qualities they both are very grounded and stubborn women. Miss Emma desperately wants Grant to turn Jefferson into a man and Tante Lou is there to support her friend in any way possible. She is so stubborn Grant calls her “a boulder in the road, unmovable, so I had to go around” (113). This shows Tante Lou’s inability to compromise or have her mind changed. Miss Emma is compare to “a great stone” describing how ground she is and her deeply rooted family values.
Both of these women have different ideas about certain subject matters but in the end they are very similar in terms of their family ideals.
Emily- I really liked your draft! I thought you had some very valid points and painted a really clear picture of Vivian and Grant’s relationship. Nice work!!
“Opposites attract” is an age old saying that often refers to the fact that people who have clashing views, are often attracted to each other. Ernest J. Gaines proves this adage perfectly in A Lesson Before Dying (underlined). Grint Wiggin's girlfriend is Vivian Baptiste, and his only reason to continue to keep seeing and talking to Jefferson "If I didn't have Vivian, I wouldn't be in this damn hole" (130). Although it is clear that Vivian and Grant have many similarities and love each other very much, they both have very opposing views and personalities.
Vivian is very optimistic and always has hope even when things are not going her way. She is also very calm. In Vivian and Grant's relationship, Vivian is certainly the more grounded and logical one. Grant is very pessimistic and conflicts with Miss Emma, Tante Lou, Jefferson, and even Vivian. He also very short tempered, and is ticked off by the smallest things.
While Grant and Vivian are both very well educated and teachers, they both feel differently about their profession. Vivian feels that she is doing a great deal by teaching the students by giving them a chance to be something when they grow up. Grant feels the opposite. He thinks that he is unnecessarily spinning his wheels without and results. He thinks that whatever he does, whatever he teaches them, the students will go on to dig holes and work for the white man.
Grant and Vivian also have opposing views when it comes to their personal life. Grant wants to run far away from New Orleans. Vivian disagrees and persuades him not to because they owes the kids as teachers. She also thinks that Grant has a responsibility to keep his word that he gave to Miss Emma and continue visiting Jefferson. Grant thinks that he is also wasting his time with Jefferson, and every time he visits Jefferson, he is being humiliated by the white man "as if I'm some kind of common criminal. Maybe today they'll want to look into my mouth, or my nostrils, or make me strip. Anything to humiliate me" (79).
As you can see, Grant and Vivian have similar goals and ideals for the African American population, but Grant feels more pessimistic about their liberation, while Vivian thinks there is hope for them yet. As the book progresses, Vivian's optimism starts to rub off on Grant, and he puts more effort into conversing with Jefferson, and getting through to his students.
Henry,
I like the points you made about Miss Emma and Tante Lou. I never thought of comparing and contrasting these two characters, and I never thought that they were so different. Well done!
Aditya
Two themes throughout the novel A Lesson Before Dying are love and dignity. Both of these themes are seen mostly in the actions of Grant, Miss Emma, and Jefferson. Grant has chosen to live with his Tante Lou because he loves her. He has family in California and he could go live with them and attempt to escape from the discrimination against his race. Grant instead choose to stay with Tante Lou, and tries his best to get through all the difficult challenges he will have to face. Vivian helps him with this because she wants him to stay, and she is one of the main reason why Grant doesn’t run away. Grant’s dignity is often hurt when he is sent to the jail or to Pichot’s house. Tante Lou and Miss Emma force him to try to teach Jefferson, and even though he thinks that they will do “’anything to humiliate me’” (79) he still goes because he loves them enough to do this for them.
Miss Emma struggles with losing the person she loves the most, Jefferson. He means pretty much everything to her, and white men have decided to take his life just because he is black. Miss Emma is the reason why Grant goes to teach Jefferson how to have dignity. She doesn’t necessarily struggle with her own dignity as much as she struggles with making sure that those she loves have it, too. Miss Emma wants something to change, and she wants the one she loves to change it. Grant constantly tells Jefferson to do something, such as eat food, just because Miss Emma loves him. It makes Miss Emma proud when she sees that all the visits from her and Grant are affecting Jefferson.
Jefferson struggles more than anybody else in the novel with his dignity. He was called a hog, and then believed himself to be one. Grant is the one trying to convince him that he is not. At first, they don’t get along very well. Then they start forming a friendship, and Grant begins to love Jefferson. Jefferson might walk to the chair not because he has dignity, but because he loves his family and friends enough to try to change something for them.
Lindsey,
I thought you chose a good topic and you made a really good point about how the two men handle discrimination very differently.
In A Lesson Before Dying Grant and Vivian are very different people from very different background who end up with the same common goals. They come from different family backgrounds, have different spiritual beliefs, and live different styles of life. At first glance the only similarities between them are their professions and their love for one another. However, on closer inspection they do agree on some points, though for different reasons.
Grant is a teacher born, raised, and teaching on a sugar cane plantation near a town called Bayonne. He lives there with his Aunt while his parents are in California. His teaching job is a humble one; there is no proper school house, only the old church, and a constant lack of supplies. Vivian, on the other hand, is from LaCove, which from the sound of it is more prosperous than the plantation. She is a teacher as well, though not on the plantation. The school she teaches at is better off than Grant’s, it is an actual school with supplies where she teaches her students geography and french. Grant’s background is very different from hers. He was raised on the plantation but instead of going to work in the fields after his schooling he went to university and became a teacher. Possibly because of this education he started noticing the cycle of people who lived and worked and married and died on the plantation. Because of this he started worrying more about whether he was really reaching the children, hoping that some of them will break the cycle and leave the plantation like he did. Vivian might not have the same worries. She teaches in a school not on a plantation so might not be so aware of the cycle. She simply teaches the basic stuff where Grant is teaching basics but trying to get the kids to really open their eyes.
They come from different families with different histories. Vivian comes from a family that sounds rather privileged. Vivian herself gives off the air of a young educated woman who is polite and of good stock. At one point it is mentioned that her family didn’t approve of her first husband because he was too dark; therefore implying that they put themselves above others. Grant was raised in a house where people were people. His aunt and Miss Emma didn’t disapprove of Vivian because from LaCove or because she was too pale.
Their similarities are agreement on idea but for different reasons. They both want to make Jefferson die as a man, not a hog. Vivian wants Grant to do this because Jefferson has a right to know he’s a man. Grant doesn’t want to do it but is forced to by Miss Emma. Either way, the end result will be the same.
Henry- good job! i liked how you picked 2 characters that are not talked about in that much detail but are still vital to the story. the quotes are excellent. i also liked how you talked about their interactions with other characters not just between themselves
In a lesson before dying, Grant and jefferson do not have much in common but they are still similar. They are similar because they are both african american living in a culture where african americans are still not treated as equals. They both have given up on something too. Grant has given up that he was going to change the school and has lost his passion for teaching while Jefferson has given up on life completely. They also have one large thing in common and that is how they both have the same motivation to what they are doing. How they owe something to their family or their society. Grant owes Tante Lou, Miss Emma, his society and even Jefferson a bit to help Jefferson realize he is a man before he dies because of all they have done for him or because they are family. But even though they have similar goals, they are also very different. Jefferson can only think about how the lawyer called him a hog and how he thinks that was a complete insult while Grant, even says he may agree with him. Jefferson wasn't really thinking of what he was going to do in life and Grant could only think about how he is going to get out of their society. Also, Jefferson didn't go to college or try to become educated and Grant worked hard to go to college and become a teacher.
teddy- Nice job finding the perfect quote to support your point at the end on how Jefferson is selfish
In a lesson before dying, the biggest external conflict is the conflict between black and white people.
White people are in control and often abuse black people and make them survive under harsh conditions with poor education. The biggest frustration Grant has with this is the cycle of black kids having to grow up and live their entire lives on a plantation. Grant feels entirely useless in his job of teaching because he knows that they will inevitably grow up and all do the same thing, work on a plantation. It is obvious that white people treat black people like dirt. In his defense, Jefferson's attorney called him a hog in his defense saying it would be like killing a hog, it wouldn't know what it did and would just be useless. but this is a double entendre because he was also insulting him as a black person and talking about him as if he was useless and had no reason to live. The other big example of the conflict between white people and black people was the scene when Grant was kept waiting for two hours to meet with the sheriff. The purpose of that was to humble Grant and remind him of his place in society.
Eileen- good quotes, well made point.
In A Lesson Before Dying, protagonist Grant Wiggins struggles with his own internal conflicts, which in turn produce external conflicts with others.
The biggest internal conflict Grant has is his desire to flee the plantation and his job. His strict attitude towards his students, although typical of the time period, is really just him taking his internal angst out on the children. "I don't want to spend the rest of my life teaching school in a plantation church" (29). Another reason why he doesn't want to remain on the plantation church is because of his religion. His own personal beliefs about religion and God affect his relationship with Reverand Ambrose and Tante Lou.
Other internal conflicts Grant struggles with are his own attitude towards life, which was partially influenced by Mr. Antoine, one of his old school teachers. Grant is frustrated that life remains constant, and he desires more than the life of a teacher trapped behind the bars of a school, or the white man always winning out over the black man. "Is it just a vicious circle? Am I doing anything?" (62). Grant is angry he had to have the same fate as Mr. Antoine, and develops a similar cynical attitude, affecting himself and others.
Mr. Antoine's influence on Grant causes him to believe there is no hope for Jefferson, or any black man. He is convinced there is nothing he can do to outlaw the prejudice between the races. He tries to fight back by not accepting food from the Pichot's house. "It seemed that he and the sheriff were doing everything they could to humiliate me even more by making me wait on them...I damned sure would not add hurt to injury by eating at his kitchen table" (46). Grant abhors the idea of being unjustly treated, yet he is convinced there is little hope for Jefferson and is not willing to help him become a man before he dies.
Chris-
I liked how you compared the similarities between Jefferson and Grant rather than focusing on their conflicts.
The two characters that I think would be the best to compare and contrast would be Grant and Jefferson.
They are both trapped in their lives and what they do. Jefferson being the obvious one, trapped in the jail cell,and Grant trapped in his job and where he lives. Jefferson would do anything to be out of that jail cell and free from the charges and blame that is upon him from the crime. But he is trapped until the date of execution. Grant is trapped in his job as a teacher and in his life at the plantation. He wants to leave and go somewhere where he can live his life but he doesn't want to leave the children or leave Vivian.
They come from very similar backgrounds but ended up very differently. They both started out being taught by Miss Emma and Tante Lou but Jefferson didn't stay in school. While Grant stayed in school and also went to college. Jefferson ended up in the jail cell and Grant ended up being a teacher.
I believe that Jefferson and Grant are very similar they just dont realize it and don't think that way about each other.
Chris-
I like your thoughts on the conflicts between Jefferson and Grant. I also like your comparisons.
One of the large conflicts in the book is the one between the white people and the black people. The deficits in education and available resources are astounding. Both of these issues are very prevalent throughout the book.
All of the white people in the book are much more educated than the majority of the black people. Grant, Vivian, and some of the children Grant teaches seem to be very well educated, but many of the black people who talk in the book are made to sound like they are very stupid compared to the white people. Many of the white people actually feel threatened by the intelligence of Grant; Sheriff Guidry even goes so far as to tell him that he's too smart. Grant was supposed to be just another black man working in the fields, but instead he is a university educated teacher. He broke free of the mold and showed the white people that the way they were living could change.
Something that ties in with the poor education that the black people received is the resources they are given. Many of the books they were given had been used for years by the white children before they were given to the black schools. A teacher of mine once told us that some of the information in our textbooks that are only a few years old has been proven wrong. Think about that, then think about how wrong the information in textbooks that have been used for 15, 20, even 30 years is. Almost as bad as this is the fact that the school that Grant teaches at is almost out of chalk after only a few months of school. They are not given any of the resources they need to help the kids succeed.
Teddy - I think your argument is very good, but you may want to talk about how Jefferson's point of view is valid. Most people would probably act in a similar way in his situation.
Grant Wiggins and Matthew Antoine are both similar and disparate characters. On the surface, they are both much the same. They are both teachers, who teach in the old church school. They are more highly educated than the average, both being certified teachers. The major similarity between both of them is that they both try to get their students to break out of the vicious circle in their town, and to escape the humiliations that they are subjected to.
On the inside, however, regarding their beliefs, the two men are quite different. Antoine is an incorrigible cynic. He has come to hate life and feel completely negative about everything. He wants his students to 'run and run' from the town, to get physically as far away from their humiliations as they can. Grant, on the other hand, believes that his students must rise above the ignorance that they fight against daily. He genuinely tries to teach them all he can, and although he is strict, he is doing what he feels will best accomplish his goal. His outlook on life is at times no better than Antoine's, but he always finds hope, and the ability to keep trying. One wonders if Antoine was that way when he was younger, and if Grant is destined to meet Antoine's fate.
A conflict that seems to greatly affect Grant Wiggin, the protagonist in A Lesson Before Dying, is his relationship and interactions with society. There are many different situations that cause Grant to act or treat people in certain ways. Society has many different motifs that seem to affect Grant such as segregation, religion, and race. He knows he is as much a man as anyone else but he feels how blacks are treated as “equal yet separate”.
After Jefferson is convicted and sentenced to death, Grant is forced to go ask for permission to visit Jefferson in jail to supposedly make him a man before dying. This is a task Grant feels is a waste of time but finally decides to make the effort to visit him. He must first ask permission from the white sheriff. Grant is told to arrive at 5 pm to see the sheriff, but he is left waiting for two and a half hours when finally the sheriff decides to acknowledge his presence. “‘About two and a half hours, sir,’ I said. I was supposed to say, ‘Not long,’ and I was supposed to grin; but I didn’t do either”(47). This is a blatant example of how white people are trying to show their dominance over blacks. The sheriff made Grant wait just to establish authority. Grant is educated so he doesn’t feel inferior to him yet most other black people might. This simple act is highlights how segregation affects Grants mood and how he reacts to white people.
Throughout the story, Grant has many conflicts about religion, especially self trained Reverend Androse. Grant stopped believing in God and he has had many problems with society for this act. People question his way of approaching a problem because he might now take The Lord in account for all of his decisions. Reverend Androse has no formal education but has become well versed in biblical studies. He always argues with Grant about how to treat or talk to Jefferson. Androse believes that Jefferson should be thinking solely about God and not about anything else. Grant’s approach is much different, where he just talks to Jefferson about casual thing to keep his mind off of his impending death. The disagreement about religion leads Grant into many conflicts that shape how he reacts to certain characters and situations.
Tradition is something that always stays a constant on the plantation. Grant always has a dream to break out and leave the plantation to make a better life for himself. Grant realizes how time is moving by and he is still in the same place he was. He recalls seeing children outside splitting wood, then growing up and doing the same thing. During the Christmas pageant, it truly hit him because the pageant was the same every year. People laughed at the same time and all of the kids made the same grammatical mistakes. Grant feels trapped and wants to escape but he knows he can’t. He knows he has to stay even though he doesn’t want to. He acts differently because he feels constrained from doing the best he can.
Claire - I really like how you used quotes to support all of you concepts. Well Done
Noah,
The comparison between the black and white people in the book is an important theme. The way that Grant defies expectations shows that he might be starting to bring change into the quarter.
-James
In A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines, Vivian Baptiste and Grant Wiggins have many differences and some similarities.
Vivian grew up in a wealthy African American community called FreeLaCove. Vivian is a "lady of quality" (Gaines, 116). She is very calm, optimistic and patient especially in goals she sets out for herself. She doesn't give up very easily and believes that she is making a difference and reaching her students. She also doesn't want to leave, to her leaving would be giving up on her students. "'You know the answer yourself, Grant. You love them more than you hate this place"(Gaines, 94). She is also very religious she is Catholic. She also believes that Grant deep down believes in god. She also believes more in her students than Grant does, and is more passionate about teaching.
Grant grew up on a poor plantation called Bayonne and he isn't religious at all. He doesn't have a family of his own. He wants to run away and leave Bayonne. He believes that he isn't breaking the vicious circle and isn't reaching his students. He is short tempered and gives up pretty easily. "I could never stay angry long over anything. But I could never believe in anything, either, for very long" (Gaines, 124). He doesn't want to go visit Jefferson because he doesn't know how to reach him. He is kind of a downer. He has almost given up on life. He doesn't really believe in his students like Vivian does.
Though they are very different, they have some things in common. Grant and Vivian are both teachers, and are well educated (both went to college). They are respected in their communities, and they have the same goals in life to make a change in their communities, though they take different approaches to reaching that goal they still want the same things.
Sara I completely agree with what your saying, and you have a very clear point of view.
One of the most interesting relationships in the book is the one between Grant and Jefferson. Fate throws two people who have no previous connection into a high pressure situation in a prejudiced and obstinate community. They might appear from the beginning to be very different characters, but in reality, they share many traits.
Both of these men are stuck in prisons of their own making. Jefferson's prison is an actual jail, and although he was wrongly accused and was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, he could have made previous life choices that would not have led him to this point. Grant is in more of a metaphorical prison. he wants to leave the school and the children, but he cannot because of his ties to Vivian, Miss Emma, and Tante Lou. He feels stuck, as though there is nothing he can do to change is situation.
Another similarity between these two men is the prejudice they face. Throughout there lives, both Grant and Jefferson have been mistreated by the white people they come into contact with. Their intelligence has been doubted, and their value as human beings questioned. But the largest difference between Grant and Jefferson is their response to this criticism. Grant is enraged by it and says something must be done about it, although he does not want to be that person. But Jefferson just accepts it. He accepts that he is supposedly less intelligent and less deserving of basic human rights.
While Grant and Jefferson are in similar situations and have to deal with the same prejudice, they deal with it in entirely different ways. I think that this conflict between their essentially opposite personalities adds an interesting undercurrent to the story.
Sara- I like how you talked about the relationship between Grant and Vivian to show that there were subtle differences in prejudices throughout the African American community. many people think that the only social divide was black vs. white, but your essay references the fact that African Americans had their own biases against each other.
Grant and Jefferson are very different people, they grew up different ways and had completely different lives. Grant was chosen by Miss Emma to show Jefferson that he is a man. The conflict is that Grant does not belief he can help him, Grant is so confused and lost in his own life that he does not know how to help Jefferson.
Grants biggest conflict is his desire to run away, he wants to escape the society that he thinks is never going to change. He does not understand how his people can live in such a racist town. It is hard for him to accept that everyone can let it go so easily that Jefferson was convicted of murder when he is innocent. Grant wants to get out of the town because he believes if he tried to change it, he couldn’t. It is the same thing year after year and nothing will change. Grant needs to believe in himself before he can believe in Jefferson.
Grant also needs to overcome the pressure from Tante Lou and Miss Emma to make Jefferson a man. Grant cannot change him as a person, just show him what he can be. “I want you to show them the difference between what they think you are and what you can be.” (191). It is up to Jefferson to believe in himself and die with dignity. Grant’s perspective changes over the course of the novel as a result of his visits to Jefferson and his interactions with Vivian. The people in his life have a great affect on the way he seems himself and those around him.
Grant is in a prison of his own making, he has responsibilities that he cant leave behind, and Vivian makes this clear to him. She is holding him back from leaving all of his students behind. Grant does not realize that he has a great positive on all the kids and the affect he is having on Jefferson. Grants greatest conflict is that he does not realize he has the power to make a change.
Nathalie -
I liked the organization and and examples in your essay. The comparisons were well explained and proven well. Nice Job!
The largest conflict in this book is Grant vs. Society. There are many views of people and smaller conflicts in society in general that Grant takes on.
Religion is a huge part of society that Grant faces. Reverend Androse is a big contributor to this situation. Grant does not believe in God what so ever, and Androse is trying to get Grant to have faith in God and reach out into more of a religious aspect of life. Also by doing this, Androse is trying to have Grant reach out to Jefferson with having Jefferson have faith in God to get him through the rough path he is going through right now knowing he has death by electrocution soon.
Another obstacle that Grant faces in society is tradition. Grant faces the same exact events that happen each year. Matthew Antoine told Grant to "run and run" and get out of the same "shell" he has been in. Grant still ends up being a school teacher. Each year there is a Christmas Pageant that nothing changes about it. Same lighting, acting, emotion. People are slowly getting weaker with energy if the same flow continues.
Araya- Great job comparing and contrasting Jefferson and Grant!
One of the most important conflicts in the book A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines is between Grant and Jefferson. Grant and Jefferson have many similarities and difference between them, which causes their life to be drastically different. The most important difference between Jefferson and Grant is the fact that Grant is educated and Jefferson is not. Grant is a teacher, and is well respected by the black community that he lives in. Jefferson is just a simple plantation worker. Part of the reason Jefferson got put in jail is that he didn’t know what to do once the shooting occurred, and his ignorance caused him to make some bad decisions (taking money and taking a drink). If Jefferson was more educated, he might have been able to make a better decision in such a bad situation that would have saved him from execution. A key similarity, which Grant pointed out, is that Grant and Jefferson both owe something to their loved ones. Grant has to make Jefferson a man, because he promised Vivian. And Jefferson has to become a man before he dies for Miss Emma.
In Ernest J. Gaines' novel A Lesson Before Dying, the two characters who are the most similar to each other are Grant and Jefferson. The interactions between the two are often very emotional, thought-provoking, and (at times) frustrating to the reader. Regardless of their feelings, Jefferson and Grant can communicate effectively to one another. Because of their similar backgrounds, Grant and Jefferson have a tendency to conflict; through this conflict they are able to better understand themselves and each other. Grant and Jefferson often argue about whether or not Jefferson is a man, and how society interprets him. Jefferson is convinced that he isn't worth more than a hog due to his lawyer's defense comparison at the beginning of the novel. Grant often tries to steer Jefferson in another direction, knowing that it is possible for him to have pride. This is the most interesting way to see the two men and their main similarity: passion. When Jefferson is visited by Grant for the second time, he is delivered food from Miss Emma. Although Jefferson could have taken this as a thoughtful gesture, he pretends that he is a hog and plays it out in front of Grant in a very emotional fashion. This passion is driven by what he was told by his lawyer, and how that single instance caused people to think of him as insignificant. In response to Jefferson's behavior, Grant tries to dramatically talk some sense into Jefferson. This example also exposes the second similarity between the two characters: stubbornness. Jefferson and Grant both have different ideas as to who the latter man really is in his personality and character, and they don't have a problem imposing their views on each other whenever they feel it is necessary.
Xavy, I liked how you described the parallels between Grant and Jefferson in the fact that they both owe something to their loved ones. Good point.
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