Lesson Before Dying by Ernest

¶ … Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines. Specifically it will contain a book report on the book. This book does indeed contain a lesson for readers. It is a lesson about life and the courage of humankind. Both main characters in this novel, Jefferson and Grant, learn a lesson about what it means to be human, a representative of the people, and courageous in the face of severe adversity. A Lesson Before Dying is a moving book about the pain of life and death, and it should be required reading in all American schools.

This is a novel about the inequities of humanity, the court systems, and really, the inequities in all of us. Jefferson, the doomed man convicted of a murder he did not commit, is an illiterate man who seems little more than an animal to many. However, a few of the people in the small Southern town recognize that Jefferson is a human being just like any of them, and work to understand the thoughts behind the man. In the beginning, even Jefferson's own lawyer portrays him as little more than an animal. He says to the jury, " would you call this -- this -- this a man? No, not I. I would call this a boy and a fool. A fool is not aware of right and wrong. A fool does what others tell him to do" (Gaines 7). What kind of hope does a man have when even his own attorney does not defend him? Jefferson has no hope, and as he waits in jail for his execution, he could have simply been forgotten, but some of the townspeople cannot forget him. Grant's aunt urges him to visit Jefferson in jail. At first, the educated Grant seems far removed from the simple Jefferson, but finally they strike a bond, and Jefferson begins to reach out to Grant.

This is the integral part of the novel. Two men reach out to each other. They learn about each other, but they also learn about themselves in the process. Critic Herman Beavers writes,

Thus the novel turns on the interaction between Grant and Jefferson who, as black men battered by the vagaries of segregation, find a way to engage in a dialogue that transforms them from a disillusioned school teacher and a nearly illiterate young man falsely accused of murder into men whose brief symbiosis empowers them both (Beavers 31).

They are very disparate individuals, but putting them together in a jail cell brings the reader closer to both men. As Jefferson writes his diary it becomes clear what is inside this man is much more complex that his outward appearance and that is another "lesson before dying." His inward complexities illustrate to the reader that judging a person simply on their outward appearance (or their skin color) is often entirely misleading and gives a false impression. This is an important lesson for anyone to understand, and another reason the book is such an important American novel. It teaches simple lessons but in a way that makes them important and valuable.

Another important aspect of this novel is the certainty of death. Everyone faces it - it is how he or she faces it that makes the difference. Gaines writes, "I don't know when I'm going to die, Jefferson. Maybe tomorrow, maybe next week, maybe today. That's why I try to live as well as I can every day and not hurt people" (Gaines 129). Jefferson faces his death with dignity, which he learns in part from his interact with Grant. Critic Beavers notes, "Though Jefferson's death is certain, Grant's task -- which becomes Jefferson's legacy -- is to impart some of himself, to demonstrate to Jefferson a way to improvise upon a negative situation till he discovers dignity and purpose" (Beavers 31). Each man learns something valuable from the other, and that is another major point of the novel. Gaines is showing the reader they can learn from anyone, no matter how "insignificant" they may seem. Everyone has a lesson and everyone can be a pupil, no matter who they are or what they do in life.

The theme of the novel is quite clear. Gaines' purpose in writing this novel is to illustrate how each person is valuable as a human being. Those with the most courage inspire others to live their lives with courage and compassion. Critic Beavers continues, "When Jefferson accepts his impending death, signified by the diary he keeps, he embraces his humanity by asserting a reflectiveness previously thought to be beyond his grasp. As he dies, the children in school praying for him have written evidence that argues his value, and theirs, as a human being" (Beavers 174). Thus, Jefferson inspires the entire town to become better people, and he teaches the townspeople about strength during adversity. He faces his impending death with dignity and is an inspiration to those who watch him. He dies so that the town can grow and prosper spiritually, just as Christ died for his "brothers and sisters." Jefferson is depicted as a simple "fool," but the real fools are the people who cannot learn from him and turn his lessons into happiness and growth in their own lives.