A Lesson Before Dying Character Analysis

Grant did his best to teach Jefferson that he had worth and it paid off. “If I ain’t nothing but a hog, how come they just don’t knock me in the head like a hog? Strab me like a hog? More erasing, then: Man walk on two foots; hogs on four hoofs” (220). This quote demonstrates how Grant made a difference in Jefferson’s life and taught him to be a man of self worth.

Why, I would just as soon put a hog in the electric chair,”(Gaines,8). After they Jefferson was a hog, he believed it. He didn’t think of himself as a man anymore. Jefferson was slowly letting them have control over his life. Grant Wiggins war these to help him realized that they were wrong.

I just didn’t know where else to turn to …” and she replies “ i  want you to come to me, Grant … i want you to always come to me” (31). Grant the man that everyone is counting on to make a change in Jefferson struggles and when he does he goes to Vivian. Vivian is a safe haven for Grant almost, she somehow finds a way to get Grant to open up and tell her things that he would not tell anyone else. Vivian is also a good motivator to Grant to actually do something with his life. After expressing his hesitation to visit Jefferson she uses his love for her to push him to make the visits.

First, Jefferson learns that he is no less human than other people. Jefferson admits that he is strong and that he is a man, not the hog the white men say he is, “good by mr wigin tell them im strong and tell them im a man good by mr wigin im gon

In “A Lesson Before Dying”, there is a tension between how Grant sees himself and how others in his community see him. Grant has gone to a University and is now a teacher in the quarter where he grew up. To his community Grant is the most educated person in the quarter and is constantly being admired by them. Most of the admiration comes from Miss Emma in hopes that Grant can transform Jefferson into a man before he is executed. Miss Emma states, “I want the teacher visit my boy.

Although Grant had close relationships with others that does not mean he truly cared about what they wanted. When Tante Lou and Miss Emma first proposed the idea of Grant going to visit Jefferson his reaction was, “Now his Godmother wants me to visit him and make him know- prove to these white men that he’s not a hog, that he’s a man. I’m supposed to make him a man. Who am I? God?”

Grant’s girlfriend, Vivian, provides the support he needs to keep him from eluding his problems. Women in this novel play an influential part as a bridge to success in men’s lives, as Tante Lou and Vivian secure Grant 's role in the community, and as Miss Emma encourages Jefferson to die as a man. Even as Jefferson doubts the existing love for him, Miss Emma remains an influence in making him a man by going to many extents. From start to finish, she had always been the strong will who wanted the wellbeing of her godson. Knowing that the fate of her son was execution, she refused to let him die as a hog.

As the story approaches its ending, Grant begins to fully accept and take on his responsibilities. The two examples used to support this argument are when Grant visits Jefferson toward the end when he is nearing his death. The other example to support this argument is when Paul comes to tell him that everything went

“--his godmother became as immobile as a great stone or as one of our oak or cypress stumps.” 3 Grant depicts Jefferson's godmother as “a great stone” and a tree stump using a metaphor. Impacting the text greatly since the narrator suggests that Miss Emma personifies the innate strength necessary to survive in this racist environment. 12. “Nobody is going to die at Christmas,” I said.”

One lesson that Jefferson learns from Grant is that he has the potential to make a difference to the whole town. Grant teaches Jefferson how he has as much potential as anyone else. By believing in Jefferson and giving him resources, Grant helps teach Jefferson this lesson. Jefferson changes throughout his time in prison to become more aware of his worth. One way Grant helps Jefferson realize this is by organizing his students and other people from his quarter to come and visit Jefferson, this makes Jefferson realize how he matters to his community.

The main conflict of the story is Grant convincing Jefferson that he is truly a man and that there is hope in the world. After Jefferson’s sentence is set, Jefferson doesn’t have hope for the world and thinks that he going to die anyways, so why care. Grant is teaching him that he can help others and that there is hope in the world and in the future. So, Grant is using character motivation to help Jefferson throughout the entire novel. The other literary term, diction, is repetition of a word to show its importance.

Undoubtedly, Grant registers the unfairness and lack of justice. Even though this is the case, Grant still continues to help Jefferson become the man he

After The fight between Grant and the guy at the Rainbow club Grant wakes up and asks his friend Claiborne what happened to him Claiborne responds: “You wouldn't stop fighting.” (204). This is showing that Grant has determination to Jefferson because he has helped Jefferson so much and knows that he is innocent and going through a rough time and the guy at the Rainbow Club didn't know that. So Grant kept on fighting and was so determined that Claiborne had to knock him out to get him to stop fighting. Grant Achieves redemption by standing up for what he believes

Grant has gone to a University and is now a teacher in the quarter where he grew up. To his community, Grant is the most educated person in the quarter and is constantly being admired by them. Most of the admiration comes from Miss Emma in hopes that Grant can transform Jefferson into a man before he is executed. Miss Emma states, “I want the teacher visit my boy. I want the teacher make him know he’s not a hog, he’s a man” (pg.

“The Hero’s Journey” is term for a narrative style that was identified by scholar Joseph Campbell. The narrative pattern would depict a character’s heroic journey, and categorize the character’s experiences into three large sections: departure, which contained the hero’s call to adventure, fulfillment, which consisted of the hero’s initiation, trials, and transformation, and finally the return. The novel The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan investigates the relationship and actions of four Chinese women and their daughters. The character Lindo Jong’s youth in China exemplifies the three part heroic journey in how she leaves the familiar aspects in her life, faces trials in the home of her betrothed, ..... Departure: