A lesson Before Dying
Nicoleen Ochoa
October 24, 2014
Freshmen Seminar
A lesson Before Dying
By Ernest J. Gaines
In A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest J. Gaines, we begin by recalling a scene from the trial through Grant Wiggin’s eyes. Grant Wiggins is an elementary school teacher and also the narrator of this novel. He is an intelligent black man living in Louisiana. When recalling the vents of the trial, he states that he wasn’t there but he can visualize it. The events leading up to the trial were that Jefferson hitched a ride with 2 of his friends, Brother and bear. They all stopped at a liquor store, where brother and bear demanded that the store owner sell them alcohol. When the owner refused they all began to shoot leaving Jefferson standing there stunned. Brother, Bear, and the store owner all died in that store, and Jefferson saw the open cash register and started to take the money out of it. In the process 2 white men came into the store, and witnessed Jefferson taking the money. During the trial, his lawyer said he was a boy and wasn’t capable of planning a robbery. Once Jefferson was pronounced guilty, the judge said he was sent to death via the electric chair. Once the trial is over, Jefferson’s grandmother, and Tante Lou insist that the three of them, including Grant, should all go to the jail to teach Jefferson to die with dignity and not like a hog, as the court referred to him. Grant doesn’t want to go because he feels that he can’t help him and he hates the town that he lives in already. The three of them head to the Pichot Plantation where they used to work for the white people there. Jefferson’s Grandmother wants to try to pull some strings so she can go into the jail to see her grandson. And to also bring Grant with her. The man says he’ll talk to his brother in law to try to pull some strings. On their way back Grant drops off the ladies and heads into town to meet up with his girlfriend. He wants to run away with her, but she reminds him that her divorce
October 24, 2014
Freshmen Seminar
A lesson Before Dying
By Ernest J. Gaines
In A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest J. Gaines, we begin by recalling a scene from the trial through Grant Wiggin’s eyes. Grant Wiggins is an elementary school teacher and also the narrator of this novel. He is an intelligent black man living in Louisiana. When recalling the vents of the trial, he states that he wasn’t there but he can visualize it. The events leading up to the trial were that Jefferson hitched a ride with 2 of his friends, Brother and bear. They all stopped at a liquor store, where brother and bear demanded that the store owner sell them alcohol. When the owner refused they all began to shoot leaving Jefferson standing there stunned. Brother, Bear, and the store owner all died in that store, and Jefferson saw the open cash register and started to take the money out of it. In the process 2 white men came into the store, and witnessed Jefferson taking the money. During the trial, his lawyer said he was a boy and wasn’t capable of planning a robbery. Once Jefferson was pronounced guilty, the judge said he was sent to death via the electric chair. Once the trial is over, Jefferson’s grandmother, and Tante Lou insist that the three of them, including Grant, should all go to the jail to teach Jefferson to die with dignity and not like a hog, as the court referred to him. Grant doesn’t want to go because he feels that he can’t help him and he hates the town that he lives in already. The three of them head to the Pichot Plantation where they used to work for the white people there. Jefferson’s Grandmother wants to try to pull some strings so she can go into the jail to see her grandson. And to also bring Grant with her. The man says he’ll talk to his brother in law to try to pull some strings. On their way back Grant drops off the ladies and heads into town to meet up with his girlfriend. He wants to run away with her, but she reminds him that her divorce