Character Analysis: A Lesson Before Dying

ALBD Essay Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive (Dalai Lama.) Grant has a battle between love and hate. Having to go back to something that he isn’t, being treated somewhat like a slave, and making the ones around him happy. He must overcome his ego and fight for something he believes in. This is a difficult task because he isn’t completely sure what he believes, or who he is yet. His mission, to affirm that Jefferson is not a hog, but a man, and this milieu, manhood, is not only subversive but also fought over throughout the book A Lesson Before Dying. The definition of manhood, according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is the state or time of being an adult male human, and showing the composite of qualities such as courage, determination, vigor, strength, and discipline. Grant must prove to Jefferson that he isn’t a hog but a man. This is hard at first because of how Jefferson acts, “He knelt down on the
I’m a old hog they fattening up to kill.” (Gains p.83) to finding his humanity, his love, and others compassion, “I don’t know what you’re going to say when you go back in there. But tell them he was the bravest man in that room today. I’m a witness, Grant Wiggins. Tell them so.” (Gains p. 256) Grant was able to find himself with the help of Jefferson and with the help of Vivian, but also Jefferson found himself within the friendship and humanity Grant showed him. In my opinion both Grant and Jefferson found themselves and found their own humanity that day. There is hope and loves, in everybody, one just has to think and find it within their own self and within someone who you can relate to. “The man who is forever disturbed about the condition of humanity either has no problems of his own or has refused to face them.” (Henry Miller) Both of these men found themselves and the constant milieu of humanity in the