Grant Wiggins In Romulus Linney's A Lesson Before Dying
Grant Wiggins in Romulus Linney’s A Lesson before Dying
In this riveting drama Romulus Linney brings us to a small town in Louisiana around 1948. This play is centered on a boy named Jefferson who has just been wrongly accused of murder. Jefferson was a victim of racial injustice(which is a major theme throughout the play). Because Jefferson was black and simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, he was convicted with no evidence. Jefferson’s lawyer tries to help as much as he can although Jefferson doesn’t realize it, due to the fact that his own Lawyer called him nothing but a hog. But it didn’t help and the all-white jury still finds him guilty and he sentenced to death by electric chair. This is where (in my opinion) the most important character in the story is introduced Grant Wiggins. Jefferson’s godmother enlists the aid of the local school teacher Grant Wiggins to help Jefferson die like a man. Not only during this part of the play but through the whole play it doesn’t seem like anyone gets upset enough about this boys wrongful conviction. I may just be a naturally angry person. But very little uproar is made for this boy’s life. He is being executed for …show more content…
Although the author has no clear bias to one or the other, I think the anti-religious tone is a bit heavier although it seems unintended. I think religion should been placed under greater importance just because of the location and the culture in the area. There are only a few really religious characters in this play (Reverend, Miss Emma, and Aunt Lou) and the Reverend is a bit crazy, if passionate none the less. Despite the fact that this play takes place in the south which is dominantly Christian and especially in this area. I know this because I grew up in rural Louisiana. But then the two main characters seem Atheist, mentioning god once in a while but both reluctant to share any deep personal feelings about
In this riveting drama Romulus Linney brings us to a small town in Louisiana around 1948. This play is centered on a boy named Jefferson who has just been wrongly accused of murder. Jefferson was a victim of racial injustice(which is a major theme throughout the play). Because Jefferson was black and simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, he was convicted with no evidence. Jefferson’s lawyer tries to help as much as he can although Jefferson doesn’t realize it, due to the fact that his own Lawyer called him nothing but a hog. But it didn’t help and the all-white jury still finds him guilty and he sentenced to death by electric chair. This is where (in my opinion) the most important character in the story is introduced Grant Wiggins. Jefferson’s godmother enlists the aid of the local school teacher Grant Wiggins to help Jefferson die like a man. Not only during this part of the play but through the whole play it doesn’t seem like anyone gets upset enough about this boys wrongful conviction. I may just be a naturally angry person. But very little uproar is made for this boy’s life. He is being executed for …show more content…
Although the author has no clear bias to one or the other, I think the anti-religious tone is a bit heavier although it seems unintended. I think religion should been placed under greater importance just because of the location and the culture in the area. There are only a few really religious characters in this play (Reverend, Miss Emma, and Aunt Lou) and the Reverend is a bit crazy, if passionate none the less. Despite the fact that this play takes place in the south which is dominantly Christian and especially in this area. I know this because I grew up in rural Louisiana. But then the two main characters seem Atheist, mentioning god once in a while but both reluctant to share any deep personal feelings about