1. Explore one of the following topics presented in the novel: Redemption/Transformation Blacks and the Criminal Justice System The Pre-Civil Rights South The Myth of White Supremacy The Concept of Heroism Bonding Between Black Men The Role of the Black Church The Legacy of Slavery The Role of Education in […]
Read more Study Help Essay QuestionsStudy Help Full Glossary for A Lesson Before Dying
bloodweed another name for the blood lily (native to Africa), a deep red plant of the amaryllis family. a bowl of cush-cush a type of cereal; often spelled couscous, a kind of semolina. Clabber thickly curdled sour milk. crackling the browned, crisp rind of roast pork; the crisp part remaining […]
Read more Study Help Full Glossary for A Lesson Before DyingCritical Essays The Pre-Civil Rights South
The pre-Civil Rights era bridges the gap between the end of the Civil War (1865) and the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement (1955). For African Americans, it spans the turbulent years between the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation (January 31, 1863), which marked the beginning of the end of […]
Read more Critical Essays The Pre-Civil Rights SouthCritical Essays Point of View, Plot, and Setting of A Lesson Before Dying
Although Gaines uses first-person narration (the story is told from Grant’s perspective), readers are not limited to Grant’s point of view. Gaines has said that using a narrator who reports events as others reveal them (note Grant’s oft-repeated remark, “I learned later . . .”) is one of the narrative […]
Read more Critical Essays Point of View, Plot, and Setting of A Lesson Before DyingErnest J. Gaines Biography
Ernest James Gaines was born January 15, 1933, on River Lake Plantation in Oscar, a small town in Pointe Coupee Parish, near New Roads, Louisiana. The oldest of twelve children, he was raised by his great-aunt, Augusteen Jefferson, who provided the inspiration for Miss Jane Pittman, as well as other […]
Read more Ernest J. Gaines BiographyCharacter Analysis Mr. Farrell Jarreau
Mr. Farrell Jarreau is the only black male in the novel who is consistently addressed as “Mr.” Even though Mr. Farrell Jarreau is employed as Henri Pichot’s yardman and messenger and has been subjected to the same indignities and humiliations as the other men in the quarter, he has been […]
Read more Character Analysis Mr. Farrell JarreauCharacter Analysis Paul Bonin
Although not directly involved with Grant and Jefferson, Paul is one of the key characters in the novel. Along with Miss Emma, Paul symbolizes the hope of the Civil Rights movement, which promised to transform the social, political, and economic relationships between blacks and whites. As noted in the Introduction […]
Read more Character Analysis Paul BoninCharacter Analysis Rev. Mose Ambrose
Rev. Ambrose defies the stereotype of the black preacher so obsessed with preaching the gospel and extolling the virtues of life in the hereafter that he ignores the immediate needs of his people. Although Rev. Ambrose believes he has been called by God to lead his people out of the […]
Read more Character Analysis Rev. Mose AmbroseCharacter Analysis Vivian Baptiste and Matthew Antoine
Vivian Baptiste, Grant’s girlfriend, and Matthew Antoine, Grant’s former teacher at the plantation school, have much in common. Both are teachers; both are Creole; and both have a tremendous impact on Grant. But while Vivian embraces her culture and heritage and identifies with the black community, even though she could […]
Read more Character Analysis Vivian Baptiste and Matthew AntoineCharacter Analysis Miss Emma and Tante Lou
Miss Emma and her lifelong friend, Tante Lou, are virtually inseparable. At times, they seem so close that it is difficult to tell which one is speaking. The women support each other and give each other the courage to continue on despite the hostile circumstances that surround them. Each has […]
Read more Character Analysis Miss Emma and Tante Lou