After Thoughts to "A Lesson Before Dying"

I have finally finished A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines. Overall, I really enjoyed the book. The story didn’t drag on, but it had sufficient details. For me, the most difficult part of the book was chapter 29 - Jefferson’s Diary. The the lack of proper spelling, grammar, and sentence structure made extremely difficult to read and comprehend. My predictions were correct, Wiggins helped Jefferson become a man and Jefferson helped Wiggins understand his life better. Jefferson changed from calling himself an “old hog”(83) to being the “strongest man”(253) in the execution room. A few universal themes in the book include “live the life you have” and “live today like it is your last.” These themes are portrayed throughout the novel. Jefferson is on death row and he must make the most of the little amount of time he has left. Wiggins does not like where he is at in life, but he must strive to make the most of his life each day. These themes can apply to everyone because we must make the most of where we are to live to our full potential. Because of the universal themes, A Lesson Before Dying is a story we can all learn from.

Thoughts to "A Lesson Before Dying"

So far, I have read seventeen chapters in A Lesson Before Dying. When I started reading I did not enjoy the book, but it has progressively gotten better. The largest roadblock I have had while reading this book was understanding what the old fashioned words such as the “quarter”(definition 21) mean. The story begins with a young black man named Jefferson being sentenced to death for killing a white man. Jefferson feels like he is just an animal waiting to be slaughtered. Because Jefferson’s godmother cannot bear to see him die like an animal, she asks the main character, Grant Wiggins, to make Jefferson a man before he dies. She says, “I want the teacher to make him know he’s not a hog, he’s a man.” (20-21) Grant reluctantly agrees and, meanwhile, struggles with the decision of how he should live the rest of his life. Grant is a grade school teacher, but he isn’t satisfied with his job and the community he lives in. He says, “I need to go somewhere where I can feel I’m living.” (29) Always live the life you have is a main theme throughout the book. Jefferson is stuck in jail and condemned to die, but his godmother wants him to die like a man. I predict that Wiggins will help Jefferson become a man before he dies, and Jefferson will help Wiggins understand how to live his life.