A Lesson Before Dying (Juneteenth Audio Books)

Rating:
Summary: pure torture
Review: Gaines took what could have been an interesting idea, and sculpted it into one of the cheesiest, most boring novels ever written. Yes, blacks in the South in the 1940s had it tough ... there is no need to remind us. Gaines did nothing to expand upon our knowledge of this, and if his intention was for greater equality, he failed miserably and only created more hate between the characters and/or the people who read this book. Gaines creates an unlikable, selfish protagonist, Grant, and then drags us through the hardships in his relationships with his aunt, girlfriend (whose relationship with Grant definitely brings out the worst in Gaines' writing abilities), and his death-row inmate charity case Jefferson. Jefferson's diary is perhaps the only effective part of the book in provoking emotion. The only lessen to be learned from this horrible novel is never eeeeeeeever listen to Oprah again! I highly recommend this book for those who are as bored as a board and for those who have no life. Have a nice, wonderful day =)

Rating:
Summary: A
Review: Have you ever thought about what it was like to be a black man in the 1940s? Have you ever thought about being executed for something you didn't do? Have you ever learned one of life's little lessons without even knowing it? This is what A Lesson Before Dying is all about.

Jefferson, a young black man, is an innocent by stander to a liquor store shootout in which two black men and a white man are shot. Jefferson is then sentenced to death. Grant Wiggins, a school teacher from the plantation, is pressured into going to visit Jefferson by his aunt and Jefferson's god mother. Later in the story Grant and Jefferson become good friends. Once Grant and Jefferson become friends, Grants life is never the same.

Jefferson's attorney said, "I would just as soon put a hog in the electric chair as this." This book shows how black men were treated. Not the same as today and not the way they should have ever been treated. This book also shows that blacks were characterized as not smart. Grant says, "I was supposed to have said don't. I was being to smart." This book also show s that not all white men disrespected blacks. For example at the end of the book Paul, a jail deputy, stuck out his hand and said, "allow me to be your friend Grant Wiggins.

In conclusion I think this book teaches a lot of life's little lesson's. What it was like to be black. And it shows that if you put in a predicament, no matter what the case, you can be strong.





Rating:
Summary: Modern Novels Essay
Review: The quotes I have chosen are based on the characteristics of Jefferson. The quotes are based upon what he believes and how he feels.

Jefferson was in his twenties when he was sentenced to death by electrocution because of a murder of a store owner and two brothers. Jefferson had no idea of what he had done to put himself in this position. Before his death he was sent to the Bayonne Jail to wait for that one day. The waiting period is known to be the worst part of the sentencing. The reason for that is that the authorities believe that is the time period they have to think about what they have done and how they can get out of the situation or even find a way to be forgiven for the pain it caused the loved ones. In jail Jefferson did not talk to anyone at first. When he did start talking to people, particularly Grant, he would respond in short and non-emotional answers. One of the answers he seemed to give often was. "I'm all right." Jefferson stated. (Pg. 169)

Religion is important to most people especially the people of Bayonne and at the quarter, where the godmother of Jefferson had lived all of her life and that was where Jefferson was raised. Reverend Ambrose was the person who helped the people if they had trouble believing in what was right and wrong or not knowing who or what is right to do in situations that you feel you need someone there for you. Jefferson knew that there were a God and a heaven, but did not feel there was a reason he believed he would get to heaven. He was not sure when Jesus died and when he rose from the dead, but the fact that he knew he had died and rose is enough to know Jesus did exist and is in the heart and mind of Jefferson. "Tomorrow is Good Friday." Grant said, and then Jefferson asked "That's when He rose?" (Pg. 221)

The feeling of death is nothing to the mind of a man that is on death row. Jefferson was sentenced to death by electrocution. Jefferson felt depressed, but did not show any sign of feeling because of the thought of what he could do to make up for what he did. He did not eat or take care of himself either because he had no feeling of remorse, guilt, or even madness. He acted like he did not care anymore and did not want anything to do with his own family or help that his family had gotten for him. The night before the execution he could not sleep and wrote in his notebook that Grant had got him. The thing that Jefferson had done was repressed his feelings of the deaths of the store owner and the two brothers. Then at the last moment of his life he took time to listen to his heart and feel pain because he would not feel anything else after that moment. Jefferson wrote "its quite quite an i can yer my teefs hitin an i can yer my hart." (Pg. 233)

Gaines, Ernest. A Lesson Before Dying. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1993


Rating:
Summary: Life and death is 1940s Lousiana.
Review: This is a wonderful novel about segrationist Lousiana and about two men trying to become men. One is a slow, barely literate young black wrongly accused of murder, and the other is a young black profesional working as a teacher in a plantation school. Both are trying to attain their manhood. The young person convicted of murder becomes a man first and shows the community what it is like to face a grim fate with dignity and courage. The young black professional learns from this person how he should conduct his life.
This is wonderful story with good life examples of how people become adults. It is not only serious, but has some good stories that I chuckled over. A great read.

Rating:
Summary: Not To Be Missed!
Review: We have read this book before. We have heard these lessons taught and we have seen what happens when we refuse to learn them. We heard the voice of innocence lost in To Kill a Mockingbird when Scout realized that racism for the sake of tradition is still racism. Now, in A Lesson Before Dying, Ernest J. Gaines, gives us a voice from the other side of the tracks.

Grant Wiggins is a young man in the south, during the days of "Separate but Equal". He's six years out of University, a little too educated for most white folks' taste, but he keeps his learning in line by teaching at the black school in the quarter (short for ex-slave quarters) on the old plantation where he lives with his Aunt. He's resigned himself to his fate. He knows the rules and he plays by them. He ends sentences addressed to white men with "sir", and he doesn't look a white man in the eyes unless the white man is speaking to him. He'd be angry if he thought it wasn't pointless.

Then comes along an event that changes everything. Not so much his world, as much as the way that he sees it. His old Aunt's friend's godson, has the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This puts him on trial for the murder of a white man. His court appointed defense attorney appeals to the jury of 12 white men, that Jefferson, guilty though he may be, should not be put to death. "What justice would there be to take this life? Justice, gentlemen? Why, I would just as soon put a hog in the electric chair as this." Even with such a strong argument, the jury gives him the death penalty.

These are the words that changed the course of Grant Wiggins' life. Jefferson's godmother wants "the teacher make him know he's not a hog, he's a man. I want him know that 'fore he go to that chair...". But for Grant to do that, he's got to know it himself. The teacher has much to learn from his former student.

A Lesson Before Dying is a novel of such striking poignancy, that long after the last page is read, the story goes on and on in your mind. You grow to love the characters BECAUSE of their humanity, as much as IN SPITE of it. Your breath catches when you realize, as Grant does, that maybe it was Jefferson all along that was the man, and Grant that learned what being a man really means. Along with The Losers Club by Richard Perez, this is my favorite purchase off Amazon this year!