BBS Haarentor
der Stadt Oldenburg (Oldb)
English
Name:
Fachgymnasium-Wirtschaft
Lesson Before Dying
Date:
Characterization of major characters
The following characterizations of major characters can be found on the internet on
www.cliffsnotes.com and www.sparknotes.com. For each character, use two different
colours to underline
a) major information/ character traits you agree with and consider accurate. These
are the points which you think should be kept in your memory for the A'level
exams! From these points draw up your own list.
b) information/analysis you dispute/disagree with.
Then, give proof from the novel for the information/ character traits you agree with (a) and
also try to find proof for the aspects you disagree with (b).
Grant Wiggins
The protagonist of the novel, Grant is the son of cane-cutters who labored on a Louisiana
plantation. He grows up working in a menial job, but makes his escape and goes to college.
He returns to his hometown a secular, educated man, distanced from his downtrodden
black community. College has given him a more sophisticated perspective and an educated
way of thinking and speaking. Yet despite the changes in Grant, white people still consider
him inferior. Their shoddy treatment outrages Grant, but he says nothing and does nothing.
He feels rage at the whites for treating him badly and rage at himself for taking the
treatment lying down. This rage, bottled up in Grant, turns to bitterness, cynicism, and selfabsorption. He feels he cannot help his community, and in order to stop this failure from
paining him, he removes himself from the people he loves, looking on them with contempt
and deciding that, since they are beyond hope, he cannot be blamed for failing to help
them.
Grant’s perspective changes over the course of the novel as a result of his visits to Jefferson
and his interactions with Vivian, his aunt Tante Lou, and Reverend Ambrose. He learns to
love something other than himself and to strive for change without retreating into his shell
of cynicism. Still, Gaines does not suggest that because Grant’s attitude improves, he will be
able to effect great change; he does not even suggest that Grant’s attitude improves
entirely. Jefferson dies nobly, but he still dies, murdered by his racist oppressors. Grant
ends the novel encouraged by the changes he has seen, but depressed at the barbarity of
his society. He is still afraid, he is still withdrawn from some people, and he is still sarcastic
and angry. Grant’s character development suggests that although great personal and
societal improvement is possible, no quick fix will help a racist community, and for that
reason Grant is justified in his despair.
Jefferson
The novel centers around Jefferson’s unjust conviction and his friends’ attempts to help him
die with human dignity. A relatively simple man, Jefferson has spent his entire life on the
plantation, working for poor wages. He has always worked without protest, believing that
his place in the world is a lowly one. When Jefferson’s lawyer defends Jefferson by likening
him to a mindless hog, Jefferson becomes terrified and infuriated, obsessed by the
possibility that he really is no better than a hog. He rages in his cell, mimicking a hog’s
behavior and jeering at his friends and family, or refusing to speak to them.
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BBS Haarentor
der Stadt Oldenburg (Oldb)
English
Name:
Fachgymnasium-Wirtschaft
Lesson Before Dying
Date:
When Grant visits Jefferson for the first time, Jefferson is so withdrawn and sullen that
Grant thinks it will be impossible to help him. Jefferson does change with Grant’s help,
however. He begins to believe in his own worth, and he realizes his life and manner of
dying might have symbolic importance for his community. Gaines casts Jefferson as a Christ
figure, a man to whom people look for their own salvation. Jefferson becomes brave and
thoughtful, and his journal reveals the truth that even the most woefully uneducated man
can possess depths of intelligence and lyricism.
Grant Wiggins and Jefferson
Grant Wiggins and Jefferson are the novel's dual protagonists. Their individual survivals
depend on their mutual support. Although it is Jefferson's story, it is narrated by Grant, with
the exception of Chapter 29, in which Jefferson is finally able to tell his story in his own
voice, through his diary. And although Grant has taken on the monumental task of making
Jefferson a man, as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Grant's fate is inextricably
bound to Jefferson's. In order to help Jefferson "stand," Grant must first come to terms
with his own inner demons, which threaten to make him an emotional cripple like his
predecessor, Matthew Antoine. In short, the two men must support each other, for neither
is able to stand alone. Unlike the conventional hero who thrives on total independence,
Grant can be a "hero" only through his interaction with Jefferson, and vice versa. This
approach to the novel focuses on the Afrocentric perspective in which the needs of the
individual are sublimated to the needs of the community. Further, although Grant and
Jefferson are not blood relatives, they are connected through their common experiences as
black males.
Although physically free, Grant lives in a mental prison of his own making created by his
hatred of whites, his arrogance, and his detachment from the black community. As an
educated man, he sees himself as superior to people like Jefferson and Rev. Ambrose.
Instead of preparing him to contribute to his community, his formal education has taught
him to despise his own people. Consequently, he uses his role as a teacher not to inspire
and uplift his students but to humiliate and ridicule them, much as his own teacher,
Matthew Antoine, humiliated and ridiculed him. Thus, instead of using his skills and talents
to change the cycle of poverty and violence, Grant perpetuates the cycle by failing to
challenge the system.
Unlike Jefferson, Grant has had numerous opportunities to leave Bayonne and change his
life, but he has decided to stay and teach at the plantation school, not because he is a
dedicated teacher who cares about his students, but because he feels that as a black man
living in a racist white world, he has little or no control over his life. Unlike Miss Emma, he
refuses to challenge the system that keeps him in a state of mental slavery. Instead, he
internalizes his rage and vents his pain and frustration on his students.
Because Grant has been exposed to a different lifestyle, he is much more aware of the
opportunities denied to him because of his race. Consequently, he is much more likely than
Jefferson to strike out at the oppressive white community determined to keep him in his
place. We can surmise that one of the reasons why Grant is reluctant to become involved
with Jefferson is that he recognizes the thin barrier that separates him from Jefferson, a
fellow black male who has experienced the same type of racism and discrimination.
Given Grant's pent-up frustrations, he is much more likely than Jefferson to end up in jail,
as illustrated by his fight with the mulatto bricklayers at the Rainbow Club. Note that
without the intercession of Joe Claiborne and Vivian, Grant would likely have been arrested
for assault or murder.
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BBS Haarentor
der Stadt Oldenburg (Oldb)
English
Name:
Fachgymnasium-Wirtschaft
Lesson Before Dying
Date:
In a 1998 interview, Gaines notes that, according to Booker T. Washington, the newly freed
slaves did three things: They left the plantation (at least temporarily), changed their names
(assuming new identities), and learned to read and write. Grant has gone through all three
stages, but despite his new identity as "professor" and "teacher," he remains mentally
enslaved. It is only by acknowledging his kinship with Jefferson and re-establishing his
relationship with the black community that he finally achieves his freedom.
Grant is a disillusioned product of the black church. He is insensitive and inconsiderate, as
Vivian points out (he doesn't consider the impact of his actions on others), and he is
immature (he doesn't stop to think of the pain that his actions could cause). He is not
prepared for the responsibilities of leadership. He wants freedom without responsibility.
Although he sets out to teach Jefferson to "be a man," he has doubts about his own
humanity. His feelings towards Jefferson reflect Matthew Antoine's feelings about blacks.
While Antoine feels superior because of his lighter skin color, Grant feels superior because
of his education, which, he thinks, puts him in a higher social class.
Jefferson exemplifies the young black male who has internalized into self-hatred the hatred
shown him by white racists. Because of his court-appointed attorney's racist remark, he
sees himself as a beast — not worthy of the dignity and respect due all human beings. His
lack of self-worth and self-esteem is a major factor in his apathy and defeatist attitude. In
order to reach him, Grant must first break through the barrier of his self-hate.
In effect, Jefferson feels that he was not condemned to die like a man, but to be destroyed
like a beast. Worse, he believes that he is no better than a dumb animal and that he
deserves to die, since he sees his life as worthless.
When he thanks Grant for the pecans, apologizes for his obscene comments regarding
Vivian, offers Grant a sweet potato, and begins to write in his journal, he becomes
transformed. Also note that he writes in his diary, "Man walks on two feet; pigs on four"
after Grant has convinced him that the racial myth stating that his life is worthless is
absolutely wrong: Jefferson's life does have meaning.
Note that Jefferson is not illiterate; he is merely uneducated. Consequently, he knows
wrong from right. Jefferson has worked hard all his life. He is not the stereotypical lazy,
shiftless Negro. He has grown up without a male role model, but he has been raised with
love by his godmother, Miss Emma.
Jefferson respects his elders and is on friendly terms with Alcee Gropé, who asks about
Jefferson's nannan. He was raised by Miss Emma and Mr. Oscar, his godparents. He likes
cake, candy, and ice cream, which symbolize his yearning for fun and enjoyment. He had a
friend named Boo, who apparently went insane. He enjoyed going hunting with his friend
Gable. He has never expressed his feelings for anyone, or had anyone express their feelings
for him. He knows his Bible. He is quiet and generally keeps to himself, much like Mr.
Farrell Jarreau. He likes music. He is naive, passive, and easily influenced. Note that he still
refers to Miss Emma as his "nannan," suggesting his naivete and childlike innocence.
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 hope for the future and a deep, abiding faith in God that is nurtured and
supported by their friendship. And each is determined to help Jefferson, believing that he
represents an opportunity to provide a sense of continuity for the community. Although
both women are outspoken, heavyset, and deeply religious, they are not portrayed as the
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BBS Haarentor
der Stadt Oldenburg (Oldb)
English
Name:
Fachgymnasium-Wirtschaft
Lesson Before Dying
Date:
stereotypical "mammy" or "Aunt Jemima" types of black women; instead, they are hardworking, dignified women who command respect. Miss Emma and Tante Lou are decidedly
strong black women who love their families and care about their community.
Miss Emma provides the catalyst for changing an unjust and inequitable system. Although
Grant is the "hero" figure who enables Jefferson to die with dignity, it is Miss Emma who
sets things in motion. She is the one who persuades Grant to accompany her and Tante Lou
to Henri Pichot's mansion, where she convinces Pichot to speak to his brother-in-law,
Sheriff Guidry, to allow Grant to visit Jefferson. And in the end, although the men (Grant
and Rev. Ambrose) get most of the credit for Jefferson's redemption and transformation,
we know that it was Miss Emma's bold act that triggered the sequence of events
culminating in Jefferson's ability to "stand." Likewise, it is Tante Lou who has always kept
Grant on the morally straight and narrow path of life.
In a 1994 interview, Gaines pointed out that Miss Emma's years of service to the Pichot
family is "symbolic of what the blacks have given to the South." Note that although Pichot is
initially irritated with Miss Emma's insistence that he owes her a favor because of all she
has done for his family, he reluctantly complies with her request because he realizes that
she is telling the truth. Consequently, we can surmise that he feels obligated to help her
since he cannot dispute her argument.
If we look at Miss Emma's role from a historical perspective, we can draw some interesting
parallels between the fictional Miss Emma and the real-life activist, Rosa Parks. Like Rosa
Parks, who set a precedent by refusing to relinquish her seat on a bus to a white
passenger, Miss Emma sets a precedent by being the first black person to have coffee in
Edna Guidry's living room. While Rosa Parks' defiant act sparked the Montgomery bus
boycott of 1955-56, which led to a series of challenges to segregation laws throughout the
South, Miss Emma's act also sets in motion a series of events that have a profound impact
on the entire black community. And while Rosa Parks' action sets the stage for the Civil
Rights movement, which propelled Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., into a leadership role, Miss
Emma's action — supported by Tante Lou — sets the stage for Grant to assume a
leadership role in his community. Neither woman sets out to make a political statement.
She simply stands up for her rights and refuses to be intimidated or to accept injustice.
Consequently, these women's actions illustrate that the personal is political (that true
change must begin with personal commitment), and that one person willing to take a stand
can have a profound impact on others. Their actions also provide a testimonial to Dr. King's
"Letter from Birmingham Jail," in which he argues against those who would counsel blacks
to wait patiently for change. As King points out, we cannot afford to wait while our brothers
and sisters suffer.
Tante Lou
Tante Lou is slightly subdued and seldom reveals her thoughts to Grant. Even by the end of
the novel, we do not truly understand her. Her occasional remarks reveal her to be a
spiritual woman, motivated by a powerful faith in God and in his good works. Because of
her faith, Tante Lou has the hope and resilience Grant lacks, and she disapproves of Grant’s
cynical brand of atheism. She exudes a sense of dignity despite her position in society; she
and Miss Emma dress respectably and insist upon being chauffeured in the backseat to the
Pichots. Tante Lou refuses to accept the idea that she must despair just because blacks in
the South remain on the bottom rung of the economic ladder. Tante Lou is a positive force
in Grant’s life and in the community. In some ways, she is responsible for Grant’s evolution.
She demands that he behave with compassion and bravery, nagging him to help Jefferson
and insisting that he speak with the Pichots in order to gain visitation rights at the prison.
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BBS Haarentor
der Stadt Oldenburg (Oldb)
English
Name:
Fachgymnasium-Wirtschaft
Lesson Before Dying
Date:
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 "pass" for white, Matthew
rejects his culture and heritage and attempts to identify with the white community, a futile
task that ultimately destroys him.
Although she is not as outspoken and overbearing as Miss Emma and Tante Lou, Vivian is
definitely a strong black woman. In many instances, her strength emphasizes Grant's
weakness. She has defied her family by marrying a dark-skinned black man, even though
her action causes her to be ostracized from her family. In contrast, Grant is afraid to
become involved with Jefferson, lest he be identified with him. Although she loves Grant,
she does not hesitate to point out his shortcomings, tactfully, without challenging his male
ego. Vivian is a lady, refusing to let Grant take advantage of her. After nursing his wounds
following his barroom brawl, she gives him an ultimatum: Unless he is willing to show her
some consideration, she will leave him.
Grant's relationship with Vivian appears to be rather one-sided. Grant expects her to be
there for him, but he thinks of her only in terms of his wants and needs. Vivian is there to
satisfy his need for sex and conversation. She is there to support him and to nurse his
wounds. We never see him reciprocate. While Vivian is willing to accept her responsibilities
as a mother, teacher, and lover, Grant is unwilling to assume the responsibilities that
accompany his roles as nephew, teacher, and lover. For him, being a teacher means having
a steady job and a measure of status in his community. For Vivian, it means being a leader
and role model.
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 darkness of despair into the light of salvation, he has not lost sight of their
everyday needs. Rev. Ambrose exemplifies a minister who is truly dedicated to serving
others. Like the proverbial shepherd, he is out in the community, tending his flock. It is
Rev. Ambrose who stands by Miss Emma, offering moral support as well as spiritual
guidance. It is Rev. Ambrose who confronts Grant concerning his lack of faith. And it is Rev.
Ambrose who stands by Jefferson during his final days and witnesses his execution.
Rev. Ambrose realizes that Grant looks down on him as being an uneducated man, but he is
not afraid to stand up to Grant and put him in his place. As symbolized by his name, Rev.
Ambrose is a leader (like Moses) who is bent on delivering his people from the bondage of
mental slavery and seeks to provide them with spiritual food (ambrosia). Like Miss Emma,
Rev. Ambrose does not allow pride to stand in his way when it comes to getting his work
done. He is also willing to overlook his personal needs in order to meet the needs of others.
For example, while Grant steadfastly refuses Inez's offer of coffee, Rev. Ambrose accepts
the coffee and joins her at the kitchen table, perhaps sensing that she needs some
company. Similarly, while Grant is furious at being forced to enter the Pichot mansion
through the back door, Rev. Ambrose ignores this insult and focuses on the issue at hand:
obtaining visiting privileges for Grant.
To some, the reverend's quiet, deferential behavior might label him as a stereotypical
"Uncle Tom." But as we watch him interact with whites, we realize that his prime motive is
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BBS Haarentor
der Stadt Oldenburg (Oldb)
English
Name:
Fachgymnasium-Wirtschaft
Lesson Before Dying
Date:
survival and getting what he wants for his community, even if it means enduring
humiliation.
Although he is uneducated, he is wise and compassionate. He is supported by his faith. He
has the courage to face reality. He is a simple, humble man who provides a counterpart to
Grant's pride and arrogance.
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 to the Novel section, the theme of transformation pervades the
novel. To understand Paul's pivotal role in the transformation process, we must analyze
three key aspects of his character: the symbolism and allusion surrounding his name; his
role as a white authority figure; and his attitude toward Grant, Jefferson, and Miss Emma.
In literature, and especially in African-American literature, names often provide insight into
a character's soul. In this novel, Gaines places special emphasis on Paul's name. Recall that
even before Paul invites Grant to call him by his first name, Grant tells Vivian in Chapter 9
that he dreams of naming his future son "Paul." Keeping in mind Grant's ambivalent
attitude toward religion, as demonstrated by his confrontation with Rev. Ambrose, it is
significant to note that the biblical Paul is one of the most influential figures of the New
Testament. The story of his miraculous transformation from Saul of Tarsus, a persecutor of
the early Christians, to the Apostle Paul, a devout Christian and disciple of Jesus Christ, is
often cited as one of the most inspiring testaments to the power of Christ. To countless
Christians, Paul's life exemplifies hope and illustrates not only the changes that can be
wrought in one individual's life based on faith, but also the profound impact that one
individual can have on the lives of others. At the end of the book, as Paul Bonin bears
witness to Jefferson's "death and resurrection," we see Paul accepting the same role as the
biblical Paul in bearing witness and spreading the truth.
In the novel, Paul Bonin's role as a white authority figure is also significant. Although he
takes his work seriously and performs his prescribed duties, such as inspecting the food
brought into the jail and searching Jefferson's visitors, he makes an effort to break down
the barriers between him and Grant and demonstrates his concern for Miss Emma. He also
jokes with the prisoners and does what he can to treat them as men rather than as caged
animals.
Just as Miss Emma signals Vivian's acceptance into the community of women (Chapter 9),
Grant signals Paul's acceptance into the community of men by encouraging Jefferson to
trust Paul. (Note that, on numerous occasions, Miss Emma refers to Paul as being "from
good stock," indicating that, like Vivian, he is "quality" folk.) Jefferson accepts Grant's
judgment, since he trusts Paul with his diary and offers him the radio, his most prized
possession. Since Paul personally delivers the diary to Grant, we realize that Jefferson's
trust has not been misplaced and that Paul genuinely values his friendship with Grant and
Jefferson.
Paul's role is also significant in that it challenges the stereotype of the racist white Southern
law officer. In this capacity, Paul's role is comparable to that of Gil Bouton, a character in
Gaines' fifth novel, A Gathering of Old Men. Like Paul, Gil, a young white male, also
demonstrates his respect and commitment to his black friend, Cal Harrison.
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BBS Haarentor
der Stadt Oldenburg (Oldb)
English
Name:
Fachgymnasium-Wirtschaft
Lesson Before Dying
Date:
Sheriff Sam Guidry
Guidry is both an archetypal white authoritarian and a decent man. Guidry voices the
ignorance, hypocrisy, inertia, and racism of the people in power in the South of the 1940s.
As town sheriff, Guidry has plenty of power to wield. He resents any trespasses on his
sphere of influence, and he wants to maintain the status quo in his courthouse and in his
society. He believes that Jefferson should be left to die in happy, animalistic ignorance. Still,
as soon as Jefferson and Grant begin to transcend the roles that Guidry and other powerful
whites assign for them—as soon as they cease playing the humble schoolteacher and the
angry, stupid criminal—Guidry seems to sense the fragility of his position. His worldview
depends upon blacks conforming to these stereotypes; when they refuse to conform,
Guidry becomes unsure of his footing. Although Guidry does not repent and change, he
does show signs of increasing sensitivity. His harsh exterior begins to crack and reveal a
kindly, anxious streak. By the end of the novel, he treats Jefferson with something
approaching respect.
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