Chapter one
Jan Drescher
In chapter one of Gaines´ novel “A Lesson Before Dying“, set in Louisiana in the late
1940s, the narrator, Grant Wiggins, remembers the trial against young black
Jefferson and his crime.
He pictures the courtroom with his “Tante Lou”, Jefferson’s godmother, Jefferson and
also the attorney and the prosecution.
According to Jefferson’s confession he and two young black men, Brother and Bear,
entered Alcee Gropé´s store in order to buy drinks. Having not enough money,
Brother and Bear threatened Gropé. As a result, Gropé and Brother and Bear killed
each other with their weapons. Jefferson who was confused took the money from the
cash register and was captured by white men.
The prosecution argues that Jefferson had the intention to kill whereas the attorney
tries to achieve the verdict of not guilty by describing him as a fool with limits in his
intellect and by implicitly agreeing with the prosecution in regarding Jefferson as less
than human when he calls him a hog.
Some days later he is sentenced to death.
Chapter 2
Hendrik Suslik
The second chapter is about Miss Emma’s wish and about her asking Grant Wiggins,
the narrator of the story, to help Jefferson to die like a man.
On the afternoon of the day of the verdict, Grant Wiggins comes home from school
where he works as a teacher. There, his aunt Tante Lou and Miss Emma, being
shocked by the result of the trial, are waiting for him. Grant feels uncomfortable and
tries to get away, arguing that he has to go to Bayonne, but Tante Lou wants him to
talk with Miss Emma. The latter wants Grant to teach Jefferson dignity and pride
before he has to die. However, Grant is unwilling to be involved because of the short
time span before Jefferson is executed and the futility of teaching someone who has
to die. Nevertheless, his aunt ignores him and insists that he should accompany her
and Emma to the plantation owner, Henri Pichot, who has some influence on his
brother-in-law, Sheriff Guidry, and asks him to let Grant see Jefferson in prison.
Grant’s complaints that there is nothing he can do now for Jefferson, that he is
already dead, is ignored. Finally, the three of them get ready to leave Pichot’s house.
Chapter 3
Robert Wittenbeck
Chapter 3 deals with the meeting of Miss Emma, Tante Lou and Grant Wiggins with Mr
Pichot at his mansion. Miss Emma wants to convince Mr Pichot to ask his brother-in-law,
Sam Guidry, to allow Grant to visit Jefferson, who has been sentenced to death.
Arriving with Grant’s car at the plantation, all three enter the mansion through the
back door. Miss Emma informs the maid, called Inez Lane that she wishes to talk to Mr
Pichot. All three are left waiting in the kitchen. Grant Wiggins can remember the place
because it was to this place that he came many times as a child. Going to see Mr Pichot
again after all this time makes Grant angry because he had and now still has to submit to a
segregationist regime that makes blacks enter the house only through the back door. After
considerable time Mr Pichot appears together with his friend Louis Rougon. Miss Emma asks
Mr Pichot to convince his brother-in-law to allow Grant to visit Jefferson and to teach him
some lessons. Mr Pichot does not agree and therefore Miss Emma tells him of all the
working she had done in this house as a maid years ago. Slightly persuaded Mr Pichot asks
Grant what he is going to teach him. Grant replies that he does not know what he is going to
do. After a momentary hesitation, Mr Pichot agrees to talk to his brother-in-law.
Chapter 4
Ian Norberg
Grant drops off Miss Emma and tells her that he won't eat with her, which is very insulting to
her. Following this, he drives to the Rainbow Club and has dinner . Then Vivian, his girlfriend
arrives. They sit down and talk while having a few drinks. Grant wants to take Vivian and her
children to another town because he feels a lack of freedom at the plantation. Vivian turns
down the offer saying that it is unrealistic, because she as well as Grant have a commitment
to the people they are responsible for and Vivian even threatens to leave. Furthermore, she
wants to know why Grant hasn't left the town yet. He replies that he wants to be with her.
They talk about Jefferson's death sentence and about Miss Emma's plan to teach Jefferson
pride and dignity. Grant complaints about the commitment and thinks he cannot live up to the
task and is about to give up.
Chapter 5
Jennifer Metzger
Chapter 5 is about Grant's teaching revealing the inadequacy of black education and how
frustrated Grant feels at being unable to change anything.
The school is set up in a church with only one table for Grant. In this chapter we can see
Grant at work with the children and more of the narrator's less sympathetic nature. He is
impatient and sometimes cruel. This shows his deep resentment towards his life in Bayonne
because he doesn't want to teach at the plantation for the rest of his life.
Grant describes his students, whose age range from 6 to 14 and the furnishing of the
classroom and how he organizes teaching, using the older children to teach the youngest
while he teaches the middle grades.
Furthermore, he's thinking about problems with his aunt because she is angry with him and
avoids speaking to him. This situation at home makes him short-tempered with his pupils.
Because of this, the pupils are terrified of Grant.
After this, Grant walks around outside school and the reader is given an impression of the
poverty of the black settlement.
After going back into class, Grant explains to the class how Jefferson is going to be
executed. He goes into detail and shocks them. Then, he tells them what Jefferson's aunt
expects him to do. One of the girls begins crying because she is Jefferson's cousin, but
Grant doesn't console her.
In the end he sets the class to write a test. That afternoon, Henri Pichot's handyman, Farrell
Jarreau, comes to the school to tell Grant that Pichot will see him that evening concerning
Jefferson.
Chapter 6
Kathrin Mateoschus
The maid Inez opens Grant the back door to the kitchen. She informs him that Mr. Pichot’s
brother-in-law, Sheriff Sam Guidry, and his wife Edna will arrive soon. Therefore, Grant waits
in the kitchen, thinking about his role in Jefferson’s affairs. After having waited for nearly two
and a half hours, Grant is asked into the dining-room. Grant does not behave like he is
supposed to do when Sam Guidry asks him how long he has been waiting. Grant says that
he waited “about two and a half hours“, instead of grinning and saying that he had been
waiting “not long“, but his anger and pride prevented him from being submissive.
Sam Guidry asks Grant what he is going to do with Jefferson, and Grant answers politely that
he does not know. After a moment, Guidry informs him that he can see Jefferson in a few
weeks, although he thinks Grant’s efforts will fail and Grant should let Jefferson die a
“contented hog.” Moreover, Guidry says that Grant will lose his visiting privileges if he
aggravates Jefferson.
Chapter 7
The superintendent Dr. Joseph visits the plantation school. He seems to have met Grant
before, but he has forgotten his name. When he inspects Grant’s class he is mainly
interested in cleanliness and the correct recitation of Bible verses. Moreover, he begins to
inspect the pupils’ teeth, which reminds Grant of slave auctions and underlines the covert
and subtle racism with which Joseph treats Grant.
Dr. Joseph ends his visit by pointing out the basics of good nutrition and the importance of
exercise for the young body. Grant realizes that Dr. Joseph’s advice in fact justifies the
plantation system where even young children have to work hard in the fields rather than
study hard in school . He complains about the shortage of teaching materials to which the
superintendent answers rather cynically that they are all in the same boat and that there
isnothing he can do about. On leaving he stresses the importance of hygiene again. When
Grant tells him that these children are too poor to own a toothbrush, Dr. Joseph recommends
that they should stop being lazy and work for toothbrushes by harvesting and selling pecans
in the evenings.
Chapter 8
Christoph Schulz
Chapter 8 of the book “A lesson before dying“ is about Grant asking himself if he is teaching
the children to be able to lead independent lives or whether he is just perpetuating the
vicious circle that makes generations of black schoolchildren doing the same kind of work.
The school receives its first load of wood for the winter. As Grant’s students chop the wood,
Grant talks about his own elementary school days and his teacher Mr. Antoine, which makes
him ponder about his teaching. Mr. Antoine a bitter, defeated man hated teaching and hated
his students. Grant calls Mr. Antoine a mulatto, referring to Antoine’s mixed race. Because
he was a mulatto, Mr. Antoine considered himself superior to blacks. After Grant studied at a
university for several years, he returned to the plantation to teach at the school there. He
goes to visit Mr. Antoine. According to Mr. Antoine, blacks have only one option in the South:
to run away.
Chapter 9:
Mariann Leiders
In chapter nine Grant and Miss Emma visit Jefferson in prison for the first time. Arriving at the
jail in Bayonne, Bonin, the deputy sheriff, searches through the package Miss Emma has
brought for Jefferson. Afterwards the two are allowed to go into Jefferson’s cell. They find
him lying flat on his bank, staring at the ceiling. Miss Emma talks to him and wants him to try
her food. However, he does not respond and besides, he refuses to eat her food. His only
sentence is “It don’t matter” and when she asks him to explain, he answers that nothing
matters. Then he tries to provoke Grant by asking whether he is one of those about to
execute him. Because Jefferson does not answer a second time, Miss Emma is sad and
disappointed. Paul, the deputy sheriff, understands how she feels and signals to Grant to
support and console her.
Chapter 10
Kathrin Rommel
In chapter 10 Miss Emma doesn’t feel comfortable and therefore Tante Lou wants Grant to
visit Jefferson alone in prison for the first time, in spite the fact that Grant as a black man
feels humiliated by these visits.
At the beginning of the chapter Grant describes the first three visits in prison, which all follow
a similar pattern: before entering the cellblock, Grant, Miss Emma and Tante Lou are frisked.
Miss Emma always brings food for Jefferson who is lying on the bunk in his cell and doesn’t
do anything, he doesn’t even talk to anyone, which leads to Miss Emma always leaving the
cell crying.
When Grant wants to pick up Miss Emma for their fourth visit in prison she isn’t standing in
front of her house. After waiting a certain time, his aunt Tante Lou comes out and tells him
that Miss Emma is ill and therefore not able to go to the prison. Grant enters the house
where he finds Miss Emma sitting in her chair and coughing but he doesn’t think that she is
really ill. On the contrary, Grant thinks that Miss Emma and Tante Lou have planned the
`illness`, so that he is forces to visit Jefferson alone. Because of that Grant becomes angry
and reproaches his aunt for behaving like the white people and humiliating him.
Chapter 11
Madita Mielenhausen
In chapter 11 Grant visits Jefferson by himself for the first time. When Grant gets to
Jefferson´s cell, he is unsure of what to do or to say. Since Jefferson´s godmother, Miss
Emma, cooked a lot of food, Grant asks Jefferson if he is hungry. The latter responds by
asking if Grant has brought any corn, saying that this is what hogs eat. The next moment
Jefferson acts like a hog, kneeling down and sticking his head in the bag of food. Grant
watches him carefully, wondering if he is trying to make him feel guilty and, therefore, should
leave him alone. He speaks to Jefferson arguing that this behaviour is exactly what the white
man would expect of him; once again, Jefferson doesn´t respond. Grant wants to ask
Jefferson what he is thinking about, but he doesn´t dare to. He leaves, telling Jefferson that
he will not tell Miss Emma what has happened today. He also lies by telling Paul that
Jefferson has enjoyed the food.
Chapter 12
Linda Grimme
Chapter 12 is about Grant who thinks of how to lie to Miss Emma after leaving the jail.
He goes to the Rainbow Club to think about it. At the club, Grant notices two men discussing
baseball and Jackie Robinson, the first African American baseball player to play for a major
league team. Then, he remembers an Irishmen who visited his university to give a series of
lectures.
The Irishmen talked about Yeats, O’Casey and Joyce raising issues about the way a people
worships its heroes and what can be deduced from this about a people’s culture.
Grant’s thoughts wander off to a report he has read about an execution in Florida, in which
the black boy about to be executed cries for help from his hero, Joe Louis.
He wonders if Jefferson will call on Jackie Robinson for help on the day of his execution.
Eventually, Grant gets more and more depressed.
After leaving the club, Grant stops at Vivian’s school to tell her about his visit at Jefferson’s
and to say that he would like to live for good. Vivian is convinced that Grand loves his people
too much to do that.
Chapter 13
Grant comes home where Tante Lou, Miss Emma and Reverend Ambrose are already
expecting him and want him to talk about the events at the prison. Grant tries to evade their
questions by lying, saying that everything went well and that Jefferson ate and talked to him.
Miss Emma and Reverend Ambrose are somewhat doubtful that Grant is telling the truth and
want Grant to tell them details about their conversation. reverend Ambrose asks Grant if he
thinks that Jefferson understands the spiritual significance of the prison visits which should
prepare him for meeting his maker. Grant tells him that there hadn’t been any time to discuss
God, which makes Ambrose furious. Grant thinks that religious matters should best be
discussed with Ambrose himself.
Chapter 14
Katrin Glaser
In this chapter Vivian visits Grant at his home for the first time. It is Sunday and everyone
seems to gone to church. Grant and Vivian drink coffee and wash the dishes. Vivian loves
the house as it is peaceful, rustic and pastoral because of the sounds from the church.
Afterwards, they go for a walk down the quarter. They follow a road into a field where they
eat a piece of cane and some pecans. Under the pecan tree they have sex. Later, Vivian tells
Grant that she is pregnant by him. Both are happy about it and they think about the name of
their unborn child.
Chapter 15
Maike Wehmeyer
In Chapter 15 Grant introduces Vivian to his aunt, Tante Lou, and her friends.
At the beginning, Grant and Vivian walk back from the field talking about their Christmas
programs at school and about Jefferson. The church finishes as they reach Grant’s home.
Having made bad experiences, Vivian is scared of the meeting with his aunt. Her family
hasn’t accepted her first marriage.
When Grant introduces Vivian to Tante Lou and her friends, none of them shows much
enthusiasm. Tante Lou feels impelled to talk to Vivian. They talk about family and religion.
At the end, Vivian leaves and Tante Lou calls her a woman of quality.
Chapter 16
Swantje Sohnrey
After seeing Aunt Lou, Miss Emma and Reverend Ambrose, who have returned from
Jefferson, Grant Wiggins dismisses the pupils, who are planning the Christmas program.
Afterwards he corrects tests when one of the children tells him that he is to go to Miss
Emma.
Miss Emma, Aunt Lou and Reverend Ambrose tell Grant that they know that he lied when he
said that Jefferson liked Miss Emma’s food and asked about her; but Grant doesn’t admit
having lied. Then Miss Emma cries, Reverend Ambrose tries to solace her and Miss Emma
and Aunt Lou ask Grant to carry on teaching Jefferson. Grant argues that Jefferson treated
him the same way, because he wants Grant to feel guilty, but he is unsuccessful.
A few days later Grant hears a conversation between his aunt and her friend Miss Eloise
about their last visit at the prison. Aunt Lou tells her that Jefferson ignored them first and
asked for corn, because he thought he was a hog. He treated her with no feelings and looked
at Reverend Ambrose with hate. At the end of the visit Miss Emma slapped Jefferson and
cried.
Chapter 17
Grant has gone to prison again and meets Paul Bonin, who offers him his friendship and tells
him more about Jefferson’s daily routines. When Grant meets Jefferson he tells him that they
need to talk about Miss Emma’s last visit to the prison. Grant tells him about his philosophy
of life and tries to prevent him from hurting other people. Jefferson, however, is still angry
and offends Grant by insulting Vivian. Jefferson refuses to eat Miss Emma’s food, too. Before
Grant leaves, Sheriff Guidry asks him about his progress with Jefferson and tells him that
due to Miss Emma’s and his wife’s intervention the visits may be moved to the dayroom
where there would be space for everyone.
Chapter 18
Elena Meininger
Chapter 18 deals with the visits of Jefferson's family und friends in the prison cell.
At the beginning of this part Miss Emma, Tante Lou, Reverend Ambrose and Grant Wiggins
wait in the dayroom of the prison. Miss Emma lays the table with food for Jefferson. But he
ignores everything. This meeting is disappointing again.
Some days later Grant visits Jefferson on his own and lays the table with food again. He
talks to Jefferson about the meanings of 'obligation' and 'moral'. Furthermore, Grant asks
Jefferson to be more kind to Miss Emma. But Jefferson emphasizes that he is a hog and not
a human being. This conversation ends like the ones before.
Later on, Grant meets Vivian at the Rainbow Club and admits to her that he fears he is not
making any progress with Jefferson.
Chapter 19
Pia Haberland
In this chapter Grant’s class makes some preparation for the yearly Christmas program. The
community puts up a pine tree and raises enough money to buy clothes for Jefferson.
Reverend Ambrose delivers the introductory prayer commenting on the foolishness of those
who believe themselves educated when they haven’t got any love for the Lord. Everyone is
deeply effected when a particularly dramatic recitation of “There was the Night before
Christmas” is played, but Grant thinks about the monotony of their yearly routine. Every year
they stage a nativity play and sing the same songs.
Chapter 20
Anna Reffert
Chapter 20 is about the fixing of the execution date. Before Grant gets to know about
execution date, he has corrected papers while his pupils were having recess.
One of his pupils calls Farrell Jarreau comes in and tells Grant that he has to go to Henri
Pichot`s house because the date for Jefferson’s execution has been fixed. When Grant
arrives at Pichot’s house Reverend Ambrose already has arrived but Sheriff Guidry misses.
Inez, the housekeeper, assures Grant that Guidry is on the way but Grant doubts. However,
Guidry arrives after a few minutes and informs the others that Jefferson will die the second
Friday after Easter between noon and three o’clock. Grant requires a statement for the
execution date and after his demand Guidry says that the Mayor didn’t want the execution to
be any closer to Easter or during Lent.
Grant ponders on the injustice that twelve white men have convicted Jefferson and the
inhumanity of sentencing someone to death. Grant wonders how any man could set the date
of another’s death without having any moral problems by doing this.
When the Reverend asks him if he will drive to the quarter with him, Grant refuses because
he doesn’t want to tell Miss Emma about the date of execution.
Chapter 21
Dörte Krummbein
Chapter 21 is about Grant and Vivian’s visit at Miss Emma’s and Grant’s view on the high
expectations that the others have of him and Jefferson.
At the beginning, Grant visits Miss Emma who is ill. There are also Tante Lou and Reverend
Ambrose who ignore him more or less. After spending ten minutes there, he goes back to his
aunt’s house where Vivian is waiting for him. Deciding to let Vivian really become a part of
his life, Grant takes Vivian to Miss Emma’s house. Vivian tells Miss Emma that she is praying
for Jefferson and Miss Emma which makes Miss Emma glad. Miss Emma asks Grant to work
together with Reverend Ambrose since she does not know when she will be able to return to
the courthouse. Later in the kitchen, Tante Lou and Irene Cole are both polite but cold to
Vivian. Grant and Vivian leave for a bar where they talk about what his aunt and Irene expect
from Grant which is, according to Grant, the same as what Miss Emma wants from Jefferson:
standing like a man and challenging white suppression. He explains that black men have
never succeeded in protecting their women since the days of slavery. Either they stay and
lose their will and pride or they leave their family alone without thinking of their responsibility
for their children, etc. Therefore, women have always been waiting for someone to break this
circle and in this case, Miss Emma hopes for Jefferson and Grant to do so. Being different
from the other men who are all broken, society expects too much of him so that he will have
no other alternative than running away as so many have done before him. At the end of the
chapter, Grant says that Jefferson is the only one having the opportunity to break the circle.
Chapter 22
Grant, who comes to the prison to visit Jefferson is the first person to see him after the date
of the execution has been set. Jefferson speaks about himself and about his life and that he
has never got anything he wanted in his life. To Grant he does not appear bitter, but calm
when he speaks about what he wants for his last supper. Grant tells him about what is going
on at the quarter and Jefferson listens and responds. When he notices that Jefferson is
interested in music he suggests buying a radio for him. After he has left Grant thinks about
where to get the money to buy the radio. Some friends contribute towards the costs and after
finally acquiring the radio Grant delivers it to the courthouse for Jefferson to use.
Chapter 23
Pauls tells Grant about Miss Emma’s recent visit to Jefferson which didn’t go well because
Jefferson refused to turn off the radio which he seems to listen to constantly. Later on that
afternoon, Grant is invited to Miss Emma’s. She has several guests there, among them
Reverend Ambrose, who complains about the radio and its detrimental effect on Jefferson.
According to Ambrose, Jefferson needs God rather than sinful music in his cell. Grant thinks
that the radio helps distract him and make him human.
When Grant sees Jefferson later on that week, he tells Jefferson that he should meet Miss
Emma in the dayroom and let Reverend Ambrose talk to him. Grant tells Jefferson that he
wants to be his friend and suggests bringing a notebook into which Jefferson could write his
thoughts.
Chapter 24
On his next visit Grant reconfirms his wish for Jefferson to become his friend. He also
emphasizes that Jefferson should eat something for Miss Emma’s sake, which Jefferson
accepts. Grant speaks about himself and explains that he is not a hero because he does not
do things for others, but that Jefferson can become a hero. He can give something to the
people in the quarter and make them proud by showing the white men that he is not a hog,
but a human being with dignity and love for his people.
According to Grant, Jefferson can challenge the white myth that black men do not share a
common humanity with white people.
Chapter 25
Grant goes back to the Rainbow Club where he wants to tell Vivian about how well things
have gone at the prison. However, Vivian has not yet arrived and Grant is sitting next to two
mulatto bricklayers who are insulting Jefferson. Although he tries to remain calm, Grant loses
his patience and hits one of the bricklayers, which quickly leads to a fight, in the course of
which Grant is forced to leave the bar.
Chapter 26
Vivian tells Grant that she doesn’t like fighting and thinks Grant behaved irresponsibly. She
speaks about her difficulties in getting a divorce from her husband who wants to see their
children every weekend. Grant tells Vivian that he needs her to give him the strength to see
Jefferson. Vivian tells him that shie expects him to do more for their relationship, which
makes Grant angry.
Chapter 27
Reverend Ambrose wants to talk to Grant after church. He tells Grant that Jefferson is not
saved and that he wants Grant to help him prepare Jefferson for the next world. Grant
answers that he does not believe in this next world and that he has only promised Miss
Emma to make Jefferson walk on the day of his execution. Ambrose asks Grant to tell
Jefferson to fall on his knees before he walks to the chair; in his opinion, Grant needs to do
as much for Miss Emma who will not live for much longer and wants to meet Jefferson in the
next world, but Grant rejects this idea and responds that he will only help Jefferson to stand.
Moreover, he refuses to lie to him about anything anymore. The Reverend replies by pointing
out that teaching the three Rs is not enough and that lying may be indispensable to relieve
pain and to help a person go on living.
Chapter 28
When Grant visits Jefferson he notices that Jefferson has written down his thoughts in the
notebook. Jefferson asks Grant abut heaven and whether he will go there after his death.
Grant tells him that he doesn’t know and that he has lost his belief. At the same time, he asks
Jefferson to pray in order to please his aunt, which makes Jefferson wonder what people
have done to please him so far. He complains that people have discovered his humanity and
potential only because he is going to die. He argues that the expectations of his relatives and
the black community are a burden to him, considering them not having noticed him until
recently.
Chapter 29
In this chapter the reader is presented with Jefferson’s thoughts, which he has written into
the diary Grant has given him. Jefferson writes about his nightmares in which he is about to
enter a door and does not see what is behind the door before he wakes up. We also learn
that Reverned Ambrose and Miss Emma tell him to pray in order to get to heaven. Miss
Emma tells him that she would like to see him ask the Lord for forgiveness before he dies
and that this world make her happy. Jefferson thinks about the relevance of God in his life
and wonders whether the Lord is just there for white people because of the way He seems to
have treated him.
Jefferson writes about his feelings for his godmother whom he loves very much and whom
he hopes to be able to see before he dies. When he sees his nannan he tells her eh will be
strong and they hug each other. He also writes about his relationship to Grant, whom he likes
and whom he thanks for doing so much for him. His feelings for Grant are similar to those for
Paul, wh. according to Jefferson, is the only one in the prison who treats him like a human
being. Jefferson is also touched by the visits of the school children and the people from the
quarter who show him their respect. He fells that nobody has ever done anything like this for
him and cries.
Chapter 30
On the evening of the execution, Tante Lou and Miss Emma spend time with Reverend
Ambrose. Grant gets drunk while Vivian decides to got to bed and got to church early the
next morning. Reverend Ambrose is a witness at the execution, whereas Grant cannot cope
with the situation and stys at home. Ambrose is nervous because like Sheriff Guidry he has
never experienced anything comparable. Both are praying that everything will go well. When
the electric chair arrives the whole town is nervous. The executioner demands that Jefferson
be shaved well and Paul has to see to it. When Jefferson is ready, he offers Paul the radi
and asks him to give Grant the notebook. He also asks Paul if he will be there during the
execution.
Chapter 31
It is the morning of the execution and Grant is unable to concentrate on teaching and wants
to forget about the events going on at the prison. Grant wonders who is with Jefferson and
has a bad conscience because he is not there with him. He admits that Reverend Ambrose is
much braver than he is for helping Jefferson in the hour of his death. After the execution Paul
comes over to bring him Jefferson’s notebook. Paul tells him that Jefferson was strong and
that there was no trouble; according to Paul, Jefferson was the strongest man of all the
people congregated there that morning. Paul tells Grant that he thinks him a great teacher for
having transformed Jefferson, which Grant denies. Paul asks Grant to tell him about
Jefferson’s thoughts after he has read the notebook and offers Grant his friendship.