Commentary on the Additional Background Texts
for A Lesson Before Dying with Suggested Questions
by Rudolph F. Rau
© 2010 Rudolph F. Rau and Diesterweg, all rights reserved
copying for educational purposes only and with the source given
2
Description of the Diesterweg Edition of A Lesson Before Dying
Title
Introduc
-tion by
Dr. Gerd
Hurm
Biography
pages
summary commentary
5Dr. Hurm discusses the key statement: “I
11
was not there, yet I was there.” as a
1213
paradoxical perception of literature
(here, the novel) as a means of utilising
the imagination of both the protagonist
(in A Lesson Before Dying, Grant
Wiggins) and the reader to bring across
the many-faceted political message. Dr.
Hurm furthermore dwells upon the
inherent problem of literature: the
relation of fiction and truth. The
biographical background information
about the author reveals much of a life
that was and is typical of an African
American. Gaines’ own life experience
gives authentic substance to the novel,
e.g. the fragility of the family structure.
His father abandoned his family:
unfortunately, a common occurrence in
Black families. Dr. Hurm also points out
the time frame of the novel; the 1940s
and early 1950s were a period of
stagnancy, framed by the flowering of
Black literature in the 1920s and 30s,
known as the Harlem Renaissance, and
the Civil Rights Movement afterwards.
This movement resulted from the
idealism of WWII African American
veterans. And finally, mention is made
of gender studies: Wiggins must
question his own role as a teacher and
male role model (and not run away from
his responsibilities like Vivian’s
husband). In fact not only Wiggins but
the reader is challenged to reconsider his
or her own views and identity. And that
is the function of all literature and art: to
re-evaluate ourselves and our
surroundings. Incidentally, it is a process
that goes back to Socrates himself who
upset the establishment by encouraging
the youth of his country to question
everything.
The author is the son of a sharecropper
from Louisiana. His father left the
family when he was a small boy and he
was then was raised by his aunt. In many
ways the society he lived in reflected the
status of Blacks in the ante-bellum
South. At fifteen Ernest Gaines moved
to California to join his family there. He
earned a degree in literature and joined
questions
1. What are the key statements in Dr.
Hurm’s essay?
“I was not there, yet I was there.” and
“Question everything.”
(Even Christianity!)
2. What biographical and historical
information is given?
The novel reflects much of Ernest
Gaines’s own life, which is in many
ways typical of African Americans. Dr.
Hurm also provides the historical
context of the novel at a static moment
of African American history. For more
information consult the column to the
left.
1. What elements of Ernest Gaines’
biography seem important to you?
A lot of Ernest Gaines’s life is
reproduced in the novel and gives it a
certain authenticity.
3
the novel
Chapter
29
rewritten
15246
246
253
the army for two years. His novels
primarily deal with the time before the
Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and
60s.
The Diesterweg Study Guide
The diary has correct spelling,
capitalisation, and punctuation.
Occasionally, words are inserted. All
these steps were taken to make the diary
accessible to a non-native speaker.
For those interested in a discussion of
Black English in America, students
should consult pages 211 to 233 in the
very readable The Story of English by
Robert McCrum, William Cran, and
Robert MacNeil, Viking, New York,
1986.
suggestions for dealing with the novel
in the classroom
1. In what way has the diary been
changed?
the spelling, punctuation, capitalisation,
and additional words
The diary is now easier to understand.
But the original text demonstrates the
difficulty of English spelling, and the
problems that a person with little
education has in writing correct English.
It is easy to draw the conclusion that a
solid education for African Americans
was and is an important means of
achieving equality. That is why the
Supreme Court decision of 1954, which
mandated the end of segregation in
schools, was of such monumental
importance for the advancement of
African Americans.
2. Why do you think Ernest Gaines
chose the diary form to express
Jefferson’s feelings?
Timeline
254
276
The Timeline contains historical facts,
by no means exhaustive, that show
certain trends in the history of African
Americans that indicate a gradual
improvement in the lot of this minority.
There have been, of course, serious
reversals. Obviously, some of the events
Gaines himself decided not to have
Jefferson give a speech before his
execution because it would not seem
convincing or realistic to the reader. In
his diary Jefferson can reveal his most
intimate feelings, with the knowledge
that it will be read after his death. There
is the undeniable strength of
authenticity in this mode of writing in
spite of his lack of schooling. There is
also a theological aspect: the diary
could be seen as reflecting the condition
of Jefferson filled with the Holy Spirit
(as Gaines sees it), a condition shared
by Paul, who is, significantly, the
character in the novel, who has been
entrusted to pass the diary to the
teacher.
1. What in The Timeline seems to be of
special interest?
Possible answer:
Trading with slaves already began in
1441 before Christoper Columbus’
4
mentioned are of greater importance
than others.
discovery of the New Work in 1492.
There were slave revolts in the 16th and
17th century (as well as into the 19th
century) and Black businessmen and
writers in the 18th century.
Crèvecoeuer’s perceptive observations
of slavery in the South in 1782 are
especially worthy of mention.
The invention of the cotton gin in 1793
breathed new life into cotton production
and encouraged the expansion of
slavery. Numerous steps were taken by
the British against slavery that
culminated in the complete abolition of
slavery throughout the British Empire in
1834.
The abolition movement was
strengthened and given impetus by the
novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin in 1850 in
the North. The Civil War 1861-1865
followed with the abolition of slavery in
the 13th Amendment and The
Reconstruction Era in the South until
1877. The period from 1877 to World
War I is marked by increased
discrimination and segregation
sanctioned by the Supreme Court
Decision, Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896.
1916 to 1919 witnessed the “Great
Migration” of Blacks to the North with
numerous race riots that would continue
into the 1980s.
After World War Two African
Americans who fought in the war began
to agitate for equal rights. Martin Luther
King was the main leader in the Civil
Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s
using a non-violent, Christian approach.
Brown v. Board of Education reversed
the Supreme Court decision of 1896.
From the 1970s onward African
Americans participated ever more in the
political life of the nation. A president
with African roots was elected President
in 2008. African Americans in terms of
income are still below the national
average, and African Americans are
disproportionately represented in the
prison population.
Not mentioned in The Timetable: The
Supreme Court decision (Patton v. State
of Mississippi, 1947) that
unambiguously required Black jurors in
any capital crimes requiring the verdict
of a jury.
5
Students can use The Timeline to
prepare a poster or for a class quiz.
Information from A History of African
Americans (pp. 278 – 297)
complements the information in The
Timeline.
More
Information
about
Black
History
A
History
of
African
Americans
277
books and websites with information
about African American history and the
South
278
Summary:
At first the civilisations in Africa are
described, then the beginning of the
slave trade, which began concurrently
with the exploitation of natural resources
in the New World. The callous and
inhumane transportation of slaves
across the Atlantic was known as “the
Middle Passage.”
The African slaves, stemming from
many different African tribes and
peoples, were amalgamated into the
African American.
In the 17th century slaves could hope for
freedom but by the end of the 18th
century slavery became essential to the
Southern economy. Skin colour
signified a status not much different than
farm animals. Many African Americans
supported the War of Independence in
the hope that the rights expressed in the
Declaration Independence would apply
to them as well. However, slavery
became more fixed in the South with the
need for cotton in the factories of
England and the invention of the cotton
gin. A number of African Americans,
free and enslaved, pushed for the
abolition of slavery either through
agitation or violence. They often made
elegant use of the English language and
the Christian religion of their white
masters. Frederick Douglass was an
excellent example.
Students should note what a central role
religion plays in A Lesson Before
Dying, and the irony of the religion of
the white oppressors becoming a
powerful instrument for opposing and
overcoming that oppression.
After the Civil War, the 13th, 14th, and
15th Amendments gave African
Americans the rights of full citizenship.
–
297
Students can make a report to the class
that highlights the salient points. Or
various students could give a report
about the main eras. The Timeline
could be used as a basis. Students will
learn how to read a factual text and to
determine the most important facts and
trends. This excerpt from To Make Our
World Anew was chosen because it
was written by African Americans with
the sympathetic perspective of this
downtrodden minority and because it is
relatively new (2005).
Evidence of this viewpoint is the
pronouncement that “Africans are
responsible for some of the most
profound economic, political, and
cultural developments in the modern
West:” (p.278)
A worksheet included in the Study
Guide for Black Like Me is another
possibility of extensively dealing with
Black history: it is based on the
insightful but flawed episode A Fire
Bell in the Night in the TV series,
America, produced by the broadcaster
and journalist, Alistair Cooke. The
flaws can be corrected by a reading of
the history of African Americans
included in the Diesterweg edition of A
Lesson Before Dying.
Question:
1. What new information has changed
your opinion of African Americans or
surprised you?
possible answers:
•
•
advanced civilisations in Africa
constant striving for freedom
even in adverse conditions armed rebellion was frequent
6
A Short
History
of Louisiana
298
–
300
In the South Blacks saw real political
and economic progress, but ended in
1877 with the return of the old
oligarchy.
What followed were years of terrorism
and Jim Crow laws. Central to Jim Crow
was the Supreme Court decision of
1896, Plessy v. Ferguson. A number of
migrations to the North were undertaken
to escape the rabid racism in the South.
The most notable migration took place
from 1916 to 1919. During the Great
Depression of the 1930s Blacks suffered
the most.
Worthy of mention is the Harlem
Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s,
which for the first time saw the general
recognition of Black literature and art.
During the 20th century race riots were a
common occurrence, even during World
War Two. WW II served as an impetus
to the Civil Rights Movement from 1945
to 1970. The Supreme Court decision of
1954, Brown v. Board Education
signified the beginning of the end of all
de facto and legislatively mandated
segregation. Significant civil rights
legislation was to follow in the 1960s.
President Johnson’s War on Poverty
brought many Blacks into the middle
class. Since the 1970s progress for
Blacks has continued at a snail’s pace
with Blacks considerably more underand unemployed than the rest of the
population.
The first explorers were Spanish but
Louisiana (which included much
territory along the Mississippi north of
present-day Louisiana) became a French
colony after 1682. Slaves were brought
in from the very beginning. After 1763
Louisiana was ceded to Spain. Frenchspeaking Cajuns, expelled from eastern
Canada, were welcomed by the Spanish
government. Louisiana was returned to
the French in 1800 and was then sold to
the Americans in 1803. The influence of
the French and Spanish is still seen in
the laws of the state of Louisiana and the
term parish instead of county. New
Orleans, the state capital, has had a
history of relative tolerance towards free
slaves and persons of mixed blood,
many of whom were and are welleducated and wealthy.
Cotton and sugar became important
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
already talented Black writers
and poets in the 18th century
Christianity becomes an
instrument against oppression
and a means of creating social
cohesion.
In the years after the Civil War
southern Black leaders emerged
and built houses, schools, and
bought land.
During the Reconstruction Era
many Blacks assumed
important political positions.
The hopes of Blacks were
dashed with the withdrawal of
all Federal troops in the South
in 1877.
It was ironical that poor
Southern whites did not ally
themselves with poor blacks.
Race riots took place in
America during World War
Two at a time when the Allies
were fighting against antidemocratic and brutal regimes
that trampled on human rights.
The Civil Rights Movement
included organisations that
advocated violence, but Martin
Luther King’s vision of nonviolent protest held sway.
Blacks are still not equal.
1. What facts are pertinent to the novel?
•
the influence of French and
Spanish
•
the plantation system being
replaced by sharecropping and
farm tenancy
•
Blacks in New Orleans have a
history of being well-educated
and wealthy.
•
the importance of sugarcane
•
the role of religion as a means
of holding the Black
community together: The
church that also serves as the
school is the only support
Blacks have against a racist
7
Social
Structure of
Louisiana
301
agricultural products with New Orleans
becoming a significant port with the
introduction of the steam ship.
From early in the Civil War, New
Orleans was in the hands of the Union.
1877 marked the end of the
Reconstruction Era and saw the return of
the white power structure. The
plantation system was largely replaced
by farm tenancy and sharecropping.
New industries developed in the 20th
century with the discovery of natural gas
and petroleum concurrent with an
expansion of the agricultural production
that included sugar cane, soybeans,
cotton, and corn.
Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana in 2005
brought to light the residual racism that
still existed. Blacks suffered the most
because of an incompetent
administration in Washington.
Here we have a sociological description
of the various strata of Louisiana
society. At the top of a pyramid there is
a small number of white landowners of
French or Spanish origin, usually
Roman Catholic.
Below them is the French speaking
Cajuns, poor farmers, originally from
north-eastern Canada.
Then the Creoles, a mixture of African
Americans and French Whites, who in
the past enjoyed special privileges
granted to them by the Code Noire.
They speak a French patois. They have
degenerated into uneducated
sharecroppers. Creole is a term
sometimes used to describe whites of
French or Spanish origin.
Mulattos are considered persons of
mixed blood whose white parents are
not of Cajun or of French origin.
African Americans, descended from
former slaves, are found at the lowest
rung of the social ladder. Mostly
Protestant, they actively participated in
the Civil Rights Movement. Their
religion and language has been much
influenced by Cajuns and Creoles and
the Roman Catholicism that surrounds
them. Of course, in the last 30 years the
influence of the large landowners has
waned with the influx of immigrants and
people from other parts of the United
States. At present there is a governor of
East-Indian origin.
society.
1. What information is useful for
understanding the novel?
The information on this page explains
why there are so many French names
and why French words are used in
English and we now understand the
mixing of Roman Catholicism and
Protestantism.
At the time of the story Monsieur Henri
is the landowner with the big house on
the hill and the African Americans live
in the former slave quarter dependent on
employment on the sugar cane
plantation: almost the same as the antebellum South.
It becomes clear why the mulattos are
so aggressive and why Vivian’s family
was so opposed to her marrying a darkskinned African American.
And the bitterness of Grant’s own
teacher, Matthew Antoine, becomes
understandable.
What’s interesting about the novel is the
hint that the status quo of racism and the
etiquette of black-white relations is soon
to change. It should be noted that New
Orleans has been more tolerant in its
racial relations than the surrounding
countryside.
8
Interview
with
Sociologist
Michael
Eric
Dyson
302
–
310
This interview is so fascination because
we have an interview with an African
American professor of sociology, who is
not just a scholar but has personally
experienced the suffering and racism so
typical of African Americans, who have
been at the bottom of the social heap.
He states that since the Civil Rights
Movement the Black middle class has
expanded but there is still a lot of
prejudice “in the deep underlying
structures of the national
consciousness...”
Obama is in a bind: in order to gain
support from whites he must not show
any favouritism towards African
Americans. But Blacks now know that
they can also become president of the
USA.
Obama has a unique racial identity: he
was raised by white grandparents, but
sought his black identity by later living
in a Black neighbourhood and marrying
a Black woman with the blood of slaves
and masters flowing through her veins.
An interesting bit of information about
Martin Luther King: In the last years of
his life he became more like an Old
Testament prophet. The title of his
sermon found in his coat pocket after he
had been murdered: “Why America May
Go to Hell.” King became a pariah in the
white community.
Ironically, within the Black community
wealthy Blacks heartily dislike their
brethren in the ghetto.
Professor Dyson, in part, attributes his
success to his lighter skin colour,
whereas his brother’s inability to escape
the life of a small-time criminal to his
darker skin colour.
Dr. Dyson maintains that the worst
forms of discrimination are no longer
extant, but the American Dream for poor
Blacks is still largely unattainable. The
statistics on page 310 are not very
encouraging.
1. What is so unique about Dr. Dyson?
He is a university-trained professor who
through perseverance escaped the
poverty of the ghetto. He can speak both
as a scholar and as someone who has
experienced the suffering of ghetto
dwellers.
2. Explain the phrase “angry black
man.”
It is used in reference to Obama. He has
to be careful not to appear to be an
“angry black man,” who wishes to
revenge himself for all the injustice
done to Blacks in America. “Black
rage” is an expression often used in the
same sense. It can be considered the
impetus for riots in the ghettos, the
Black Power Movement, Malcolm X,
Black Panthers, and Eldridge Cleaver.
Grant’s teacher is an example of “black
rage.”
3. Explain: “Obama is a black
Kennedy:”
Like Kennedy Obama is tall and
handsome, is a good speaker, and has
attended Harvard University. Obama is
not the scion of a wealthy family, so all
his success is through his own efforts.
4. What interesting details do we learn
about Martin Luther King?
Towards the end of his life Martin
Luther King was not given many
speaking engagements.
He seemed to get fed up with the
continuing racism in America as
evidenced by the speech found in his
coat pocket at the time he was
assassinated. It was entitled “Why
America May Go to Hell.”
5. What is the role of TV?
Blacks watch too much TV instead of
reading and getting a good education.
Many Black leaders have made this
criticism, even Obama. Cf. the role of
TV in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
(available as a Diesterweg edition).
9
6. What is the “afristocracy?”
They are the wealthy Blacks who hate
the “ghettocracy,” i.e. poor Blacks,
living in ghettos.
7. How does Dr. Dyson explain his
success?
He had the will to get a good education
and he claims his lighter skin colour
made him more acceptable to whites.
His darker-skinned brother has led a life
of crime and is in jail for a long
sentence.
8. What is the status of racial
discrimination at the present moment?
Though many more Blacks have entered
the middle class there are still examples
of discrimination. He gives the example
of being picked up and questioned by
the police for no other reason than he is
Black.
The post-racial society is a misnomer.
9. What do the statistics on page 310 tell
you?
L’Oréal
under
fire for
‘whitewashing’
Beyoncé
311
–
313
This is an interesting article that
confirms what Dr. Dyson claims in the
interview. Beyoncé Knowles’
complexion was lightened in an
advertisement.
Apparently, L’Oréal felt a lighter skin
colour would be more acceptable to their
white customers though the company
denies it.
It’s mentioned that OJ Simpson was
darkened by Time magazine to make
him look blacker.
More than twice the number of Blacks
live below the poverty level, compared
with whites.
Blacks earn about one-third less than
whites.
Worst of all, 50% of the prison
population is Black compared with
Blacks making up 12.8 % of the total
population of America.
A lot more progress needs to be made.
1. What conclusion can you draw?
It appears that Dr. Dyson was right
about a lighter skin colour being more
appealing to whites. L’Oréal seems to
be rather disingenuous in its denial of
any wrong doing.
It would be interesting to ask Beyoné’s
opinion of the whole matter.
Though the article tries to be ironic with
the pun in its title, it does allow various
people and groups to express divergent
opinions.
Time magazine’s doing the opposite
provides the reader with food for
thought.
10
He’s not
Black
314
–
320
Marie Arana argues that Obama is not
really Black but biracial. He
encompasses the culture of whites and
Blacks. The author herself has
discovered that she is a mixture of many
different races. She also points out that
Hispanics are a blend of many races that
include the natives of South America
and Europeans. She mentions that the
Roman Catholic Church, from the very
beginning in the 16th century,
encouraged the first Spanish and
Portuguese invaders to take native
women as their wives so as to produce
children who would be members of the
Church.
The author claims that Mexican
Americans are more open to interracial
marriage and have helped to break down
the barriers of race.
Finally, the author criticises attempts to
label people simply by the colour of
their skin. People who look Black may
have a majority of European ancestors,
whereas a person who looks white may
have a majority of Black ancestors. Such
judgements about a person’s race hark
back to the days of Jim Crow when one
drop of blood made a person Black.
Students could research adverts with
Black people.
1. Why does Marie Arana say that
Obama is not black?
It’s like using the old Jim Crow rule that
just one drop of blood makes a person
Black.
Obama is just as much white: he is a
hybrid of African-American and white
American, culturally as well.
2. What is el gran mestizaje?
It is the mixing of Europeans, African,
Chinese, and indigenous races in South
American that was encouraged by the
Roman Catholic Church.
She claims that racism is not an issue in
South America and amongst Mexican
Americans.
This attitude has contributed to the
breakdown of racial barriers. She is
herself a mixture of many races.
3. What link is there to Germany?
The anti-miscegenation laws in
American that were struck down by the
Supreme Court in 1967 are similar to
the Nuremberg Laws passed by the Nazi
government in 1935.
4. What does Marie Arana find incorrect
about famous Americans such as Tiger
Woods, Mariah Carey, and others?
America cannot be called a post-racial
society if these people are reductively
called yellow, white, or Black. She then
generalises that a person’s skin colour is
not a reliable indicator of a person’s
ancestry.
5. Hector Crèvecoeur (1735 – 1813), a
French-born writer, who lived for many
years in New York, stated in his famous
essay, What is an American? (1782):
[What is an American?] He is either an [sic]
European or the descendant of an European,
hence that strange mixture of blood which
you will find in no other country. I could
point out to you a family whose grandfather
was an Englishman, whose wife was Dutch,
whose son married a French woman, and
whose present four sons have now four
11
wives of different wives.
Your comment?
Martin
Luther
King, Jr.
and his
“I Have
a
Dream”
speech
(1963)
321
–
329
This speech has acquired the status of
the Declaration of Independence and the
Gettysburg Address because of its
rousing rhetorical devices, biblical
references, and reaffirmation of the
ideals of the Declaration of
Independence. It is the central piece of
the Civil Rights Movement. The speech
helped to push through Congress a
number of laws that substantively
strengthened the civil rights of Black
citizens. In addition, a governmental
social programme known as the Great
Society helped many Blacks to enter the
middle class. It is fitting that this speech
was held before the Lincoln Memorial.
Pages 322 to 333 give background
information:
The historic 1963 March on Washington
was a response to the blockage of civil
rights legislation by Southern
representatives in Congress, and it
brought together disparate groups of the
Civil Rights Movement. The most
important speech was delivered by the
charismatic leader of the Christian
Leadership Conference, Martin Luther
King, Jr. Towards the end he discarded
his prepared speech and spoke largely
extemporaneously, drawing upon his
past talks.
The text of the speech is supplied with
copious annotations that indicate the
historical and biblical references.
Basically, the speech evokes the ideals
of the American Dream and liberty that
are anchored in the Declaration of
Independence and the Bill of Rights in
the Constitution. He wishes the end of
racism, whereby a person is judged by
his or her character and not by his or her
According to Marie Arana, America is
now going a step further: Blacks,
Asians, Hispanics are increasingly
becoming a part of the American
mixture of races.
Also note that Crèvecoeur found slavery
abhorrent. Cf. Timeline, p.255, top.
(Incidentally, Marie Arana, in an e-mail,
has indicated that she heartily approves
of this reference to Crèvecoeur.)
1. What do pages 321– 322 tell you?
They tell us that King’s speech was the
highlight of the March on Washington,
whose mission was to stop the blockage
of civil rights legislation in Congress.
Divergent groups buried their
differences to converge on Washington.
King’s speech was largely
extemporaneous towards the end.
2. What is the main message of the
speech?
That Blacks, now and not later, wish to
have the same rights to be found in the
Constitution and the Declaration of
Independence and the end of racism. It
is underpinned by his Christian beliefs.
He longs to see the day when a person is
judged by his or her character and not
by his or her skin colour.
3. Why is his speech so effective?
If you watch the filmed version of the
speech, you can determine how
effective an orator Martin Luther King
was in terms of enunciation and body
language. He is the culmination of the
tradition of the Black religious leader. A
useful comparison would be the Black
church service shown at the beginning
of Alistair Cooke’s A Fire Bell in the
Night. Here a pastor elicits a reaction
from the audience with his exhortations,
much as Martin Luther King does in his
historic speech.
There are numerous references to the
Bible and historical documents that
most Americans are familiar with.
Rhetorical devices such as metaphor,
12
Gettysburg
Address
330
–
331
skin colour.
Rhetorical devices are central to the
effectiveness of the speech. King’s
rhetorical skills reflect the tradition of
Black religious leaders, skills that
originated in the time of slavery. Dr.
Dyson mentions this tradition in his
interview on page 305.
On page 329 President Johnson’s
Special Message to the Congress: The
American Promise is mentioned and
the website given. Many of the themes
in this speech are similar to King’s
speech.
A worksheet is available at this webside:
http://alplm.com/education/The_Gettysburg
_Address.pdf
Ironically, this speech met with little
reaction in the press after it was
delivered. It was not until Lincoln’s
death that the greatness of this speech
became evident, and was recognised as a
masterpiece of oratory.
Like Martin Luther King’s “I Have a
Dream” speech it is divided into three
parts. First a reference to the past, then
the present crisis, and finally an appeal
to forge ahead, here with the war, so as
to assure that the America can continue
as a strong democracy into the distant
future. It is much like the concept of the
America Dream, which was first
formulated in the 1930s.
simile, (students should determine the
tertium comparationis), anaphora,
repetition, alliteration are frequently
made use of. To increase the emotional
impact short sentences are occasionally
used.
The speech did indirectly help to pass
civil rights legislation, but that was only
after Kennedy was assassinated in
November 1963 and L. B. Johnson
became president.
An analysis of the speech is provided on
an extra sheet.
1. Analyse the rhetorical tools used in
this speech.
Like King’s speech Lincoln (100 years
earlier!) uses a time phrase “fourscore
and seven years ago” that is reminiscent
of the Bible. He uses “conceived,”
which could also mean the joining of
the male and female gamete. This
imagery of birth is used at the end: “a
new birth of freedom.”
And like King, Lincoln quotes from
The Declaration of Independence: “all
men are created equal.”
This sentence also has a cadence that is
almost lyrical. Notice the word order:
“...brought forth on this continent a new
nation...”:
The object is not placed immediately
after the phrasal verb.
And, of course, we have an example of
alliteration.
Fourscore....fathers: alliteration
brought forth: assonance (with the
connotation of giving birth)
continent...conceived: rhyme at the
beginning
conceived...created...
equal: assonance, alliteration
Notice the repeated use of “and,” which
is typical of the Bible: polysydeton.
nation...nation: repetition
so conceived...so dedicated: anaphora
We are met...We have come...:
anaphora
13
gave their lives that that nation might
live:
the same word used as different parts of
speech
gave their lives...nation might live:
antithesis
we cannot dedicate, we cannot
consecrate, we cannot hallow this
ground: anaphora
living and dead...: antithesis
to add or detract.: antithesis
remember...forget: antithesis
...fitting and proper...:
binomial phrase
It is...It is...: anaphora
we take full measure of
devotion...they gave full measure of
devotion: periphrasis (expressing s.th.
in a more complex way), metaphor,
repetition of the same word at the end of
successive phrases or clauses (devotion)
= epistrophe
dedicated...dead....: assonance
dead...died...: alliteration
of the people, by the people, for the
people: epistrophe
“Shall” is used three times. Instead of
“will” “shall” is more combative.
Lincoln is saying that through a
successful execution of the war the
ideals in The Declaration of
Independence shall be strengthened and
long lasting.
The speech in its brevity is so effective
because of the skilful use of rhetorical
devices.
2. Eighty-seven years ago the signers of
the Constitution founded a new nation
with the idea that liberty and the
concept that everyone is equal
considered to be of great importance.
How does this paraphrased version of
the first sentence compare with the
original:
It has none of the emotional power of
the original: no imagery, no rhetorical
devices. The sentence has nothing to
commend it. It is soon forgotten.
3. Paraphrase The Gettysburg Address
in a similar manner.
4. What similar themes can you find in
14
A Lesson Before Dying?
The
African
American
Family
332
–
333
Special
Message
1965
The
Family
An
Address
by
Martin
Luther
King, Jr.
334
–
341
Here we have a sociological report
prepared for the US Department of
Labor. It raises the question why the
Black family is deteriorating. The core
problem goes beyond discrimination and
poverty. It is the fragile family structure
that is hidden from view.
It stems from Jim Crow, which has
undermined the role of the male, taken
away his self-confidence, much more
than the Black female. A strong father
figure is needed. Today advocates of
gender studies and women’s rights
would probably argue that it is
immaterial which sex is dominant. It is
important for a child to have someone to
bond to as a role model.
What is not mentioned: During the time
of slavery a stable family unit was not
possible, as there was no possibility for
slaves to marry legally, and any family
member could be sold at a moment’s
notice.
This report was published just when the
Civil Rights Movement was moving
towards its climax.
Martin Luther King pretty much
confirms what is to be found in the
report on the Black family on pages 332
– 333. There has been too much
emphasis on the Black as an individual
and too little on the problems of the
deteriorating family. More Black women
raise children alone than white women,
there is a higher divorce rate and more
illegitimacies than in the white
population. Dr. Dyson in his interview
The death of the Union soldiers
represents the unfinished work of
America. Their death is the inspiration
for a new effort to realise the ideals that
were espoused in the Declaration of
Independence. Just as Jefferson’s death
should serve as an impulse for both
whites (e.g. Paul) and sceptical Blacks
(e.g. Grant) to fight for the realisation of
the ideals imbedded in The Declaration
of Independence.
1. What new information do you learn
about the Black family and how does it
apply to A Lesson Before Dying?
The government report maintains that
whites do not realise that there are
deeper causes for the miserable state of
Blacks in America.
It is the weak family structure caused by
Jim Crow that prevents a strong father
figure. In A Lesson Before Dying we
are frequently confronted with weak
families, often a father who has run
away: e.g. Grant, Vivian’s husband,
Jefferson’ family.
Advocates of gender studies and
women’s rights would today argue that
whether the person bringing up a child
is a female or male is unimportant.
Students could also discuss the
phenomenon of single parent families
and patchwork families
2. How does President Johnson see the
problem ten years later?
Not only Black children, but white
children as well, because of stark
poverty and being uneducated. Barriers
of hatred and terror also seem to be the
lot of white children. No family can
survive under such conditions.
1. Make a summary of this article.
Compare with Dr. Dyson’s interview.
The answer can be found on the left.
2. What reference can you find to the
novel A Lesson Before Dying?
The main characters have no intact
15
Axis of
Execution
342
–
344
says much the same, cf. p. 307.
Dr. King goes on to describe the
demoralising and debilitating effects of
slavery. Any kind of stable family life
was impossible, family members could
be sold at any time, slave women could
be sexually abused by their masters, or
used to breed new slaves. Government
policy during and after the Civil War
was so chaotic that a stable family life
was impossible. No mention is made of
the Reconstruction Era.
A matriarchy developed because
marriage was not legal under slavery
and it was often difficult to determine
who the father of children was because
of indiscriminate sex relations with
many partners, including the white
masters.
It was often easier for women to find
employment as domestic servants. Male
Blacks, skilled or not, found
employment much more difficult
because of discrimination. Blacks have
been forced to live in slums where the
crime rate is high and schools
substandard. Thus Black children hardly
have any chance of escaping poverty
and crime. White family life has also
been under a strain with an increase of
juvenile delinquency. In spite of all
these hardships Martin Luther King is
confident that Blacks will win out in the
end.
Jefferson’s obviously unfair trial raises
the issue whether capital punishment is
at all morally justifiable.
The footnotes in chapter one of A
Lesson Before Dying list aspects of the
trial that were unfair or where the legal
procedure was incorrect. The venue
should have been changed, there were
no other witnesses to prove that
Jefferson had actually used a pistol to
kill the shopkeeper, and the racist
arguments of the defence lawyer were
absurd. Not mentioned in the
annotations: The Supreme Court in
Patton v. Mississippi in 1947 had
decided that there must be Blacks in
juries when a Black person is being tried
in a criminal case. Incredible as it may
seem, judges and state attorneys are
often elected officials in state (not
federal) courts.
This article cites a recent report from
families, they have often been brought
up by a woman, usually not even their
own mother, but there is hope that Grant
and Vivian will lead a happy marriage.
1. What arguments are used against
capital punishment?
It is morally wrong to execute someone
who committed a crime as a child. The
police are often incompetent, the
evidence dubious, witnesses unreliable.
It is cruel and unusual punishment to
keep someone in death row for such a
long period of time.
The defence attorney may also be
inadequate. Judges and state attorney
are often elected officials in state courts
and are often swayed by public opinion
or seek as many convictions as possible
so as to be re-elected.
2. How would you have defended
Jefferson?
I would have asked for the advice of an
organisation like the NAACP (National
16
Amnesty
International
Examines the
Case of
Troy
Anthony
Davis
345
Redemption
According to
Ernest
Gaines
349
–
348
–
353
Amnesty International. The USA is in
the same league as China, Iran, and
Vietnam in terms of the people
executed. The main difference between
America and other countries with capital
punishment is that executions in
American are not kept secret.
In America those convicted of crimes
committed as a child are executed.
These executions are criticised as
judicial killings. In addition, a number
of people have been released from
prison because the evidence for their
conviction was faulty. It can be assumed
that a number of women and men were
executed who were actually innocent.
Incompetent defence attorneys,
unreliable witnesses, police misconduct
have also led to convictions.
Kenny Richey had been in death row for
17 years and had sought a new trial. (He
was released from prison in 2008 and
returned to Scotland.)
The case of Troy Anthony Davis has
become a cause célèbre.
It appears that witnesses were coerced
by the police into testifying against Troy
Davis and that one witness who has not
recanted may actually be the murderer.
Amnesty International argues that
inevitably innocent people will be
executed because the system, no matter
how good, is subject to human error.
A landmark study published in 2000
determined that appeals courts had
found errors requiring a new trial in 68
percent of cases involving capital crimes
due to incompetent defence lawyers or
police or prosecutors who suppressed
evidence that might have helped the
defendant. Troy Davis’ appeal lawyer
has pointed out that his original defence
lawyer was incompetent and that the
police obtained evidence with the use of
coerced witnesses. As of January 2010
Troy Davis is still in prison awaiting a
new trial that the Supreme Court in 2009
ruled was necessary.
David Vancil points out the extensive
use of irony in the novel and the
multilayer technique that allows the
reader to empathise with the characters
yet keep his or her distance. The irony is
that Grant becomes a secular priest, a
possible initiator of Black protest against
injustice, though he despises religion
Association of Coloured People),
written articles in national papers, asked
for a change of venue, prepared a better
defence, demanded Blacks on the jury,
asked for an appeal to a higher court, if
necessary as far as the Supreme Court.
1. What similarity do you see with
Jefferson’s trial?
Jefferson had an incompetent defence
attorney, who should have properly
cross-examined the witnesses for the
prosecutor and call on his own
witnesses.
He should have demanded Blacks on
the jury. If that had been denied, he
could have appealed to a higher court.
1. What does David Vancil see as the
central message of A Lesson Before
Dying?
He sees the irony of an illiterate,
innocent young Black man, who
becomes insightful about his own life
and the suffering of those around him.
17
and Reverend Ambrose, though he feels
superior to the Blacks in his community,
though he hates whites.
Christ-like, Jefferson dying (he is a kind
of saviour, redeemer) means a rebirth, a
release from doubt and arrogance for
Grant, who finds an ally in Paul Bonin
(bon [French for good]).
The scene with the white school
superintendent shows the stupidity of
whites and demonstrates how Blacks
had few educational opportunities in the
deep South after World War II. But it is
the women, including Vivian, who are
hopeful of a better future. And it is the
women who the support their church
community.
It is ironic that Jefferson has the name of
the man who wrote that all men are
created equal.
Other religious elements: the miracle of
Jefferson no longer acting like a hog but
a man. And the miracle of Jefferson
becoming insightful about his life and
the suffering of those around him when
he writes his diary. The power of the
written word! The power of this novel!
Points to
Ponder
354
(General
Comments
About
Race and
the
American
Dream)
355
Take A
Bow
354
–
He serves as a redeemer for Grant.
Because of Jefferson Grant seems to
find a new meaning in life, a will to
fight against injustice, perhaps allied
with whites like Paul Bonin. Epiphany
for both.
Religion is especially important in the
life of the women in Grant’s life; it
upholds the sense of community.
What David Vancil does not mention is
the ineffective of Reverend Ambrose
and Ambrose’s implication that religion
is a lie whose only purpose is to provide
comfort for those subject to humiliation
and injustice. (Cf. 212 – 213) We are
reminded of Karl Marx calling religion
the opium of the masses. Martin Luther
King seemed to have taken his religious
beliefs seriously.
A collection of quotes that could be used
for discussions in the classroom or as a
topic for an essay.
Herbert mentions the violence that
Blacks had to endure in the past: during
slavery, the slave trade, race riots, the
lynching of Blacks, the assassination of
Martin Luther King. In spite of
everything Blacks have hoped that some
day all these injustices would come to an
end when Blacks would enjoy the same
rights as white citizens.
1. What examples of the past does
Herbert mention?
the tearing apart of families during
slavery, the race riots, lynchings, the
assassination of Martin Luther King
All these aspects of the past are also
mentioned in the Timeline (pp 254 –
276) and A History of African
Americans (pp. 278 – 297). In A
History of African Americans the
hopes of Blacks for a better life in spite
of injustices is a continuous theme.
A Lesson Before Dying contains
numerous examples of overt and covert
racism and injustices towards Blacks
ranging from the unfair trial to the way
most whites treat the Blacks in the
18
Obama’s
victory
President
Obama’s
speech
on
March
18, 2008
354
354
–
356
This statement is perhaps a bit too selfcongratulatory: that America has
confirmed its special role in the world
by electing someone with roots in
Africa.
Obama speaks of the racism that has
prevented Blacks from achieving the
American Dream and that is why many
Blacks feel anger towards whites. In
spite of segregation and discrimination a
few Blacks have managed to achieve the
American Dream.
He then speaks of the desire of all
Americans for a better future and that
Americans are basically decent. His
wish to “perfect our union” is a
reference to the Preamble of the
American Constitution:
We the People of the United States, in Order
to form a more perfect Union, establish
Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide
for the common defence, promote the
general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of
Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do
ordain and establish this Constitution for the
United States of America.
President
Obama’s
speech
on
November
4,2008
356
–
357
He then goes on to speak of his own
genetic inheritance and maintains that
such a phenomenon is only possible in
America.
Cf. to the Crèvecoeur quote on page 359
about the American identity and a
similar discussion on pages 314 to 320,
He’s Not Black.
Obama again speaks of the ideals of
America: democracy, liberty,
opportunity, and hope, i.e the American
Dream. “Our union can be prefected.” is
again a reference to the Preamble of the
United States Constitution.
He then discusses the life of Ann Nixon
Cooper, who was 106 at the time of his
speech. When she was a young woman,
she did not have the right to vote. She
experienced the depression, WW II, and
the upheavals of the Civil Rights
Movement. She has seen how America
has changed. Thus America can
continue to change. He appeals to all
novel.
1. What is meant by U.S.
exceptionalism?
It means that America is unlike any
other country: a country of many races
and creeds, where anyone can become
president, even a Black person.
The British, the Germans, the French all
thought that they were something
unique at some time in the past.
1. What themes does Obama touch on in
his speech?
He’s speaks of the denial of the
American Dream for most Black
Americans that has caused them to feel
anger towards whites though a few
Blacks have managed to achieve the
American Dream.
He asks all Americans, who he
considers basically decent, to unite in
the fight against injustice.
He also touches upon the theme of
exceptionalism: that only in America
could someone with a genetic makeup
encompassing three continents become
president of the United States. The
Crèvecoeur quote on p. 359 also deals
with the American identity, and
similarly He’s Not Black on pp. 314 –
320.
1. How does Obama appeal to all
Americans?
He tells them of the trials and
tribulations of a Black women who has
lived for more than a 100 years.
She has seen the situation of Blacks
improve immensely.
With her example in mind all
Americans can hope to improve their
own lives. The older Black women and
the children in A Lesson Before Dying
can also expect a brighter future.
Students might be interested in Gaines’
novel, The Autobiography of Miss
19
cartoon
357
Letters
from an
America
Farmer
359
The
359
Americans when he claims that the
American Dream is again attainable
(implying that it was not possible with
his predecessor). “...that out of many, we
are one...” refers to one of mottos of the
United States: E pluribus unum,
originally meaning the union of the
original 13 states. This motto now
includes the meaning of many races,
origins, and creeds forming one nation.
Notably, Obama is appealing to all
Americans, and not just to Blacks as has
been pointed out by Dr. Dyson in his
intervew, cf. pp. 302 -309.
With Ann Nixon Cooper we are also
reminded of the elder Black women in
Grant’s life, who may well experience
the beginnings of the Civil Rights
Movement. Of interest might be Ernest
Gaines’s 1971 novel, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. The
novel story depicts the struggles of
African Americans as seen through the
eyes of the narrator, Jane Pittman. She
tells of the major events of her life from
the time she was a young slave girl in
the American South at the end of the
Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement
in 1962. A film version is available.
Until public segregation was legally
prohibited in the 1960s not only hotels,
swimming pools, parks, and schools
were segregated but drinking fountains
as well. The opening scene of the film
Mississippi Burning shows a young
Black boy going to one of two drinking
fountains. One has a sign, Colored, the
other White. The cartoon wants to show
that the colour barrier has now been
overcome for the highest office of the
land.
This is an excerpt from an insightful
essay by J. Hector Crèvecoeur (1735 –
1813), a farmer of French origin who
lived in upper New York State for a
number of years. It is the first attempt to
describe to Europeans what the
American identity is. It is essentially a
precursor of the concepts of “the melting
pot” and “the American Dream.”
Note how Obama on page 356 at the top
deals with a similar theme and the essay,
He’s Not Black on pp. 314 – 320.
The American Dream is described as
Jane Pittman, which depicts the
fictional life of a Black woman from the
time of slavery to the Civil Rights
Movement.
1. What is the message of the cartoon?
The drinking fountain as a symbol of
years of segregation and Jim Crow is
now a drinking fountain for all
Americans. The presidency is now
accessible to an American with African
roots. The “Whites Only” sign has been
disbanded and is where it belongs: in
the dustbin of history.
The drinking fountain also plays an
important role at the end of the film,
The Autobiography of Miss Jane
Pittman.
1. What themes does Crèvecoeur
anticipate?
He anticipates the themes of “the
melting pot” and “the American Dream”
Note how “the melting pot” theme is
dealt with in Obama’s speech (top, page
356) and in the essay, He’s Not Black
pp. 314 – 320.
1. How is the American Dream
20
American
Dream
Pinpointing My
Identity
The
Companion to
Southern
Literature
–
360
360
360
–
361
being very complex and consisting of
many strands. The great Black writer
Ralph Ellison quotes one of the national
mottos: E Pluribus Unum. The
American Dream is a paradox reflecting
the diversity and unity of American
society.
Obama takes up this theme in his
speech:
“...this nation is more than the sum of its
parts — that out of many we are truly
one.” (p. 356, top)
This young woman does not consider
herself to be black, because of racism.
We are reminded of “the one drop rule.”
Quote one: For Black writers racism is a
fact of life and there is a need to gain
recognition by action.
described here?
Cf. the information on the left
2. How does the American Dream apply
to A Lesson Before Dying?
Perhaps Jefferson’s death, together
with whites like Paul, will end racial
injustice. In the 1950s there were
instances of innocent Black children
who were murdered by racists in the
South. These murders aroused the
conscience of the nation. In the 1960s
the murder of white activists in the Civil
Rights Movement in Mississippi had a
similar effect on the nation. (Cf. the
film, Mississippi Burning)
Indeed many white religious, political,
and educational leaders actively
supported the Civil Rights Movement.
It was because they stood united that the
Civil Rights Movements achieved many
of its goals.
1. How does this young woman feel
about her identity?
She certainly doesn’t consider herself to
be white because, of racism.
1. What role does racism play in
America and in literature?
Cf. the information on the left.
Quote two: Racism is not just restricted
to the South.
Quote three: After the Civil War, much
like Abraham Lincoln, many whites
believed that former slaves could never
be intellectually equal to whites even if
these whites were against segregation.
Much of this racism is exposed in Black
Like Me, especially the exploitation of
Black women by white men.
Quote four: Blacks were often depicted
in literature as violent and smelly beasts
ready to violate women at a moment’s
notice and anxious to revenge
themselves through terror or violence.
New
York
Times
361
Quote five: Because of the Civil War
and Civil Rights Movement Southern
writers are likely to deal with racism.
At the very time of A Lesson Before
Dying the governor of Mississippi, a
state in the deep South, threatens the
Negroes in his state who want to combat
segregation. Mississippi would later be
Comment on this excerpt.
It shows that even those in the highest
offices in the deep South were prepared,
openly and in public, to threaten Blacks
21
Comments
About A
Lesson
Before
The
Themes
of
Women
and
Community
the scene of violence during the Civil
Rights Movement.
who fought against segregation.
Quote one: The importance of the
women in A Lesson Before Dying.
1: What is the importance of the women
in the novel?
Quote two: Grant wasn’t at the trial
metaphorically means that he was not
concerned at all with the racism and
injustice evident in the trial, but only at
first. The ending is ambiguous: he cries
and faces his class. What does this
mean? A change in attitude?
They set the plot in motion. They are
the ones that bring about change.
It is Miss Emma with the support of
Tante Lou who wants Grant to convince
Jefferson that he is not a hog. They are
fighting the system. Vivian also
combats Grant’s indifference and
cynicism.
362
–
367
362
2. What interesting point does the
second quote make?
Voices
from the
Quarters
362
Quote one:
The two alienated protagonists learn
from each other and prepare a lesson for
the community.
Quote two:
Jefferson is illiterate and teaches the
teacher. But his death will redirect the
community towards life.
Quote three:
The significance of the radio as an
instrument that connects all of humanity.
Notice how the purchase of the radio
reveals the racism of the white shop
assistant. But the radio is financed by
the customers at the Rainbow Club.
Blacks if they unite can gain access to
the outside world that has only been
available to white, i.e. libraries,
universities, movie houses, swimming
pools, etc.
Reverend Ambrose is incapable of
understanding its significance and sees it
only as the work of the devil. John
Griffin in Black Like Me mentions that
Blacks did not have access to public
libraries in the South. Even Grant did
not have access to the library of a white
university and had to ask his literature
teacher to get a white professor to check
Grant not only was not present at
Jefferson's trial but at first ignored its
implications.
1. Who are the two most alienated
characters in the novel and what are the
ironies?
It is Jefferson and Grant, who learn
from each other.
But the illiterate Jefferson teaches the
literate teacher to rid himself of his
cynicism and through his death gives
his community new life.
2. What is the significance of the radio?
It was purchased with funds collected
from the Black community. It provided
Jefferson with access to the outside
world. If Blacks band together they will
be able to avail themselves of all the
facilities accessible to whites. Reverend
Ambrose sees the radio as something
evil.
3. How is the last chapter interpreted?
Neither Tante Lou nor Ambrose are
responsible for Grant’s epiphany. It is
Paul Bonin, the one white with an
understanding of the injustices towards
Blacks. He brings Grant Jefferson’s
diary, which will make Grant aware of
the profound suffering of Blacks and the
22
out the book he wanted. (p. 97, top)
Quote four (p.363):
It is neither Tante Lou, not Ambrose but
Paul Bonin who is the instrument of
Grant’s epiphany.
It is Paul Bonin, the white ally of the
Blacks’ cause, who brings Jefferson’s
diary to Grant. The diary is full of
revelations of the suffering and hope
that is heart-rending even though the
English is incorrect.
The diary expresses the suffering and
hopes of all oppressed Blacks.
Quote five:
The motifs of “being there and not being
there, going away, staying, being silent,
seeing, not seeing, refusing to look” etc.
are pervasive throughout the novel.
Southern
Quarterly
The
Companion to
Southern
Literature
Dying
Like a
Man
363
363
–
364
364
–
365
Paul Bonin is symbolically essential for
the success of a Civil Rights Movement.
Here it is a group of old Black men who
decide to risk their lives to protect a
Black man who has killed a Cajun. They
are also helped by a white woman.
Quote one:
The novel takes place in the 1940s just
before the Civil Rights Movement is to
come into full swing.
Blacks like Grant and whites like Paul
Bonin are ready to take the leadership
after seeing the injustice done to
Jefferson.
A stylistic lapse might be the diary in
substandard English. But it could also be
considered a legitimate representation of
the thoughts of a nearly illiterate young
Black man. Or we could consider
depicting a racist white man as “the fat
man grunted.” (p. 60, top) as too
simplistic, too obvious an attack.
Quote two:
need for a change.
Notice how Martin Luther King on page
325 speaks of his white brothers as
“inextricably bound to our freedom.”
That they realise “that their destiny is
tied up with our destiny.”
4. Comment on the motifs of “being
there and not being there, going away,
staying, being silent, seeing, not seeing,
refusing to look” etc. that are pervasive
throughout the novel.
These motifs apply primarily to Grant.
Initially, he does not want to take on the
responsibility of convincing Jefferson
he is not a hog. He is discouraged by the
social condition of the Blacks in his
community, and torn by the desire to
change a seemingly hopeless situation
or run away to California or the North
where conditions might be better.
1. What is Paul Bonin’s role?
He is the one white willing to support
the Black cause.
During the Civil Rights Movement
many whites also gave their support.
It was a white President, L.B. Johnson,
who pushed civil rights legislation
through Congress.
A Gathering of Old Men also has the
theme of the necessity of acting together
to fight injustice.
1. How does the novel fit in the
timeline?
It is the time just before the Civil Rights
Movement. Blacks and whites have
become aware of the necessity of
change.
2. Give examples of gallows humour,
harsh racism, characters with some
redeeming quality.
3. Who symbolises the white-black
alliance that will emerge?
The answers can be found in the column
to the left for quote two.
23
The gallows humour can be seen in the
way people react to the electric chair
called “Gruesome Gerty” and “whoever
sat in Gruesome Gerty’s lap when she
was hot never sat down again.” (p. 232,
top)
The reader may consider Jefferson
behaving like a hog as rather bizarre.
(p.91, middle)
An example of racism can be found
when Grant went through the back door
of Henri Pichot’s house (p. 57, top) and
had to wait two and half hours before he
could speak with Sheriff Guidry (p. 58,
top). Grant had to decide whether to act
like a “nigger” and not show too much
intelligence (p. 58, bottom) He used
“doesn’t” instead of the expected
“don’t.” (p. 59, middle)
Notice also the clever answer that Grant
gave the sheriff (p. 60, bottom) “The fat
man didn’t like that quick maneuver.”
(p. 60, bottom) The scene with the
superintendant in chapter seven is an
additional example of racism. The
sheriff’s wife might have a redeeming
quality because she thinks it’s proper for
Grant to visit Jefferson in prison and, of
course, Paul Bonin, who is symbolic of
the whites who will ally themselves with
Blacks in the Civil Rights Movement.
Quote three:
CartoonJack
Robinson
of
Politics
365
Because of black heroes such as Joe
Louis, who became the first national
Black hero, and Jackie Robinson, the
first Black to play in major league
baseball, the Black community could not
allow Jefferson to die ignobly.
Ironically, Grant, who had nothing but
disdain for Jefferson, became the
catalyst who converted Jefferson and in
a sense converted himself. Justice or
Jefferson’s innocence is of secondary
importance.
The cartoon posits a direct connection
between the success of Jackie Robinson
and his overcoming the barriers of race
in the 1940s and 50s and Obama as the
first elected president with African
roots. Obama is sliding into home base
and so scoring a run, i.e. he has won the
election and has proved to the nation
that his character was more important
4. Comment on quote three:
It is understandable that the Black
community’s only weapon against
injustice and racism was to make a hero
out of Jefferson. The community
already had two heroes to fall back on:
Joe Louis and Jackie Robinson.
Grant answered the question “Am I my
brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4: 9) and
helped Jefferson to find his humanity
with the instrument of the written word.
By doing so Grant became a hero. He
overcame the cynicism stemming from
his experience of those who had
attended his school with him; many
were killed or in prison (cf. pp.72-73).
The reader, however, may have a
feeling of dissatisfaction because of the
miscarriage of justice.
But the alliance of the Bonins and
Grants of America anticipates the Civil
Rights Movement that is soon to unfold,
a movement that will attempt to break
the vicious circle of crime and poverty.
Comment on the cartoon:
Cf. the comments to the left.
24
Ernest
Gaines
quote
Native
Sons in
No
Man’s
Land
365
366
than the colour of his skin. (Cf. the “I
Have a Dream” speech, cf. p. 327,
middle.)
Gaines mentions the autobiographical
elements of the novel but sees the novel
as dealing with universal problems that
can be found throughout the world.
Quote one:
Lies are sometimes necessary.
Quote two:
The diary is full of insights about the
suffering of Black people, a life of hard
work, and alcohol as the only comfort.
He realises how much he loves Miss
Emma. Christ-like, children come to
visit him.
He is sorry what he said about Vivian
Quote three:
It points out the connection of Paul with
the Paul in the Bible.
Quote four:
It refers to Joe Louis who defeated Max
Schmeling in 1938 and became the first
Black to be a hero of all Americans. (Cf.
p. 95, top)
What two aspects does Gaines see about
his novel?
He tells us that there are many
autographical elements in the novel but
the relationship between Grant and
Jefferson could take place anywhere in
the world. What he probably means is
that vicarious suffering has had a
liberating influence or has changed
cynics to believers, e.g. the influence of
Christ, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Comment on quote one:
The white defence attorney claims that
Jefferson is not much better than a hog.
In his diary, though nearly illiterate, he
proves himself to be as human as any
white.
The mulatto, Matthew Antoine, Grant’s
teacher, predicted that most of his
students would die violently ... or
brought down to the level of beasts. (p.
73, top) But his prediction did not come
true in the case of Jefferson.
We might argue that Miss Emma and
Tane Lou have their religion but still
their lives are miserable.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not
want.” and other quotes from the Bible
are all lies as they do not apply to
Blacks. (Cf. 45)
Their belief that they could determine
where they would spend eternity on
Determination Sunday could be
considered to be a lie. (p. 103)
Upon Grant proclaiming that he will
never again lie to Jefferson, Reverend
Ambrose admits that he has to tell lies
to comfort people and that Grant’s aunt
has lied about her suffering.
(p. 212, bottom to the end of chapter 27
on page 213)
The pledge of allegiance recited in
school is a lie, because it does not apply
to Blacks.
Grant refuses to accept the white man’s
lie: that Blacks are inferior. Cf. pp. 58 -
25
59, where Grant refuses to use
“masking,” i.e. to act and speak as
expected of a Black person.
Chapter 7 unmasks the lie of “equal but
separate” when the superintendent
comes for an inspection.
On page 93, top, Grant considers telling
Miss Emma “a number of little lies”
about Jefferson concerning his visit in
his prison cell.
Comment on quote two:
Cf. the comments to the left.
Comment on quote three:
The quote is not quite correct as we
sense from the very beginning that Paul
is different from the other whites. He is
often referred to by the Black
community as being from good stock.
Comment on quote four.
An APlus in
Humanity
Ernest
Gaines
366
–
367
367
The courtesy shown between the races
masked the racism that hadn’t changed
much since before the Civil War.
Grant actually prayed for Joe to win
when he was seventeen Cf. page 95,
bottom)
The comment God-like should perhaps
be Christ-like.
Comment on this quote:
It is more correct to say that Blacks had
to show courtesy to whites. Cf. 34, top
when Grant forgot to add “Sir.”
And the best example of the courtesy
that whites expected of Blacks can be
found on pages 58 – 59.
Quote one:
The lack of courtesy on the part of
whites is exemplified at the end of
chapter 7 on page 69 when the
superintendant did not bother to wave
back to Grant.
Letting Grant wait for two and half
hours is not exactly an example of
courtesy, cf. p. 58, top.
Notice the rudeness of the saleswoman
on pages 175 – 176.
Comment on quote one:
Ernest Gaines explains why he included
Jefferson’s diary instead of a speech
before the execution.
We certainly can agree with the author
but in fact it was the author’s literary
agent who suggested that Jefferson’s
26
Quote two:
The purpose of the diary was to find out
what was going on in Jefferson’s mind.
Quote three:
Gaines was worried that the lack of
punctuation and capitalisation would
make difficult reading.
diary would strike the reader as more
authentic and realistic. And of course,
he was right.
Comment on quote two:
Certainly, a diary was one way of
finding out what was going on in
Jefferson’s mind.
Gaines did not feel comfortable using
stream of consciousness or interior
monologue.
And the story is told in the third person
singular from the viewpoint of Grant.
Comment on quote three:
If We
Must Die
367
–
368
This poem was written as a reaction to
the race riots in 25 cities in America in
1919, the worst being in Chicago.
The lack of punctuation and
capitalisation makes the diary more
authentic but more difficult for nonnative speakers. That is why a version
with capitalisation and punctuation has
been included.
Analysis of the Poem:
The rhyming scheme is ababcdcdefefgg.
Notice how the last two lines rhyme for
added effect. There are mostly five
stressed syllables in each line,
pentameter trochee, with an unstressed
syllable at the beginning and a stressed
syllable at the end of a line. Most of the
imagery has to do with dogs and hogs.
“Hunted and penned in an inglorious
spot.” is the slums where Blacks were
forced to live in.
assonance in line one: die and like
alliteration in line four: Making and
mock.
The same word in the main and
subclause at the end. “If we must die, O
let us nobly die:” an example of
epistrophe
The dogs represent the white racists
who are engaged in hate-filled acts
against Blacks.
Of course, not dying like hogs is the
same theme as in A Lesson Before
Dying. The poet exhorts his kinsmen to
strike back at the cowardly pack even
though out-numbered. Even though
death is imminent, better to fight back
to show the whites that they are brave.
27
Bravery in the face of death and
banding together against racists are
themes in A Lesson Before Dying as
well.
Beyond
the
Magic
Melting
Pot
369
The poem is divided into five stanzas
with the rhyme pattern abab in stanzas 1,
2, 4.
There are no rhymes in stanza three. The
word pot appears at least once at the end
except for stanza two.
The poem belies the myth of the melting
pot.
He Never
Said a
Mumbling
Word
370
The spiritual deals with the suffering
and crucifixion of Christ without his
protesting.
Martin Luther, in his “I Have a Dream”
speech, condemns the use of violence:
“We must not allow our creative protest
to degenerate into physical violence.”
(p. 325, middle)
Dr. Dyson, however, believes that
Martin Luther King, towards the end of
his life, was becoming increasingly
angry and mentions a speech entitled
“Why America May Go to Hell.” found
in his coat pocket after he had been
murdered. (p. 306, middle)
1. What is the message of the poem?
Blacks were one of the first groups of
people to arrive on the shores of the
New World. In the intervening 300
years immigrants from Europe have also
arrived but have become assimilated,
have become part of the melting pot.
For them The Statue of Liberty had real
meaning. But not Blacks. Crèveceour’s
definition does not apply to them. (Cf.
p. 359) If we consider the slavery, the
racism and Jim Crow that Blacks have
had to endure, it is understandable that
some Blacks rather go their own way
much like Malcolm X.
Comment on this Negro spiritual:
Jefferson in his diary also accepts his
fate without protest.
He mentions this Negro spiritual at the
bottom of page 140.
The song expresses the sorrow Black
slaves felt for their own suffering, for
which there was no remedy, only the
comfort of religion.
“Wasn’t that a pity and a shame...”
expresses the slaves’ own inability to
change their lot.
But the combination of Grant and Paul
might change all that.
371
Selected Additional Reading
–
372
373
–
374
Selected List of Films about The South or Racism
28
375
376
–
Useful Websites and Audio-Visual Material
Audio-Visual
Material Available from German-American Institutes in Germany
380
381
Some Useful Literary Terms
–
384
Analysis of “I Have a Dream” Speech
page Rhetorical Devices
323 great beacon light of hope: biblical
reference and metaphor
seared in the flames of withering
injustice (epitheton ornans), joyous
daybreak, long night of their
captivity: metaphors, the last being a
biblical reference
manacles of segregation, chains of
poverty, lonely island of poverty, vast
ocean of material prosperity:
metaphors, the last two being an
antithesis
architects of our republic: metaphor
324 signing a promissory note: metaphor
He continues using finance as a
metaphor (reminding us of Jesus chasing
the money changers out of the temple):
a bad check, bank of justice is
bankrupt, insufficient funds in the
great vaults of opportunity, cash a
check, riches of freedom
the tranquilizing drug of gradualism:
medical metaphor, the tertium
comparationis being: Gradualism is like
Valium that stops you from achieving
your goal. – Tranquilizers such as
Librium and Valium began to be widely
used in the USA in the early 1960s.
rise from the dark and desolate valley
of segregation to the sunlight path of
racial justice: metaphors, antithesis,
possibly with a biblical reference
(Psalm 23)
Allusions or References
“Five score...” is immediately associated with the
beginning of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address:
“Fourscore...” A most appropriate reference with
King standing before the Lincoln Memorial. And he
also refers to the Emancipation Proclamation of
1863
“in a sense”: Cf. “ in a larger sense” in The
Gettysburg Address
inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit
of happiness: reference to the beginning of The
Declaration of Independence that reflects the natural
rights of man
29
quicksands of racial injustice to the
solid rock of brotherhood: metaphors,
antithesis
Now is the time..., (used three times at
the beginning of a sentence for dramatic
effect): anaphora
235 sweltering summer: alliteration,
epitheton ornans, and weather metaphor
invigorating autumn of freedom and
liberty: continuing weather metaphor
with a metre as in poetry, antithesis
bright day of justice: metaphor
whirlwinds of revolt: weather metaphor
the palace of justice: metaphor
drinking from the cup of bitterness
and hatred: metaphor — The word cup
is often used in the Bible.
plane of dignity: metaphor
physical force with soul force:
repetition, antithesis
their destiny is tied up with our
destiny: repetition
their freedom is inextricably bound to
our freedom: repetition
We cannot..., We can never be
satisfied....
326 We can never be satisfied..., We
cannot be satisfied, No, no we are not
satisfied: anaphora
storms of persecution and staggered
by the winds of police brutality.:
weather metaphors, alliteration
stripped of their selfhood: metaphor,
alliteration
in Missisippi cannot vote...in New
York believes he has nothing for
which to vote.: parallel phrases
justice rolls down like waters and
righteous like a mighty stream:
repetition of like, metaphor, biblical
reference
trials and tribulations: binomial
phrase, alliteration
Martin Luther King now begins with the
most emotional part of his speech in
which he exhorts Blacks and the people
of America to change the injustices in
the South:
suffering is redemptive: religious motive, cf.
St.Paul: "I find joy in the sufferings I endure for you
[Christ]. In my own flesh I fill up what is lacking in
the sufferings of Christ for the sake of His Body, the
Church" (Colossians 1:24). Jefferson’s suffering is
redemptive and Paul Bonin is one of the few people
to realise it.
30
Go back... is repeated five times:
anaphora
Let us not wallow in the valley of
despair: exhortation, metaphor, biblical
reference, repeated four times at the end
of the speech
I have a dream...: repeated nine times,
anaphora
The key sentence is:
It is a dream deeply rooted in the
American dream.
327 It is at this point that King and the
audience become increasingly emotional
and he speaks increasingly
extemporaneously.
For emotional impact King uses the
short sentence: I have a dream today:
twice. Other than that, I have a dream...
is used six times at the beginning of a
sentence.
sons of former slaves, sons of slave
owners: repetition
table of brotherhood: metaphor
sweltering with the heat of injustice,
sweltering with the heat of
oppression...oasis of freedom and
justice: metaphors, antithesis
Possibly the most important sentence in
the speech:
I have a dream that my four little
children will one day live in a nation
where they will not be judged by the
color of their skin but by the content
of their character. alliteration – We
could argue that Obama has fulfilled this
dream.
dripping with the words of
interposition and nullification: a rather
graphic metaphor
328 With this freedom...: repeated three
times, anaphora
jangling discords...beautiful
symphony of brotherhood: musical
metaphor, antithesis
Let freedom ring...: repeated seven
times, anaphora
Kings refers to the various parts of
The very last paragraph is an almost verbatim quote
from Isaiah 40:4.
“My country ‘tis of...: is a reference to patriotic song.
31
America in order to emphasise its
enormous size.
329 repetition of when
All of God’s children: religious reference
The speech ends with a quote from a Negro spiritual
that goes back to the time of Lincoln’s Emancipation
Proclamation of 1863, thus returning to the opening
comments of his speech, and of course, King is
making use of the Negro spiritual tradition as a
means (formerly the only means) of expressing
religious feelings and the desire for freedom. Notice
the importance of singing and the Negro spiritual
tradition in A Lesson Before.