A Lesson Before Dying
By Ernest Gaines
Biography of Ernest Gaines
• Gaines was born in 1933 on River
Lake Plantation in Pointe Coupee
Parish near the town of New Roads,
Louisiana.
• Gaines is the oldest of 12 children
and lived in Louisiana for most of
his childhood.
• He left Louisiana at age 15 to
continue his schooling in San
Francisco, California.
Ernest Gaines
• Gaines grew up during a period
of segregation between white
and black people.
• In 1958, after publishing a few
short stories, he won a Wallace
Stegner creative writing
fellowship to Stanford
University, which enabled him
to devote himself to his writing.
Ernest Gaines
• Though Gaines moved to California at age 15,
many of his novels deal with racial issues of the
rural South.
• Gaines had a very strong connection to the South
throughout his lifetime.
• Aside from being an author, he currently teaches a
creative writing seminar at the University of
Southwestern Louisiana.
A Lesson Before Dying
• The novel takes place in a
rural Louisiana town during
the 1940s.
• During this time, segregation
was a very prevalent part of
society.
• The novel deals with many
racial issues of the time
period.
Segregation in the 1940s
Segregation of the 1940s
Moral Issues Within the Novel
• Not only does the text deal with issues of
race, but it also deals with the issue of
justice.
• The novel confronts moral questions
surrounding the death penalty, which has
been a controversial topic in our society for
many decades.
The Death Penalty Debate
The Death Penalty Debate
Main Characters
• Jefferson- a young black man who grew up in the
quarter in Louisiana. Since his boyhood, he has
done manual labor and has no education
• He is sensitive and thoughtful, altho angry and
resentful while in jail
• Condemned to death by electric chair for a crime
he did not commit
• Miss Emma- Miss Emma is Jefferson’s
godmother (nannan) and cares deeply about her
godson. A widow in her seventies, she is short and
heavy, an imposing presence.
• Tante Lou-Tante (aunt) Lou is Grant’s aunt.
• She raised him, making sacrifices so that he could
get a college degree.
• Strong, stubborn, and determined woman in her 70s
• She demands that Grant serve the community as a
leader—the role for which she sent him to college.
• Vivian Baptiste• A tall, beautiful, light-skinned “creole”
schoolteacher who is dating Grant while waiting for
a divorce from her husband. She has two children
• From Free LaCove and came from a more privileged
background. She is cultured, refined, and respected
• Grant Wiggins- A college educated, black school
teacher who teaches on a plantation in the south
• Wishes he could escape his destiny but feels
obligated to be loyal to the town and his aunt
• Not religious- no faith in God, justice, or humanity
• Reverend Mose Ambrose• The pastor to the black community
• He is a short, older man with white hair
• Ambrose is not educated to preach, but he “heard
the voice” and found his calling.
• He is dutiful and has developed a deep
understanding of the needs of his congregation.
Minor Characters
Matthew Antoine -Grant’s pessimist former
schoolteacher. A mulatto man. He tells Grant all his
efforts as a teacher will make no difference
• Henri Pichot -The white plantation owner. All the
blacks in the quarter worked on his plantation.
Before they retired, Miss Emma and Tante Lou both
worked in his kitchen for decades.
• Sheriff Guidry
Pichot’s brother-in-law is the man responsible for
overseeing Jefferson’s execution.
• Paul
A Deputy Sheriff who tries to befriend Grant during
his visits to see Jefferson. He is the only non-racist
white person in the novel.
• Dr. Joseph
The school superintendent who visits the school to
inspect the students and facility. He reminds Grant
of a slave buyer at an auction.
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Preview of A Lesson Before Dying
The novel is about the lives of two black men
living in a small Louisiana town.
Jefferson, is awaiting execution for a murder
he didn't commit; the other, Grant Wiggins, is
a teacher whose sense of duty won't let him
leave the home he has come to hate.
Both men learn a valuable lesson from
spending time with one another.
The characters are realistic and represent
recurrent themes in American literature.
A somber mood is maintained through selfpitying central characters, continually pulling
down those around them.
MAJOR THEMES EXPLORED
• Racism
• Obligation
• Redemption
• Heroes
• Freedom as a State of Mind
Creole/Mulatto
Chapter One Summary
• Jefferson is on trial for a crime he did not
commit.
• The crime involved the robbery and
murder of a white store owner.
• Jefferson’s defense attorney calls him a
hog.
• Jefferson is convicted and receives the
death penalty.
Chapter Two Summary
• Miss Emma is distraught
about Jefferson’s sentence
and very bothered about
the attorney calling
Jefferson a hog.
• Miss Emma would like to
have the right for someone
to visit Jefferson and talk
to him while he awaits his
execution.
• Tante Lou insists that
Grant help Jefferson and
make him realize that he is
a man and not a hog.
Assignment: 1/31
• Read chapters 3-5
• Choose ONE quote on
your worksheet to
complete quote
analysis on
• Be prepared to discuss
chapters/quotes