A Lesson Before Dying Essay takes place in a small Louisiana Cajun community in the late1940s. In the novel, Jefferson, a young black man, is an unwitting party to a liquor store shootout in which three men are killed; being the only survivor, he is convicted of a murder andsentenced to death. Jeffersons personality and physical appearance in the novel provides not onlya relationship to the courtroom and his cell, but also connected to the geographical setting of theIn the initial setting of the novel, Jefferson sits in a courtroom located in ruralLouisiana, which is filled with anger , tension, isolation, and quietness from the people in theroom. This setting of the book supports Jeffersons personality in chapter 9 when Jeffersonscharacter is introduced. Jeffersons cell could be considered the second setting or Jeffersonssetting in the book.
Jeffersons relationship to the courtroom (initial setting) supports Jeffersonspersonality in the prison. He is isolated just like in the courtroom. There was an empty cellbetween Jefferson and the rest of the prisoners (Gaines 71). Jeffersons cell was not only isolatedlike a courtroom in rural Louisiana, but quiet. Jeffersons been quiet .
. . He didnt answer (71). Due to Jeffersons isolation and quietness, he has built anger inside. An anger which had beenbuilding up since the courtroom conviction.
Nothing dont matter,he said, looking up at theThe first setting of the novel is similar to Jeffersons cell setting. The three settings: thecourtroom , location of the town, and prison all have similarities to Jeffersons character traits. Theme: Jeffersons character represents race the best. The opportunity for equalrepresentation for the African Americans in the book is shown through Jefferson. There is aconstant comparison and view of blacks vs. whites in the novel.
To show too much intelligencewould have been an insult to them. (47) The respect of race varied in the book, but at the endJeffersons character prevailed. The author summons the reader to confront the entire bitterhistory of black people in the South and America as a whole. The theme of race ties into the novelwhen the characters begin to declare the value of their lives in a time and place in which thoselives seemingly count for nothing.
Jeffersons relationship to the theme in the novel only occurswhen Jefferson provides hope for the African American culture. A hero does for others. Hewould do anything for people he loves, because he knows it would make their lives better. Youcould give something to her, to me, to those children in the quarter(191). Jefferson hassomething the other prisoners dont have (knowledge) , which separates him from others.
He hasthe strength and ability of a wiseman. Key Dialogue and Action: I feel that an epiphany was reached by Jefferson when Grantwas talking to him at the prison. He looked at me in great pain. He may not have understood, butsomething was touched, something deep down in him because he was still crying. . .
(193) HereJefferson shows his affection for the first time in the novel, his crying indicates life in him. The lifeis between Grant and Jefferson. Water represents life, and the life that Jefferson has created withGrant proves that some type of grand realization has been reached. The other key action with Jefferson was his acceptance of Emmas gumbo. Jefferson realizes howmuch Emma really cares about him, even though he is going to die. His acceptance of Emmasgumbo is the first step after his epiphany that indicates that Jefferson will represent and providehope for the African American culture.
Jeffersons CharacterA Lesson Before Dying takes place in a small Louisiana Cajun community in the late1940s. In the novel, Jefferson, a young black man, is an unwitting party to a liquor store shootout in which three men are killed; being the only survivor, he is convicted of a murder andsentenced to death. Jeffersons personality and physical appearance in the novel provides not onlya relationship to the courtroom and his cell, but also connected to the geographical setting of theIn the initial setting of the novel, Jefferson sits in a courtroom located in ruralLouisiana, which is filled with anger , tension, isolation, and quietness from the people in theroom. This setting of the book supports Jeffersons personality in chapter 9 when Jeffersonscharacter is introduced. Jeffersons .
