Discussion: A Lesson Before Dying

[Wilhelmina]

I think that the pressure of being "the one" was definitely a male thing. Even in the civil rights movement, the role of women was seen as supportive rather than leadership - something that caused a great deal of friction. Even today, we never hear as much about the Ella Bakers, the Diane Nashes, and the Fannie Lou Hamers as we do about the male leaders. Rosa Parks was chosen for the role her role in part because seeing her arrested and mistreated evoked sympathy. She is presented as a hard-working woman was was "tired" rather than as the well-trained leader that she was. I think that Gaines brilliantly shows how crushing that idea of a Black man leading us like Moses to the Promised Land could be. Grant was just a normal, intelligent guy, but the expectations on him were huge. Vivian certainly didn't have those kinds of expectations of leadership placed on her. She was just expected to live up to the community standards for morality, not rise to leadership.

[Michael]

I appreciate your comments, Wilhelmina. I'd forgotten about the deemphasizing of Rosa Parks' leadership qualities, that's an interesting wrinkle to all this.

Your comments about expectations seem to sum up what I am reacting to. The expectations being put on Grant (whatever the source) seem to create a lot of stress for him, which I imagine is the source of the anger you mentioned earlier, that he takes out on his students and on his aunt and Miss Emma. This seems to be worth talking about with respect to "male privilege", i.e. being male affords him privilege and people look to him for action and leadership, but the flip side of that is the weight of expectations placed upon him. When those expectations are placed up against the limitations of the racist environment in which he lives, it creates a volatile situation.

Does anyone think he also magnifies those expectations with his own? Well, maybe that's obvious, but specifically I mean that the conversation with Vivian started with her claiming Irene is in love with Grant, but he brushes it away with claims that Irene has expectations of him being "the one". That could be a part of it, but I was skeptical. Sometimes a crush is just a crush, and Vivian might be in a better position to pick up on that.

[Aitziber]

Wilhelmina, your comment was so informative! I had no idea that Rosa Parks was a trained leader. Now that I know that, I love that about her. I agree that in the civil rights movement, those who didn't fit a certain profile took or were made to take a step back. For instance, Bayard Rustin preferred to take a position behind the scenes as a strategist, rather than being a public spokesperson, because if he was in the front lines, he received criticism for being gay.

Michael, your comment is great, too! When it comes to Irene's crush, I think it's a bit of both. That is, I think Grant's own issues make him carry more weight on his back, that is perhaps being asked of him.

Irene is, after all, just a child. As such, I think, on some level, she recognizes Grant as better crushing material than her classmates. Does that mean that she has fully articulated thoughts and expectations of Grant being "the one"? I don't think she is, but she clearly looks up to him, and admires him, and realizes he's superior to the other males in her life. She may even entertain fantasies of Grant saving her when she experiences racism at the hands of someone.

Grant interprets that as pressure because of his own hangups. Were Irene to realize the effect her crush has on Grant, she'd probably be surprised, as was Vivian during that conversation. I don't think Irene intends to put that pressure on him.

So it is a mix of both, I do think Irene idealizes Grant to an extent he can't fulfill, but Grant also takes on responsibilities that are not openly asked of him (as opposed to being asked to make Jefferson realize his humanity), and that is not Irene's fault, but Grant's own doing.

I completely agree with this:

When those expectations are placed up against the limitations of the racist environment in which he lives, it creates a volatile situation.

Is it too late to discuss just how similar Jefferson and Grant are, anyway? :)

[ColumbusReads]

Aitziber wrote: "Wilhelmina, your comment was so informative! I had no idea that Rosa Parks was a trained leader. Now that I know that, I love that about her. I agree that in the civil rights movement, those who di..."

Bayard Rustin is a great example. Thanks for bringing him up. I'm currently watching the documentary - Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin for the 3rd time. Lost Prophet: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin is an incredible book on his life. Sorry, totally got off the subject...

[Aitziber]

Columbus wrote: "Aitziber wrote: "Wilhelmina, your comment was so informative! I had no idea that Rosa Parks was a trained leader. Now that I know that, I love that about her. I agree that in the civil rights movem..."

Thank you for the tip! I added that book to my to-read list. :) Much like Rosa Parks' role, I had never even heard about Bayard Rustin until a few months back. My mom's boyfriend was named after Bayard Rustin because he introduced the boyfriend's parents -- when the three of them were in jail! :D

[ColumbusReads]

Aitziber wrote: "Columbus wrote: "Aitziber wrote: "Wilhelmina, your comment was so informative! I had no idea that Rosa Parks was a trained leader. Now that I know that, I love that about her. I agree that in the c..."

Seriously? That's wild! No kidding, I've had that documentary recorded about 2 years on DirecTv. I had started watching it again yesterday and then again when you brought him up. Also, we have an annual Bayard Rustin brunch here in Atlanta that's heavily attended each September. I've never been myself, unfortunately, I try to go home every Labor Day weekend, but I understand it's very powerful and emotional.

[Wilhelmina]

If you haven't listened to this public radio show about Rustin, it's a good one!

http://stateofthereunion.com/bayard-r...

And I hope that we do discuss how similar Jefferson and Grant are, and how their interaction was transformative for them both!

[George]

a couple of recent interesting editorials and articles from Salon.com on the Post Racial Society and other issues raised in these comments. The Arizona bill before the governor defines businesses and pratically every other institution and organization as individuals for the purpose of the bill.
http://www.salon.com/2014/02/25/stop_...

http://www.salon.com/2014/02/25/white...

http://www.salon.com/2014/02/25/texas...

http://www.salon.com/2014/02/25/pat_b...

[George]

As for Grant being the one, in his community, he's a leader or role model by default. he hardly has a choice in the matter, as a teacher and it would appear the only man around with a college education in a place where it seems few black people make it to high school, assuming one's even available to black people in the community. The minister could be but has his own limitations and can't really compete for the most part. The two together might do well if they could find common ground, which both seem to have a hard time finding.

Of course, even the actual Moses was remarkably uncomfortable in his role, which was also had to be forced on him by events and the needs of his community. I think crushed is about right for both. In the end, he fell short of reaching the Promised Land.

[Aitziber]

Okay, so I commented earlier that I thought Grant and Jefferson were similar:

I find one of the most prominent themes is masculinity and emasculation. I feel that both Grant and Jefferson feel emasculated (because they're powerless), and are angry about it. This theme was brought to its climax when Grant got into a fight with the mulatto bricklayers. At that point, what was the difference between Jefferson and Grant?

What I meant at the time is this: around that point of the book, Grant comments that black men seem to abandon their women, whether by getting killed, going to prison or moving away, or a combination of the three. (I'm paraphrasing as I haven't looked at the book since I finished it.)

Grant is expected by everyone around them to not be Jefferson, to not get himself into so much trouble that he is forced to abandon the people who depend on him. Grant, unlike Jefferson, seems to have the presence of mind and knowledge to avoid Jefferson's fate. However, he so easily throws it away at that moment. Yes, he was provoked, and it was his growing friendship with Jefferson what made him act. However, I thought that was intentional on Gaines' part, to make a larger point that the characters are not so different, despite their different roles in the community, or perhaps that, no matter what one's own history is, the limitations imposed on them by a racist society force them onto the same paths. So it could be that they're already similar, or that they are forced by circumstances to be similar.

I think we can also relate Grant's talk about "the one" to how every individual in a minority has to be exemplary in order not to give a bad reputation to the entire minority. For instance, if Grant fails and starts a fight and gets caught, what would the racist characetrs say? That all black men are criminals, no matter their education. They wouldn't say that of a white criminal. And so, when an individual appears to be exemplary, all the pressures fall to him to make a difference, to prove to the world that not all [x] people are "like that!"

George wrote: "Of course, even the actual Moses was remarkably uncomfortable in his role, which was also had to be forced on him by events and the needs of his community. I think crushed is about right for both. In the end, he fell short of reaching the Promised Land."

That's an interesting comparison, George. Do you think it was intended on Gaines' part? I don't know anything about Gaines himself, but Grant, despite not attending church, comments on several occasions that he is religious. Perhaps Gaines was religious himself and intended for that comparison to be drawn. I think it's worth discussing, whether it is intended or not, but I'm woefully ignorant of Bible stories.

I think that A Lesson Before Dying feels especially relevant today because of the Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis, but I feel it's worth pointing that the book was published in 1993, a year after the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. I can't imagine that Gaines didn't have them in mind while writing this novel.

[Michael]

Great food for thought, Aitziber. I agree that the fight scene, which could have ended in Grant's death or imprisonment, does show that Grant and Jefferson share a lot of constraints as to their possible futures. And how they have a shared anger in that respect. The scene is so obviously male, though, (which Vivian highlights) that I have to add that some of this is just the male culture that again is limiting their options. I do see the point that as Black men, there is pressure to prove themselves more as men, since being Black doesn't count for much in the white-controlled society. (And maybe a tie-in to the references to Joe Louis is appropriate here, as he seems to be an example of "the one" who can stand up to the white man, at least with his fists.)

At the same time, both are ignoring (or because of racism are unable to see) opportunities to prove themselves as members of the vanguard of the Black community. Jefferson was wandering aimlessly through life, consorting with good and bad peers indiscriminately it seems. And though Grant on the outside appears to have achieved more success/upward mobility through his education at least, he seems just as aimless in his ability to apply the skills he worked so hard for. That was how I saw them as being the same in the first half of the book. Disillusioned/hopeless.

And, I think, this story becomes an opportunity for both of them to rectify this to some extent. Jefferson resists any connections at first, but then seems to take on the mantle of trying to be the person others expect him to be, and seems to have some pride doing it. Grant also starts out kicking and screaming, but manages to help bring the community together despite his misgivings (radio fund collection, Christmas pageant, community visit to the jailhouse). Both men, in my opinion at least, seem to embody qualities and actions of "the one" Grant is so anxious about.

What about going forward? Jefferson's life is cut short, but Grant's future is left open. I wonder if he has pride in what he did, or if he will still need prodding from others to continue on this path? I am also curious if people think the last line - "I was crying" - indicates anything about Grant's growth?

[George]

Aitziber wrote: "That's an interesting comparison, George. Do you think it was intended on Gaines' part? I don't know anything about Gaines himself, but Grant, despite not attending church, comments on several occasions that he is religious.

Well, I wouldn't want to push the comparison too far,although I think Gaines clearly drew inspiration from the Biblical account of Moses. Certainly Gaines is familiar with the Biblical story of Moses and the Children of Israel.

Grant may be religious, but if he is, it's hard to tell. He's clearly is not a man of faith. He doesn't seem to have any in anything for most of the book. The reverend is a man of faith, but has little else going for him. He can't reach Jefferson and he clearly resents Grant bitterly, since Grant can and does. The reverend should be the one providing guidance and solace to Jefferson under these circumstances, but can't begin to.

In my opinion, if Gaines is saying anything, it's that neither faith nor intellect alone is sufficient. But intellect alone is pretty thin gruel. in the end, the reverend is there for Jefferson, and Grant can't bring himself to be there.

take a look at the link Columbus gave us in message 8. Video clip of the author discussing his life and his motivation for writing, A Lesson Before Dying:
http://youtu.be/D3_1UKt3Nw8. that should provide you with some insight on this.

[ColumbusReads]

As expected, this has been a great discussion of a classic book. Although February has come to a close the discussion doesn't have to. So, for those still reading (and there appears to be quite a few), please feel free to add comments at your leisure.

Thanks again everyone for your questions and comments. Now, on to our March discussion....

[Michael]

Great thoughts to ponder, everyone. Thanks for hosting, Columbus!

[William]

Just finished the book and thought it was excellent. If I had but one quibble its that Grant was such a wishy-washy non-believer. I'd would rather he was a fire breathing atheist so as to offer an effective counter-point to the overt religiosity of Rev. Ambrose and the rest of the cast. But I suppose to be a strident atheist in 1940's Louisiana would be just as suicidal as being a Black militant or flamboyant homosexual. I suppose given the grief he got for just having doubts the existence of a benevolent deity and the rewards of heaven, it would not be believable to have Grant point out to the denizens of the quarter that their reliance on religion to deliver them heavenly rewards certainly contributed to Jefferson's demise. I wonder if Grant had read Marx's treatise of religion as the opiate of the masses?

[Joyce]

Okay...I finally had the opportunity of reading and enjoying this piece of art from Ernest Gaines. I know I'm extremely late for the discussion but wanted to give kudos for the selection of this book. I've always believed that although these types of books are labeled as fiction that they are most often based on truth and someone's willingness and boldness to bring some of these truths to light. The characters of this book angered, saddened, enlightened and caused me to appreciate the struggle for so many of our ancestors. I have always even as a young teenager possessed a passion for reading books of this caliber and now in my 50s have deepened that hunger. Great work!