Facing Injustice with Dignity and Courage

Michelle Pornsiritara

PAS 113B

Prof. Broadous

26 April 2012

Facing Injustice with Dignity and Courage

            In A Lesson before Dying, there is an important concept of human dignity through the character of Jefferson. He was a man that was called a hog by the defense attorney; all twelve white members of the jury agreed that Jefferson was an African American man that lacked intelligence to plan a robbery and murder. How is it possible for Jefferson to stand tall and prove to those people that he is not a hog, but a man? What could help Jefferson gain his courage to be strong after being brought down? Grant Wiggins gives Jefferson the power to be strong. Grant told Jefferson, “Do you know what a hero is, Jefferson? A hero is someone who does something for other people. He does something that other men don’t and can’t do. He is different from other men. He is above other men” (Gaines 191). Jefferson must therefore be courageous enough to show the community, especially during racially segregated times like 1940’s, that he has courage to stand tall with dignity because other African Americans had always fear to stand up in front of the white community. These two races are treated unequally by difference in levels of education, which lead to segregations in the community. Jefferson first struggles to keep his morals after internalizing himself as a hog. With Grant’s help, Jefferson soon comes to accept his fate, understand the social injustice, and then he bravely marches to death in order to prove himself a man.   

            Jefferson was a planation worker who was uneducated. This is during the 1940’s where there was separation between colors and African Americans were looked down upon. If there was a shootout or a violent incident between a Black man and a White man, the jury would most likely be biased and convict the Black man guilty because Whites were given a privilege. These privileges are described as “[…]conditions I experience that I did not earn but I have been made to feel are mine by birth, by citizenship…” (McIntosh 1). This is the way that society sees white people and they would not be blamed or looked down upon for any problems that occur in society. Colored people would get blamed. It is something that was passed on to give an ideal image of where a certain group stands in the society. Race was an issue because it was a way to identify people of who they were based on the color of their skin and their physical characteristics. Caucasians and African Americans were the two races in the community during the 1930’s and 1940’s. The slavery problem contributed to how society views the two different races. During slavery, the lighter skin slave child would have to clean the house, but the darker skin slave child would have to be out in the field working under the blazing sun. Mulattos in the community felt that they were higher in status than African Americans because they were mixed with White. Whites were given a privilege, such of how society sees White people; they would not be blamed or looked down upon from any problems caused in the society.

Grant had taught Jefferson to stand up with dignity to prove he was a strong man during his execution day so it would spread a message to the White community that African Americans do have courage. They would not expect an African American man to be brave enough; this will then spread awareness to the community on how African American people were being treated in society. People in society assume that a certain race would act or be doing something that other races do not. Stereotypes are negative and lead to racial profiling. The racial problems in the community have triggered these stereotypes and therefore led to racial profiling.

            Jefferson questioned his self-worth because he took defense attorney’s word to heart. Jefferson was describe as a “…cornered animal to strike quickly out of fear, a trait inherited from his ancestors in the deepest jungle of blackest Africa...this skull holds no plans” (Gaines 7). This term was very dehumanizing because it compared Jefferson to an animal. It shows that the White people in the courtroom do not care about the value of Jefferson’s life because of his skin color by describing his brain lacking intelligence to even plan a crime. Jefferson feels hurt after being pushed down by society; he then thinks of himself as being useless. He does not have morals or values to want to keep on living. He internalizes the beast, and then becomes the beast. Grant is a teacher who reaches in to help Jefferson as he is about to lose all hope through helping Jefferson to regain his values and have dignity. He represents a strong educated African American man who does not practice religion, but has his own beliefs to change someone.

            Identity is how other people refer to someone and how they are viewed as. This could be based on their appearance, race, gender, or any physical characteristics. Society has its ways to identify people based on how they look like; and what qualities are considered a certain type. In the 1930’s, darker skin people were looked down upon as being less superior to lighter skin people. Therefore, the jurors looked down upon him and compared him to a hog lacking intelligence to even plan a crime. Jefferson internalized himself as an animal by believing what the jury said about him. This led to self-hatred as Jefferson despises himself and sees himself as someone worthless. Words are very powerful, that it had made Jefferson to force himself to believe what he was told. Jefferson treated himself like a hog and refused to speak to anyone.

            While in jail, Jefferson feels his life is worthless as he just sits and refuses to eat. Grant is pressured by Jefferson’s godmother, Miss Emma to help with Jefferson’s condition. He refuses to eat or even talk with Grant for the few times he came to visit. Grant then came up with the idea to give Jefferson a radio to listen to. “Last Friday was the first time he ever asked me a question or answered me without accusing me for his condition. I don’t know if you all know…But I found a way to reach him for the first time” (Gaines 182). The radio helped ease Jefferson’s mind and wallows him to feel less locked up. As Jefferson is starting to pick himself up, Reverend Ambrose argues the radio is a sin for Jefferson inside the jail-room, Grant said that he could take the radio away from Jefferson, but he would not be able to reach him. The only thing that keeps him from thinking he is not a hog is that radio (Gaines 183). So far, Grant has started to find a way to communicate with Jefferson in order to help him.

            Grant is the only man who Jefferson speaks to and interacts with which develops a bond between them. Grant taught Jefferson about the social injustice. “That’s why they are always looking for a scapegoat, someone else to blame. I want you to show them the difference between what they think you are and what you can be. To them, you’re nothing…You can prove them wrong” (Gaines 191). Grant is telling Jefferson about how society sees him as a person to blame because he is an African American man. Grant wants Jefferson to be able to show the community that his death can have a meaning. In that case, Grant wants him to prove to the community that his life is worth more than what the predominately White community sees him as. Referring to the white community, “The last thing they ever want is to see a black man stand, and think, and show that common humanity that is in us all. It would destroy their myth. They would no longer have justification for having made us slaves and keeping us in the condition we are in. As long as none of us stand, they’re safe” (Gaines 192). Grant is stating that only Jefferson could prove to the White community that he could stand bravely raise a meaning for the society. Jefferson’s death could bolster the community to an understanding more of how African Americans are being treated during this time.

            Grant Wiggins is an elementary school teacher; he was an educated African American man. He lives in a segregated community where there is racism involved in conjunction to segregation. He dislikes his environment and he believes that nothing will change. This contributes to the fact that he does not believe in religion nor goes to church every week. Schools used to be segregated during the 1930’s as African Americans had their own schools to go to that lacked funding. “American education was racially segregated in the 1930’s precisely because of the White presumption that Blacks were inherently incapable of learning at an advanced level” (America 1930-1939: Education). Up until the 1940’s, it still remains a segregated society. There was racism, separation between bathrooms, schools, churches, and etc. Grant’s school is related to the school that was in the 1930’s through 1940’s, especially in the segregated South. During that time period, “Black schools, especially in the South, were thus underfunded and rudimentary. There were a mere handful of black schools throughout the South” (America 1930-1939: Education). Schools for the African American communities are were usually poor because they lacked funding. Teachers who taught there were only given small amount for salary; the classrooms were usually crammed and crowded together.

Segregation still exists today as people tend to live in neighborhoods and attend school that is predominately their own race. They may feel more attached to their cultures and same values they share. Although there are some schools that are diverse, majority of schools are predominately a certain race. There is probably a sense of bonding with their own race as minorities do not enroll in most schools that are predominately white. “In the mid-1960’s, 80 percent of American students were White. Today, due to immigration and other factors, children of color make up almost 40 percent of the student body. While the student body as a whole has grown much more diverse, many majority white-schools have been seen only a slight bump in their minority enrollment” (Lockette). There continues to be separation in society today, but issues with racism are reduced as people become more aware and acknowledge the idea of living in the society without judging people based on their identification and race.

            Grant has always been a man who dislikes how African Americans are being viewed in society and he thinks they are treated very unequally. “He feels that they are all bending to the will of the whites and seems very frustrated that so few of them don’t act out against those who are keeping them down” (Smith). He wants Jefferson to understand the meaning of what situation he is in. Grant says that White people look down on him, and he wants Jefferson to prove them wrong. “I want you to chip away that myth by standing. I you-yes, you can call them liars. I want you to show them that you are much a man-more a man than they can ever be…You have the chance of being bigger than anyone who has ever lived on that plantation or come from this little town” (Gaines 192, 193). The reason African Americans are being treated unequally or looked down upon is that no one has ever stood beyond what the White community expects. For that reason, Jefferson can prove to the jury that he has dignity by standing tall and brave. Their idea of viewing African Americans as being weak would start to change. In addition to that, this would also raise awareness to the community.     

            Through Grant’s teachings, Jefferson has transformed himself from a man losing all his hopes to a man with dignity and Jefferson comes to accept his fate while in jail. Through times spent there, Grant taught him how to prove the society that he can stand up while society looks down upon him because they would not expect an African American man to have enough courage to stand. Grant helps Jefferson reacts to the injustice of society and Jefferson’s bravery in the courtroom had proved that he was the strongest man there. This made Jefferson be able to show the community that he could die with dignity. Grant’s teachings had given Jefferson a lesson before dying. Grant is the force that help pulls Jefferson up.

Works Cited

America 1930-1939: Education. Segregation. Bookrags.com. Web. 30 March 2012.

Gaines, Ernest J. A Lesson Before Dying. New York: First Vintage Contemporaries Edition,

            1994. Print.

“League of Struggle for Negro Rights (1930-1936): The Black Past:

            Remembered and Reclaimed.” The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed.

            Web. 18 April 2012.  

Lockette, Tim. The New Racial Segregation at Public Schools. Alternet.org, Feb. 2010. Web.

            30 March 2012.

McIntosh, Peggy.  “White Privilege and Male Privilege.” A Personal Account of Coming to See

            Correspondences through Work in Women’s Studies (1988). 1988. Print.

Smith, Nicole. “Analysis of “A Lesson Before Dying” by Ernest Gaines: Themes of Women and

            Community”. Articlemyriad.com. Article Myriad, 2010. Web. 30 March 2012.