A Lesson Before Dying (Oprah's Book Club) by Ernest J. Gaines
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Book Reviews of A Lesson Before Dying (Oprah's Book Club)
Book Review: Myth-a story passed down and around until it is believed.
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is classic history of turmoil within the Black culture. When Jefferson entered that car, he turned everyones life upside down. However, at the end of his life, he made people "look at themselves" and not only did he die with dignity (he walked straight, like the man he was - he was no hog); he brought a family that was torn apart together. And even I understand why the Black man ran from the South; I understand his anguish of being a man, but really not. After reading this story, I think of all those who have had bitter experiences as slaves. These people never knew what it was like to be loved or respected and as one of Jehovah's Witnesses', I look forward to seeing these ones in the resurrection foretold at Rev. Chapter 18-21:3,4. Can you imagine seeing their faces knowing that God loved them! Can you imaging seeing their faces when they will be given respect; treated with dignity and the land that they toil on will the THEIR'S. Yes, to meet Ms. Harriet Tubman, Mr. Frederick Douglas and many many more. They will know unbounded love. And what's more, racism will no longer exist because the real perpetrator will be done away with. But imagine the faces of the perpetrators of racism, especially since they thought they were doing "the Christian thing". Imagine them facing these ones and realizing the hurt, humiliation and shame that they entertained upon individuals who were once princes and kings. Gloria StanleyBook Review: A Lesson for Everyone
Summary: 5 Stars
"A Lesson Before Dying" offers multiple lessons which anyone can be guided by. In this compelling novel, Gaines incorporates his own background and experiences in a similar setting into making the characters and events come alive. This book addresses many themes such as injustice, discrimination, and the death penalty. However, the single theme that most stood out to me was the concept of pride and dignity. Jefferson's pride has completely been torn apart by the unfair accusation for a crime he didn't commit and by being called a "hog" by his defense lawyer. Grant's mission, as he visits Jefferson in prison, is to teach him to regain a sense of pride, so that he can die with dignity and face his death courageously. He also teaches that heroism can be achieved by simply having the courage to defy and stand up to those in authority. This book really got me thinking, especially concerning the death penalty. When you think about it, it really can sound unethical for one person to be able to determine the date and time to take away life from another person, especially if they didn't even deserve to die in the first place, as in Jefferson's case. Overall, "A Lesson Before Dying" was an outstanding, realistic, and moving book with lessons that can educate any reader. I highly recommend it for anyone who would like to learn something about any aspect of the human soul.Book Review: perfect for the modern classroom
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm glad to hear many of the students who reviewed this book say that they found it more piercing than some of the "older" novels they read in class. Although as a teacher I wouldn't throw aside Hawthorne for Gaines, I think this book is a terrific addition to the American classics read in middle and high school. It makes a good pairing with To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee's classic (and still as moving as ever) focuses on the trial of a black man, unfairly convicted, whereas Lesson accepts the inevitable death sentence and explores the journey towards salvation. Our narrator is the only "educated" person in the novel, but for all his education, he has no soul and no religious faith. After being asked to meet with Jefferson, the condemned man, to convince him that he is in fact a man, not a hog, the narrator discovers as much about himself as the prisoner. The minor cast of characters are well drawn -- the pain evident in their lives is present on ever page. We witness the indignities they suffer in the hands of the white justice system, including being forced to wait hours just to speak to the sheriff. I'm glad Gaines includes one "good" white man (Paul) as a gesture of good will that there are always smaller heroes among villains. The friendship between the narrator and Paul makes for an inspiring finale.This book is very moving and well-written. Highly recommended.
Book Review: Grab a tissue box with this one!
Summary: 5 Stars
There are very few books that make me stop and grab the tissue box. By the time I finished reading the chapter representing Jefferson's Diary, I was glad I had a NEW box of tissues. Jefferson is a young, black man in 1940s Louisiana who is facing the death sentence as a result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. His companions killed a white man and ended up dead themselves in the bargain. Jefferson got caught, tried, and convicted to death. But that's not really the story, just the backdrop.
You see, in his summation, his own attorney compares Jefferson to a hog, and his godmother is determined that, while he may die, Jefferson is going to walk to that electric chair as a man, not a hog.
The duty of teaching Jefferson to be a man falls to Grant Wiggins, the local teacher whose aunt, along with Jefferson's godmother, lay the task at his feet.
What follows is a story that paints a vivid picture of the hopes, loves, frustrations, and small victories of a black man in a white world. And, while I like to think that the world Mr. Gaines has painted in his book existed only in the 1940s, I know that some of the same frustrations Mr. Wiggins expresses on page 166 are still felt today.
Read this book. Devour this book. Remember this book. Learn from this book. Just keep a box of tissues nearby.
Book Review: There is a lesson for everyone.
Summary: 5 Stars
The books starts in segregation-era, Louisiana. A young black man named Jefferson is falsely accused and convicted of murder, and he's waiting his execution date. Jefferson's mother, the godmother of Grant, asks Grant a favor. She wants Grant, who is the best educated man she knows, to make Jefferson a man before he dies. So Grant starts to go and meet him in jail. As the story goes on, Gains writes the background of Jefferson, how he grew up, how he was educated, and how other African-Americans' lives were like in the segregation-era. Everything was different between the Caucasians and the African-Americans : The quality of the education, what part of the town they live, where they hang out, and the church they go to was different. He also shows how the African-Americans had to act differently in the presence of Caucasians. In the end, Jefferson dies, but there are so many lessons from his death. Everyone inside the book, and outside the book learns a lesson from his death, especially in his diary. Jefferson's diary show the steps of him, becoming a man.
While you read this book, you will be able to experience the pains and sorrows of the African-Americans during that era, and also learn more about racism. I didn't really understand what racism was, and how serious it was because I grew up in a Asian culture.