A_Lesson_Before_Dying

A Lesson Before Dying In the Novel “A lesson Before Dying” by Earnest Gaines, the characters Grant Wiggins and Jefferson are put abruptly into a position of being male role models inside of their community. Grant is put into this position because of his receiving his education, while Jefferson is put into this position in a sense of martyrdom as he is facing execution. During the passages of this book, there is symbolism which attempts to conclude that Grant and Jefferson are heroes of their community. The song “You are My Sunshine” in the novel “A Lesson before Dying” by Earnest Gaines, is symbolic of the hope the community has in Jefferson. During which the song is played in the background on page 224, Grant is attempting to get Jefferson to listen to Reverend Jefferson when Jefferson replies “Me, Mr. Wiggins. Me. Me to take the cross. Your cross, Nanna’s cross, my own cross. Me, Mr. Wiggins. This old stumbling nigger. Y’all axe a lot, Mr. Wiggins.” This quote illustrates to the almost Jesus like position that Jefferson is in by caring the burden of the community. This quote is connected to the hypothesis because Jefferson is basically the hope of the community by caring lesson, before, dying, community, grant, jefferson, quote, black, wiggins, page, being, because, position, mr, man, male, illustrates, hypothesis, hope, fear, cross, connected, burden, white, thought, put, dying, cycle, broken, before, y’all, without, unable, told, struggle, stay