A Lesson Before Dying: an Examination of a Prodigious Storyteller Essay

A good refreshed entertains the reviewer. An subtle fable entertains and enlightens the reader. Set in a Cajun community in the late 1940s, A Lesson forrader death is a heart-warming tale of in notwithstandingice, acceptance and redemption. A Lesson in advance Dying by Earnest J. Gaines is an excellent novel. Not only does Gaines inform the reader, he entertains will his effective storytelling. His map of symbolizationism, role and stylistic stratagems keeps the reader enticed to the very goal page. One way Gaines is an effective storyteller is his use of symbolism. The first symbol to endue itself in A Lesson sooner Dying is the fuzz. During trial for robbery and first degree murder, Jeffersons attorney attempts to get him off by dehumanizing him and denouncing his intelligence, claiming he is incapable of murder because he doesnt have a modicum of intelligence (Gaines 7). He even goes so far as to compare Jefferson to a hog Why, I would just as soon put a hog in the electric chair as this (Gaines 8).This statement drives the central conflict. The hog, a filthy animal, represents the way the sportsmanlikes treated and regarded the blacks as dirty, unintelligent and inferior animals, whose furbish up purpose was to work for them. The second symbol to appear in the novel is forage. In A Lesson Before Dying, Tante Lou uses food as a means of affection. When apply tells her he is going into town to eat, he says zilch could have hurt her more when I said I was not going to eat her food (Gaines 24). Miss Emma brings Jefferson his favourite foods while in prison, to try and comfort him and show him he is loved. When Jefferson refuses to eat, Miss Emma takes it satisfying to heart and is greatly distressed. Grant even tells Jefferson to eat for Miss Emma, to show that he loves her. In concomitant to symbolizing love, food also symbolizes Jeffersons humanity in the novel. Jefferson, taking being called a hog as a great emotional blow, refuses to e at, claiming Thats for youmans (Gaines 83).It is only when Jefferson reconnects with his humanity that he agrees to eat. The final symbol in A Lesson Before Dying is the notebook computer. After umteen attempts to reach Jeffersonfrom Grant, Miss Emma and Reverend Amborse, Grant gives him a notebook to write his thoughts in. In this notebook, Jefferson reflects upon life and death. He writes to Grant about all the injustices he has facedsaying it look like the lord just work for wite folks (Gaines 227) and the his impending fate. The notebook represents Jeffersons acceptance of his unjust life and his newfound sense of self-worth. In addition, the notebook also shows the flummox which formed between Grant and Jefferson. By writing to Grant, he finally accepted Grants guidance and showed that Grant made a difference in his short life. As seen through these examples, Gaines uses many symbols to efficaciously tell his story. The second reason Gaines is an effective story-teller, is h is utilization of voice.Most of a Lesson Before Dying is conveyed through stream of consciousness. Narrated by Grant Wiggins, much of the novel is dedicated to Grants cozy monologue What am I doing? Am I reaching them at all? They are acting exactly as the old men did earlier. They are fifty year younger, maybe more, but doing the corresponding thing those old men who never attended school a day in their lives. Is it just a vicious circle? Am I doing anything? (Gaines 62) Another way Gaines utilizes voice is through his use of Cajun dialect.Rather than having the dialogue written in proper English form, Gaines presents it exactly how the characters speak I didnt raise no hog, and I dont want no hog to go make in that chair. I want a man to set in that chair, Mr. Henri (Gaines 20). The final form of voice apply is epistolary voice. both of Chapter 29 is told through Jeffersons diary, directed to Grant, to convey Jeffersons last days on earth. For these reasons, Gaines is an eff ective storyteller because he uses eclectic and creative voice techniques to give the novel a feeling authenticity.The final technique Grant uses to effectively tell the story of A Lesson Before Dying, is stylistic devices. The first device used is repetition. For example, the first time Grant goes to visit Jefferson he remarks You make do what Im talking about, dont you? his eyes said. They were big brown eyes, the whites too reddish (Gaines 73) and then, he again says His eyes mocked me. They were big brown eyes, the whites too reddish (Gaines 74). Another device used is charactonym.The character Paul is a perfect example of Gaines use of charactonym. Being one of the first white men in the story to accept the black people, it could be said that he is so named after Paul the Apostle, who was one of the most influential early Christian missionaries (Livingstone, and Cross 1840). The final stylistic device used paradox. For example, when Grant describes Jeffersons trial, he says I was not there, yet I was there (Gaines 1). All in all, Gaines uses many efficient stylistic devices to tell his story in an effective manner.Gaines ability to effectively tell a storythrough symbolism, voice and other stylistic devices, has created a highly elating and moving read. A Lesson Before Dying is a emotional and enlightening tale that is bound to repair all those who read it.Works CitedGaines, Ernest J. A Lesson Before Dying. New York Random House, 1994. Livingstone, E. A., and F.L. Cross. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. tertiary ed, Rev. Oxford, England Oxford University Press, 2005. Print.