Quote #5 - A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines

July 10, 2011

Page 122

"He didn't look at her with hate, as he had the reverend, but there was no pity either, my aunt said. He didn't show any feeling at all."

-How Jefferson acted to Miss Emma, Reverend Ambrose, and Aunt Lou

Jefferson is appearing to shut down his emotions, and feelings toward others, in an attempt in make his death easier to handle. And that seems pretty logical. Think about it, if you know you're about to die would you want your parents crying over you, mourning your death forever, or resenting you and relieved to be rid of you? I think Jefferson is trying to be selfless. But he's being selfish too. He's a interesting oxymoron right now, being selfishly selfless. He wants to make things easier on others, yes, but also on himself. If he convinces himself not to care, then maybe he wont. Miss Emma or the Reverend won't be the ones to pull him out of that state of mind either, because they are the reason he's doing it. It makes sense that Grant, who he has no emotional connect to, has to be the one to make him see the light.

Interesting how differently he handles things from Grant, yet how they are similar. Grant doesn't feel emotions unless he has a tie to something physical. And now Jefferson's biggest enemy is his emotions. Maybe Grant can teach Jefferson how to not feel things so strongly. Or maybe the reverse will happen and Jefferson will teach Grant how to feel things without having to have physical attachment to place the feelings. They are defiantly opposites in the way the think and feel, which is why it makes sense that Jefferson would be a foil to Grant. Jefferson's way of thinking is different from Grant's, and Jefferson's emotional personality highlights how little Grant really feels towards other people. And just by Jefferson showing hate toward the Reverend, when Grant shows indifference shows just how different these men are on an emotional level.

But why would he have hate in his eyes for the reverend? The reverend is a man of God, therefore can be seen as a symbol of God and Heaven. I think Jefferson may see him as meaning the end. Reverends are always at executions to pray for the condemned. I can see how Jefferson might think that whenever he sees the Reverend, it might be because it's time for his death. That would explain his anger toward him.