A Lesson Before Dying: Character Analysis

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Champion is defined as a person who fights or argues for a cause or on behalf of someone else, and in this case, the cause is to change the societal norms. The novel, A Lesson Before Dying, is set in Segregated Louisiana in the 1940s. One of the main characters, Jefferson, is sentenced to death after being wrongly accused of murder. The book revolves around how psychological effect of racism and accepting death; the novel has a common theme of cynicism, hopelessness, and triumph. Some people state that Jefferson was a true champion of change because of his martyrdom, however, he was unsuccessful because he did not change his own outcome or the outcome of his community. In order to be a true champion of change, one must not only be successful in changing oneself but must be successful in altering the community to be a true champion. Necessary attributes of being a champion change include bravery, the will to take risks, perseverance, self-motivation, and the intent of not only changing oneself but also the community as a whole. A quantifying characteristic of a champion of change would be if the person or event led to permanent change or was a catalyst for a movement.
In A Lesson Before Dying, Jefferson …show more content…
Jefferson is not brave, self-motivated, determined, or produce a change in the community, and changing his attitude or his martyrdom is not enough to crown his a true champion of change. Most people when reading this book only see that Jefferson changed, therefore they assume he is a champion of change, but when reading other perspectives it clear that there are multiple meanings. Some meanings are happier depending on how you interpret it and other meanings can be more cynical and pessimistic, but it is important to know both to broaden your understanding of the

A Lesson Before Dying Character Analysis

to be here. You are a nobody. Hearing those phrases may cause one to bring themselves down or, more positively, to be resilient. Can being resilient from a terrible event make you a hero though to either yourself or others? In the novel, A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest J. Gaines, Grant Wiggins comes around to what and who a hero really is because of an innocent man behind bars named, Jefferson. Mr Wiggins is able to alter Jefferson’s mind about what he truly is, a “hog” or a man. Through fearless…

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