The protagonist of the novel, Grant is the son of cane-cutters who labored on a Louisiana plantation. He grows up working in a menial job, but makes his escape and goes to college. He returns to his hometown a secular, educated man, distanced from his downtrodden black community.
What is Grant’s role in the community in a Lesson Before Dying?
Who Is Grant? Grant Wiggins is a teacher who is frustrated with his work. He left Louisiana, went to the university, and came back to teach and give back to the community, but in his heart, he feels as though he is fighting three hundred years of the effects of slavery, and it will never change.
Is Grant related to Jefferson in A Lesson Before Dying?
Further, although Grant and Jefferson are not blood relatives, they are connected through their common experiences as black males. Although physically free, Grant lives in a mental prison of his own making created by his hatred of whites, his arrogance, and his detachment from the black community.
Who is Grant’s mentor in A Lesson Before Dying?
Jefferson. Even though Jefferson doesn’t say much at first, he is the one who really teaches Grant the lesson in this novel. Jefferson is up against an inescapable and unfair situation—just like almost everyone in the quarter, just on a much more dramatic level.
How does Henri Pichot treat Grant?
Pichot asks Grant what he expects to do, and Grant responds truthfully that he does not know. Grant carefully avoids being disrespectful, making sure to lower his eyes when necessary. After some cajoling, Pichot agrees to speak to his brother-in-law.
Why did Matthew Antoine hate Grant?
The Creole man who taught Grant when Grant was a child, Matthew Antoine is a bitter, remorseful man who secretly despises Grant for daring to believe that he could use education to better himself.
How does Grant feel about Dr Joseph?
While Grant despises Dr. Joseph for believing that black children should grow up to work on white plantations, Grant observes that the two men who bring the wood to the school truly enjoy themselves while performing their work. He also sees how much the children enjoy physical labor, chopping and sawing the wood.
Is Bayonne Louisiana a real place?
Bayonne is an actual city in France, but also the fictional Louisiana town where the generation is set before the Civil Rights movement in the South, depicted in the novel.
Why does grant leave Bayonne?
Professor Antoine told him he should leave Bayonne for good, and Grant tried visiting his parents in California. Nevertheless, he returned to Bayonne to teach, where he cannot escape the influence of the black church. He says that he is “running in place, unable to accept what used to be my life, unable to leave it.”
What does the superintendent Dr Joseph of Grant’s school continue to call him?
Higgins
When Dr. Joseph finally does show up he calls Grant “Higgins” instead of “Wiggins” and doesn’t seem to care that he’s got it wrong. Dr. Joseph calls kids up one by one and checks their hands for cleanliness and tests them on school subjects.
How does Grant Change Jefferson?
Through the simple act of believing—and telling Jefferson of his belief—Grant changes Jefferson’s life. He encourages Jefferson not just to believe in himself, but also to conceive of himself as a man more important than any man to live in their town.
Who is Matthew Antoine?
Matthew Antoine (born April 2, 1985) is an American skeleton racer who has competed since 2003. Antoine graduated from the California University of Pennsylvania in 2009 with a degree in sports management, wellness and fitness.
What was Grant’s relationship with Matthew Antoine the former teacher?
Just do the best you can. But it won’t matter. Matthew Antoine, Grant’s primary school teacher, was a defeated, bitter man whose attitude affected Grant’s perception of Southern society. In Chapter 8, Grant recalls visiting Antoine on his deathbed and hearing him say these words.
Why does Grant’s teacher feel superior to him?
It was here that Antoine revealed that he was Creole. He tells Grant that he is superior to him, because he has more white blood in his body. He predicts that Grant will stay in his plantation community for the rest of his life, trying to help his Black students.
What does Wiggins ask for that irritates the superintendent?
Vivian and her car. What does Wiggins ask for that irritates the superintendent? A raise.
What does Vivian reveal to grant at the end of Chapter 12?
The fact that the whole school is suspicious of their relationship, and that Vivian proudly accepts and announces that they suspect it, indicates that she foresees their ultimate union with one another. Her comment here at the end of Chapter 12 shows that she enjoys the thought of living with Grant in the South.
What is the tie between Miss Emma and Henri Pichot How does this tie figure into the ladies scheme?
What is the tie between Miss Emma and Henri Pichot? How does this tie figure in to the ladies’ scheme? Miss Emma worked for Pichot on his plantation in his house; she wanted to ask him a favor since she’s done so much for him and his family.
