Segregation and Racial Identity
Ernest J Gaines, in his book, “A lesson before dying” drives home the points of racism, injustice, and salvation. This book analyzes the continued injustice that happens in the face of racism. This paper describes how the various parts of Bayonne are divided along racial lines, examines the relationship between segregation and racial identity through the analysis of the characters. Additionally, it analyzes the setting of the novel, connection of the setting to its themes, and how the role played by segregation to determine some of the critical outcomes in the book.
The whole novel explores the concept of racism as brought out by different occurrences. At the start of the book, the main character –Grant Wiggins, is asked to visit Jefferson by Jefferson’s godmother in prison. However, he has to go through Henri since he is the man who can make it all happen. When Grant visits Henri’s house, he enters through the backdoor. This practice was common during slavery, where black men were not allowed to enter the house using the front door. Due to his race, Grant is not welcome in the house, and the meeting only takes place in the kitchen to show where he belongs, according to the society.
Additionally, when Grant first visits, he is asked to come back in a week. When he visits again, he is made to wait for almost three hours. This is Henri’s way of reminding Grant of his place and that his time as a black man is worthless.
In court, Jefferson’s lawyer uses racial identity as his defense strategy. He argues that Jefferson is innocent because, just like any other black, he does not have the intelligence to plan a murder and execute it. He supports his statement by saying that black men are only meant to obey orders and do not make them themselves. Additionally, all the judges in court are white, showing the position of a black man in the society as unworthy and who cannot participate in significant decisions. At school, when the superintendent, Dr. Joseph visits Grant requests that the facility needs more supplies, such as books. However, due to the injustice of segregation, Dr. Joseph does not grant him the offer. He does not even address Grant using his correct name. Dr. Joseph shows that he is not concerned about the welfare of the schools, its teachers, and also students.
Lastly, Jefferson is about to convicted and executed for a crime that he did not do. This shows how American society has infiltrated and by injustice and racialism. Additionally, the citizens are made to what while they liberty and justice for all. This action is ironic since they are pledging allegiance to a country that is continually discriminating against them to the point of killing them.
The novel is set in Louisiana during the 1940s before civic rights. The town’s population is characterized by half while and half black, where the latter struggle from racial segregation and bias against them. Black men are convicted for the wrongs they did not commit, while people are governed by few regulations on how to treat black men. This setting brings out the main themes of this book, injustice and racial segregation against the black. Louisiana was based on catholic religion, where the whites and the black practiced different kinds of Catholics. Black Catholics differed significantly from white Catholics. The Catholic Church for the black was not only a place for worship but also a place where they could identify their political, social, and economic issues. Additionally, Grant and people from his community continue working in the plantations where their ancestor’s worked. It shows that black is still being exploited despite the abolishment of slavery.
Gaines depicts Jim Crow South in his books. Jim era saw the existence of laws and regulations that encouraged the division of social amenities between the blacks and the whites. For example, Blacks and whites did not attend the same schools. Additionally, blacks were victimized for performing normal behaviors. Segregation has played an essential role in identifying the major themes of the novel. Setting the story on Jim Crow’s era not only points out the themes of racism and degraded prejudice but also shows the concepts of love and humanity, as demonstrated by Grant in his pursuit of justice and community values.
Work Cited
Gaines, Ernest J. A Lesson before Dying: A Novel. Vintage, 2004.