A Hero Within

Everywhere you turn corporation today square upms to be keen on portraying Afri fucking Americans as a scapegoat to color societal issues and inadequacies. Ernest Gaines exemplifies this imagination in the novel A Lesson Before Dying in which a young black man, Jefferson, is sentenced to trial and execution for what can be considered a wrong place and wrong magazine incident. pass on, who is an educator in the connection, plays the role of a cynic and buffer between Jefferson and the rest of the community.He begins this novel as a somewhat worn out ex nonpargonilrate husk of what his climb potential can richly allow. In a society that is dominated by white race in a post slavery pro-racist world very few opportunities present themselves for African Americans, such as Jefferson or duty assign custodyt, that allow for crop and fulfilment of ones existence. As the novel progresses Gaines provides the right elements to allow for self-fulfillment and growth for twain characte rs that lead to life changing epiphanies and ultimately allow for a hero figure to explicate.Although almost opposite in composition twain Jefferson and countenance lack elements that allow them to feel whole and truly live. As item-by-items both struggle to live in a world that seeks to beat causing all(prenominal) to barely live, but through their combined experiences and share struggles, each are able to break the chains of oppression and rise to their ultimate potential. Grant begins the novel feeling distanced from the other members of the black community while at the same time feeling intrinsically butt on to them.He feels pressured to conform to a society in which white people are superior and give little to no privilege to blacks. This psyche is furthered as Dr. Joseph visits Grants school and compliments his students mentioning that they are a good crop, insinuating that the black students are subhuman or objects for a slave type of work. Although Grants inadequaci es leave him feeling conflicted, hollow, and befuddled to do anything but run away, he often remembers the pride and fervency surrounding black heroes such as Jackie Robinson and Joe Louis as they stood up to the white men and society.A hero as seen through Grants eyes is a man who does something that other men do not do or cannot do. Although Grant considers he is not a hero, he believes that Jefferson can embody the base of a hero and that he can stand up to defy the white people proving that African Americans are human too. Grant continues by explaining to Jefferson while crying that he (Grant) necessitate him (Jefferson) more than Jefferson needs him. The crying and showing f helplessness attach the first transition for Grant towards the hero he can decease and shows the characters prescribed growth. This transition in any case marks where the individual struggles between Jefferson and Grant end and unification towards the embodiment of heroism begins Grant continues to embody the idea of a hero and show character overture while drinking at the Rainbow Club by standing up for Jefferson, when it would have been much easier to ignore the situation and derogatory comments.Grants passion and inability to sit corroborate while the mulatto bricklayers demean the idea of Jefferson promotes the hero within, by standing up for the weak and doing something when others would not. Even though a fight breaks out and Grant is knocked unconscious, it is still another confident(p) step towards the inner fulfillment he desperately needs. Grant also embodies a non-traditional hero in the sense that he keeps his loved ones, Vivian, at arms length at all times.This typically is make to protect the loved ones from impending harm however this differs because in this slip it stems from his own inadequacies and lack of conviction in himself. Although Grant lacks the ability to see his true inner potential, others such as Tante Lou have shown positive rise and ultim ately given everything in the belief that Grant can be great. In this instance Tante Lou has kept hidden the fact that she works unbelievably long hours and works her fingers to the bone, just to send Grant to college.These outside positive factors have helped pave the racewayway so that one day Grant can find his inner hero and live up to his full potential. Another strategic transition into Grants heroic path is the belief in himself which stems from an important connection with Jefferson whom he felt provided an idea he lacked, wholeness. Grant explained to Jefferson that he felt lost and needed Jefferson to believe in something so that someday he (Grant) can look to Jefferson as an example and start believing in himself.Through Jefferson, Grant has wise to(p) to stop hiding behind his own fear and inadequacies. This marks the modify in status for both men as Jefferson for the first time exemplifies strength, which is shown in his posture and offer to provide Jefferson food. Grant steps back from a teaching role and exemplifies a student role in which he feels inadequate, realizing that perhaps his opinions and cynic views on life have been wrong. This is an important point in the book because it marks the final transition into the fulfillment of both mens existence. At this point he ref has seen both characters come full circle and grow from empty husks into in depth complex people, both of which can be considered as heroes. On Jeffersons last night Jefferson apologizes to Grant for crying when he cognize that Grant would not be at the execution, stating that nobody had ever been as good to him as Grant had been during his incarceration. This kindness shown by Grant at a time again exemplifies the hero role as doing something that other men do not do in this case it was treating Jefferson as a man, a human, and as an equal.Finally Jeffersons diary shows how Jefferson has grown into his potential and indicates that his opinion is placed not in God but in his knowledge with Grant. His finding of faith is the last part needed by Grant, to fully believe in himself and become the man Tante Lou and everyone else knows he can become. Although both individuals started on a path of isolation, cynicism and were shown as empty husks of their true potential, they each found fulfillment and growth.Even though it was unintentional both Jefferson and Grant grew from the experiences provided by the other and were finally able to break the chains property them back to fulfill their potential as heroes. Upon the epiphanies that each had based on the others actions and conversations, both characters were able to grow and accomplish what individually they could not. Even though in the end Jefferson was still put to death, this book shows that two men who have nothing in common can create something so great that it shakes the very foundation on which they are built. This can devote to present day society as well as to society in the past.