Join me on my reading adventure!

Books. Books. Books. Follow me if you want to learn about my favourite books surrounding the History of the Southern United States of American that will change your perspective on life forever. I post about a different book every week, so stayed tuned in! -Sarah Delazzari-

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It has come to an end :(

Hey guys! I really enjoyed discussing A Lesson Before Dying with you all this week and sharing my opinions on why it was a great read. If you decided to read it, you will agree that Ernest Gaines repeatedly proved that he is an effective storyteller through his use of symbols, imagery, character development and his interesting subplots that helped enhance the message. I hope that you all learned something about the hardship of the African American’s living in the Southern State during the 1940′s. I learned that it is vital to ignore all judgements of others and surpass their expectations. Hopefully you guys can take these lessons and incorporate them into your own lives. See you next week. :)

date: August 15, 2015

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EQUALITY

Paul is a character who is a figure of the law, however he is very friendly towards Grant and Jefferson. His character helps to lighten the mood and give a sense of possible hope to the lower class society. However at this time, a white person usually could not see a black person as their own kind. Paul would never have put his own reputation on the line in order to defend Grant or his family. This taught me about the intense racial discrimination and that it was difficult to increase ones social status. 

date: August 14, 2015

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I don't care how nice one is to you, the thing you must always remember is that almost never does he really see you as he sees himself, as he sees his own kind

Malcolm X

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Family Feud

Oh no! Jefferson and Grant did NOT get along. Grant was being forced to go see Jefferson and therefore resented him. However both men started learning lessons from each other and they both learned their own self worth. The resolution of this feud taught me not to judge others from initial experiences and that it is possible to change my views of myself and others. 

date: August 13, 2015

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Characters

Now that you know something about the story, I think it is time to get to know the characters. These characters develop throughout the story in order for Gaines to effectively portray his intended messages and themes. 

Grant - The Teacher 

Grant learns how to be more accepting of others. At the beginning, he was very pessimistic and did not believe Jefferson would be able to die with pride. However at the end of the story he says, “My eyes were closed before this moment, Jefferson. My eyes have been closed all my life. Yes we all need you.” His character learned how to see the positives of every situation. In parallel, this effectively taught me that it is possible to change and overcome stereotypes. 

Jefferson - The Student

Jefferson learns how to die with prideful man. He initially believes that he is a hog and has no self worth. However by the end of the story he says, “Good by mr wigin tell them im strong tell them im a man”. Gaines created many parallels between Jesus Christ and Jefferson because they both died near Easter as innocent with something to prove. This association allowed me to make connections between Jefferson and the well-known story of Jesus’ crucifixion. 

Sheriff Guirdy - The Antagonist 

In the beginning, the Sheriff believed that all black people must conform to their stereotypes. However by the end of the novel he learned that Grant was not the push over teacher and Jefferson was not the idiotic criminal. This effectively taught me that is is possible to change the views of an outside authoritarian. 

The character developments taught me the importance of many traits such as persistence, positivity and acceptance. 

date: August 12, 2015

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Can YOU see it?

Gaines does not stop at symbolism! He also uses detailed imagery of the courtroom to portray his message of segregation and racism.

All White Jury

Gaines describes the courtroom as a very divided space. Black people on one side, white people on the other. Jefferson was convicted by a white judge and a jury of twelve white men. Gaines describes this in detail for the purpose of showing the segregation in the town.

Railing

The courtroom also uses the railings to describe how Jefferson was isolated form the rest of the community in not just a social way, but in a physical way as well. Jefferson is described to be on the other side of the railing, away from the rest of the community.

The description of the courtroom shows that white people held all the power in the places of the law and society as a whole.

date: August 11, 2015

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The Hog

In the story, Jefferson’s attorney tried to defend him by saying “Justice , gentlemen? Why, I would just as soon put a hog in the electric chair”. The defence attorney compared Jefferson to a hog that would be too foolish to murder anyone. This comparison really helped to see how the white people saw the African Americans.  

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The Food

In this culture, food was seen as something more than nourishment. At the beginning of the story, Jefferson refused to eat Miss Emma’s homemade meals because he did not think he deserved good food. However, as he learned to live with pride, he began to eat more and more of her food. The consumption of food revealed Jefferson’s character development to me throughout the story.

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What It’s All About

I found this book very well written because Gaines is effective in sharing his life stories because of his use of symbolism, imagery, showing the reader what the characters learn and the interesting subplots that are used to convey the themes and messages. 

This story takes place in Bayonne, Louisiana during the late 1940′s. 

It is about a black man named Jefferson who is falsely accused of first degree murder and sentenced to death. During his prosecution, his aunt, Tante Lou and her friend Miss Emma are appalled by the degrading words said about him and wish to ensure that Jefferson dies with pride. 

Miss Emma forces Grant, her educated grandson to teach Jefferson how to be a man. However, Grant faces many internal conflicts because he believes he has never truly lived. As the story progresses, Grant and Jefferson learn important lessons from each other. 

date: August 11, 2015

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A little sneak peak of the movie version! :) 

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A Lesson Before Dying = Must Read

Hey guys! As promised I will be talking about an intriguing book this week called “A Lesson Before Dying”. The author, Ernest Gaines is an African-American who was born in 1933 in Louisiana. During his life, he encountered many racial barriers and he was forced to work extremely hard to get where he is today. He has become a legendary author due to his ability to turn his life experiences into literature that people of all cultures, races and economic class can appreciate. This book will teach you the importance of determination and persistence to overcome any barriers. 

date: August 10, 2015

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Book of the Week

Hey everyone! So this week I am going to be talking about the novel, “A lesson before Dying” by Ernest J. Gaines. Now, I bet that you are guessing it is about someone who learns a lesson before they die. This may be the case, but there is so much more packed into this short novel. He is an extremely effective storyteller, so this week I will be giving you countless reasons on why you should read it! 

date: August 10, 2015