Group Project: A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines
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The Right of Education, The Seed of Freedom; design 198 |
The founding of fathers encouraged and established the idea of the first amendment. The first amendment includes "freedom of speech [which] is the right to express opinions and ideas without interference" (Freedom of Speech). However, censorship is also a right that is supported under the first amendment. For instance, throughout history there has been books challenged or banned in the literature realm, because content in these books may be found offensive or harmful to its readers. Specifically, A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines is a novel that is constantly challenged due to it's content. This book has been banned, challenged and criticized for it's violence, harmful language and sexual content. When a book is found harmful to students in schools; many board members of the school and parents will debate if the book should be allowed. This is censorship. "Censorship is the suppression or proscription of speech or writing that is deemed obscene, indecent, or unduly controversial" (Censorship). The challenging and banning of books censors students from reading and learning from literature material. Well what about the student's first amendment rights?
"Students’ First Amendment rights were affirmed by the landmark Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, 393 U.S. 503, 89 S. Ct. 733, 21 L. Ed. 2d 731 (1969), which ruled that public school students could not be penalized for wearing symbols, such as black armbands, to protest the VIETNAM WAR ."
Although students do have first amendment rights, the rights may "sometimes clash with schools’ interest in maintaining control of public education" and when a book is deemed inappropriate or harmful the school may result in taking it off the shelf. Since, A Lesson Before Dying was found controversial, obscene and indecent students were not allowed access to read it. As the novel begins it tells the story of how Jefferson ended up receiving a death sentence. The violence of Alcee Gropé, Brother and Bear led to a shootout which left all three dying. The murder seen caused Jefferson to be convicted of the robbery and murder of a white man, and sentenced to death by electrocution. The gun violence and murder is enough content to cause a book to be challenged and banned.
Throughout the book, one of the ongoing themes is death, and the reader is constantly reminded that Jefferson will soon face death by electrocution. Not only does the book have violence, but it contains harsh language as well. During the conversation Grant has with his former teacher, Matthew Antoine, vulgar and harsh language takes place. Grant recalls that Antoine once told his students “they would die violently” because his black students would never end the cycle of oppression and ignorance (Chapter 8). As he talks with Grant he uses the racist slur, as he states “Just go on and be the nigger you were born to be” (Chapter 8). The N word is extremely controversial, and Gaines does not hold back throughout the story. He constantly reminds the readers of the devastating racial violence, prejudice and racism that Grant and many characters face during this time in Louisiana. Lastly, the book contains sexual content that caused many people to challenge this book in schools. Grant and Vivian’s romantic relationship is very affectionate and can be passionate in moments throughout the book. During chapter 14, Grant “touched her brown nipples with [his] finger” and continued to “pass his tongue over each” and “rub [his] chin all over” Vivian’s breasts. This type of sexual content was alarming for many parents, which encouraged parents and board members to remove this book off the shelves, away from students.
However, "the Supreme Court [eventually] ruled that it is unconstitutional for public school boards to abridge students’ First Amendment rights by banning books. Although school boards have the power to determine which books should sit on library shelves, they do not have the authority to censor" (censorship). Students should have the right to access and learn from any book they choose. As time passed, A Lesson Before Dying was "unbanned" and is challenged less because our society benefited from the novel. Students were able to read and understand black history struggles in America, and because of this the readers can be more mindful, and see from different points of view of the oppressed vs. the privileged through Grant's and Jefferson's experiences.
SHOULD A LESSON BEFORE DYING BE BANNED? IS THERE "BANNED" WORTHY CONTENT?
The book, A Lesson Before Dying is a powerful novel that illustrates the inequality of black people of color during the late 1940’s specifically in the south. The novel is written with simplicity yet conveys a very complex meaning. To ban this book would be a great disservice to those who wish to read it, as it teaches a valuable lesson of transformation and dealing with racial injustice.
The main character Grant, as well as supporting character Jefferson are both struggling with an internal conflict. Grant is a burnt-out schoolteacher contemplating running away as he does not wish to conform to the racist ideology his hometown is still hanging on to. Grant starts the story with a pessimistic outlook, believing there is no room for change within himself or the community. He is bitter and unhappy and often takes his anger out physically on the students he teaches. Similarly, Jefferson is wrongfully convicted of murder, and is dehumanized during his trial by his defense attorney and internalizes the racist insults against him. Because of this, Jefferson falls into a deep depression. Throughout the novel Jefferson struggles with his identity as he learns to accept his inevitable death. Both men feel as though their outcomes were predetermined given their race and the biased society they belong to. When Grant is given the task of teaching Jefferson, he continues to project his cynical attitude as he tells miss Emma, “Yes, I’m the teacher…and I teach what the white folks around here tell me to teach—reading, writing, and ’rithmetic. They never told me how to keep a black boy out of a liquor store” (Gaines 13). This quote illustrates his lack of faith within himself, and his inability to impact both Jefferson and the school children. Overtime, Grant builds a relationship with Jefferson. Their relationship teaches Grant that through determination he can be a great teacher and friend. His success with Jefferson leads Grant to finally break free from his negativity, and in return Grant convinces Jefferson to die as a man, standing up to the racial injustice of the town and dying a martyr to the community. The book demonstrates that through persistence and hope, change and growth is obtainable, a valuable lesson that should not be taken away from readers due to censorship.
Another valuable take-away from Ernest Gaines’ novel, A Lesson Before Dying is the author’s ability to draw a parallel between the pre-civil rights era and slavery. Although it appears that black Americans of Bayonne have been granted many rights their slave ancestors were not given, they are still treated as second class citizens and the justice system is rigged heavily against them. The first chapter describes the courtroom of Jefferson’s trial, introducing the judge, jury and attorney as all white men. It is evident that regardless of Jefferson’s right to a court appointed attorney, the trial was heavily biased. Jefferson was not judged by his peers but by his oppressors, which ultimately lead to his false conviction and death by execution.
Ernest Gaines pulls the reader to feel the pain, and grief the black folks in this city will feel when Emma sings Were You There When They Crucified My Lord in church. Although this song provides emotional appeal, but it also symbolizes Jefferson's wrongful death.
Were You There When They Crucified My Lord
Furthermore, black children in the town now have the ability to attend school, however, their school year is cut short due to having to work in the fields to help support their families. This enforces the idea that black families in town are poverty stricken in comparison to the white families. A shorter school year exemplifies the inferior quality of education between black and white schools. The reader is able to witness racism similar to slavery in the book, when the school board’s superintendent pays a visit to Grant’s school. The superintendent inspects the children’s teeth and hands and refers to them as an “Excellent crop” (Gaines 56). Jefferson correlates this to a lesson he learned at the university that often times “Slave owners had done the same inspections when buying new slaves, and I had read of cattleman doing it when purchasing horses and cattle” (Gaines 56). This example repeats the idea of dehumanization the reader witnessed earlier in the novel when Jefferson is equated to a hog by his lawyer. Lastly, though slavery had been eliminated, many of the black townspeople continue to work jobs of servitude, getting paid less than white people and having to abide by the same racist customs of the past. The novel exemplifies this when Grant, Miss Emma and Tante Lou visit the Pinchot plantation. They must enter through the back door of the home which is symbolic to when slaves were unable to approach or enter a white person’s home. To ban this book, would ban readers the opportunity to experience what life must have been like for black people during this time period. The book teaches the reader an important lesson about facing adversity and dealing racial injustice, thus should not be banned.
Despite the book’s ability to teach its readers a few beneficial life lessons, there are a few reasons this book should be taken off the shelf. The book A Lesson Before Dying should be banned due to its depiction of people of color as subhuman and its use of sexually explicit content.
Although the author chose to include instances of dehumanization of black people in order to illustrate the unfair treatment of black citizens during the time period, some of the language chosen in the first chapter can be damaging to many young black readers. When Jefferson’s lawyer defends his case by saying “Do look at the shape of his skull, this face as flat as the palm of my hand—Look deeply into those eyes. Do you see a modicum of intelligence? …This skull here holds no plans” (Gaines 7), he beats Jefferson down in order to appeal to his racist all-white Jury. The attorney further degrades him when comparing him to farming equipment stating, “What you see here is a thing that acts on command, the thing to hold a handle of a plow, a thing to load your bales of cotton, a thing to chop your wood” (Gaines 8). In the story, Jefferson internalizes all of these insults and submits to the idea that he is subhuman. if it had such a negative effect on Jefferson’s character, is it too farfetched to believe that a person of color reading the story could internalize this derogatory message as well? Due to the negative impact it could cause to some readers, banning the book is not an unreasonable solution.
In addition, the author included some sexually explicit content that may be unsuitable for some readers. There is a sex scene involving the protagonist, Grant and his girlfriend Vivian where they share an intimate moment in a field. Arguably, if this scene was omitted, it would not alter the quality of the overall message the book conveys, making it unnecessary smut. The passage in question is as follows, “She had moved farther down the rows where the sugarcane would hide us better, she had taken everything off except her bra and slip.” Once they are both undressed, Grant continues on describing their experience, “I lay on my side and touched her brown nipples, I leaned over and kissed each tenderly” (Gaines 108). This scene exposes younger readers to inappropriate sexual content and is another great reason it should not be available for all to read.
Additional Banned Literature:
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a coming-of-age novel inspired from events from Author, Sherman Alexie’s own childhood. Its main themes are overcoming adversity and finding one’s sense of belonging. Two themes that can be highly beneficial to young adult readers, however, this book has been challenged numerous times as its critics believe it included too much sexual content due to the main character's reference to masturbation.
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is another highly challenged novel due to its inclusion of derogatory terminology. The use of the word N****r is seen over a hundred times in its original publication. The author Mark Twain used the term for its historical context in order to convey the racism of the time period. The harsh language was so bad that, according to the New York Times, the novel has since been rewritten by “English professor, Alan Gribben of Auburn University in Alabama, the new version replaces the N-word with “slave” (Kakutani). This was done in an attempt to make the novel more appealing to school teachers but is also a form of censorship of the original work.
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher is another frequently challenged book amongst many school libraries. The book is about a young teenager’s struggle with alienation and bullying. People argue that the book is too intense for young minds as it addresses rape and self-harm. The novel is mostly challenged by elementary and middle schools as many feel students that young are not ready to digest the content.
Accessed 7 July 2021.Williams, Arch; Ochoa, Jose Antonio; Senna, Anthony; Tucker, Jo; Brown, Selma; Stevens, Leo Frances. The Right of Education, The Seed of Freedom; design. 1987. Artstor, library-artstor-org.libproxy.gc.maricopa.edu/asset/DRESCHER_10311270594
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"Censorship." Gale Encyclopedia of American Law, edited by Donna Batten, 3rd ed., vol. 2, Gale, 2010, pp. 295-302. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX1337700762/OVIC?u=mcc_glendale&sid=bookmark- OVIC&xid=af0c4644.
Check out a banned book!. 2013. Artstor, library-artstor- org.libproxy.gc.maricopa.edu/asset/SS36904_36904_35823626
Ernest J. Gaines. A Lesson Before Dying. New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 1993.
"Freedom of Speech." Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2021. Gale In Context: OpposingViewpoints,link.gale.com/apps/doc/PC3010999011/OVICu=mcc_glendale&sid=bookmark- OVIC&xid=6311f84a. Accessed 7July 2021.
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