FREE ESSAY ON A LESSON BEFORE DYING

A LESSON BEFORE DYING

The Right to Be Free
In the novel A Lesson Before Dying, although Grant is an educated black man in the era of
a racist society he has struggles greater than most men of his decent. I feel sorry for
him because of his limitations, even though I view him as a coward. He cannot break free
of his background and family. The three main female characters in the novel, Tante Lou,
Miss Emma, and Vivian, restrict and limit Grant's choices. Grant realizes that freedom
means leaving his small town and creating a new life, yet each woman holds a chain that
keeps him from his destiny and the right to be free.
First, Tante Lou, his aunt holds Grant from his dreams by refusing to let him go his own
way. Tante Lou wants Grant to stay at home with her and take care of her. But, in the
time the novel takes place, it wasn't common for young men stay with their elders and
help out, especially when Grant has a college degree and can accomplish so much. Tante
Lou took advantage of this in any means necessary, using the fact that Grant is family
and in essence owes it to her to stay and help out. We can see this on page 14 when Tante
Lou forces Grant to talk to Mr. Henri about seeing Jefferson. You are going up there with
us Grant, or you will not sleep in this house tonight. Tante Lou denies
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Grant choices that men his age have. 
Next, Miss Emma, who doesn't have a family relation to Grant, also restricts his choices
in life. Miss Emma plays an important role in the novel by being Jefferson's godmother,
and in a painstaking situation. She asks Grant in a way that gives him no real choices to
teach Jefferson to be a man. Leaning on her ability to persuade, and using her power as
an extensive friend to Tante Lou she can basically tell Grant what to do and gets away
with it. She knew Grant did not want to go and teach Jefferson, but still went ahead with
it. Driving along the St. Charles River I could feel Emma not looking at me, not looking
at anything..just thinking. Like my Aunt she knew how much I hated all of this.(p.68)
Miss Emma therefore forces Grant to do matters that she wants, not what Grant thinks he
is capable of doing.
Thirdly, Vivian, the love of his life, is also limiting Grant's ability to make decisions
based strictly on his own intent. She understands Grant's need to leave and see new
things, but has restrictions in her life that will not allow her to help Grant begin a
new existence. Vivian is in the middle of a drawn out divorce and needs to see it through
so she can maintain custody of her children. We see an example of this on page 93. Let's
go somewhere and spend the night. Baton Rouge, New Orleans- anywhere, Grant asks. I
can't, My Babies. This sentence alone describes the turmoil she is going through with her
own threatening aspects and how it effects Grant's choices. 
I think the book is an intriguing novel and surfaced important issues dealt with in
society. Religion, racism, and many other articles of today are just a few. But, Grant is
a complex character and can be depicted thoroughly. His education holds him to a new 
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standard not expected of people back then, but withholds him from reaching his dreams. He
cannot find what he is looking for in this small town that A Lesson Before Dying takes
place in. I feel sorry for him until Jefferson teaches him other factors involved to
being a real and distinct kind of man. He evolves dramatically. But, his need to be free
is still restrained by Tante