Common Enemy to All Mankind of Color

Erika Camacho

PAS 113B

D.A. Broadous

25 April 2012

                                                Common Enemy to All Mankind of Color

The novel, A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest J. Gaines is a work of fiction set in the fictional town of Bayonne, Louisiana in late 1940’s. Gaines tells a powerful story of a young uneducated African American man, Jefferson, who is falsely accused of a crime he did not commit and is sentenced on death row. Throughout the novel Gaines introduces Grant Wiggins, a delusional black teacher, who tries assisting Jefferson in transforming him into a man and not a beast of burden as the white community perceived him as. He reveals that both men build a strong connection that alters each individual’s life throughout the book, which later teaches each a valuable lesson about human dignity and heroism. Gaines is influenced to write this novel due to his childhood life experiences in the rural South. In the beginning of the book it states that Ernest J. Gaines is raised on a plantation in Pointe Coupee Parish, near New Roads, Louisiana, which is Bayonne where the novel takes place.

 In A Lesson Before Dying, Ernest Gaines portrays the concept of social injustice throughout the novel. The dictionary defines social injustice as “the distribution of disadvantages such as the unfair treatment within a society.” Jefferson is a victim of the disadvantages that social injustice brings through the oppressive society African Americans are struck down by. The attorney is supposed to defend his client. However, Jefferson’s attorney is the perpetrator because he couldn’t care less and dehumanizes Jefferson instead of defending him. Jefferson’s attorney symbolizes the concept of social injustice because he assumes that Jefferson is dumb, he “defends” him by taking away his dignity, and convicts him for the crime because of the color of his skin.

The attorney symbolizes social injustice in the way that he assumes Jefferson is dumb because of the color of his skin. Since the 1940’s-1950’s was an era of social injustice many of the white society, such as Jefferson’s attorney, believed that the majority of African Americans were nothing but stupid and weak. In the novel, A Lesson Before Dying, Gaines demonstrates several scenes of how the attorney assuredly assumes that Jefferson is dumb because of his color. One of the first scenes in the novel is the setting of the courtroom where there were twelve white men including the jury who waited for the case to begin. This signifies that the white ruling community is in control of the legal system in society. In this scene of the court, Jefferson is falsely accused of a horrible crime he did not commit and is sentenced to death of electrocution. Jefferson’s attorney tells the twelve white men in the courtroom, “Jefferson was innocent of all charges except being at the wrong place at the wrong time” (Gaines 7). However, the twelve white men in the courtroom did not find the attorneys statement to be true, because the jury and the other white men characterized Jefferson as a dumb black criminal.  As the trial continues the attorney defends him by telling the jury, “He took the money out of hunger and plain stupidity” (Gaines 7). Therefore suggesting that the attorney believes that Jefferson is just simply stupid, who doesn’t know any better than being at the wrong place at the wrong time. 

Furthermore, as the attorney begins to defend Jefferson, he knows that his client is nothing but a fool. The attorney says, “A fool got into that automobile, a fool rode to the grocery store, a fool stood by and watched this happen, not having the sense to run” (Gaines 7). The attorney just defends Jefferson by letting the individuals in the court know that Jefferson is simply innocent but a fool who lacks common sense .The attorney makes it clear that Jefferson knows nothing better than being a black unskilled farmer and laborer who acts on commands.  The attorney tells that Jefferson is “A thing to hold the handle of a plow, anything to load your bales of cotton, a thing to dig your ditches, to chop your wood, to pull your corn” (Gaines 8). The attorney implies that it is impossible for an uneducated black male to plan a robbery or murder.  The attorney defends his client Jefferson in the way that a prejudiced society sees African Americans as unintelligent. Another example, that the attorney assumes Jefferson is dumb is when he questions Jefferson’s intelligence. The attorney states, “He does not even know the size of his clothes or shoes. Ask him to name the months of the year” (Gaines 8). This is a perfect example in how Jefferson’s attorney sees Jefferson as a really dumb black individual, who can’t even answer the simplest questions because he lacks an education. This clearly shows that the attorney does not show any sympathy or any respect for Jefferson’s intelligence.

 African Americans have struggled against racial stereotypes for centuries. The struggle dates back to Colonial American slave trade where the white slaveholding class viewed blacks as animals and inferior to whites.  According to Barbara C. Bigelow, the system of slavery viewed by whites was the only way to control a wild, pagan race. This supports the example of why the majority of time the attorney uses the word “hog” to compare Jefferson to a dumb animal. The attorney states, “A cornered animal to strike quickly out of fear, a trait inherited from his ancestors in the deepest jungle of the blackest Africa” (Gaines 8). This shows that the attorney and the white slaveholding class view blacks such as Jefferson to be a wild race who comes from Africa. The attorney uses Jefferson’s appearance of being black to assume he is unintelligent as the rest of the African American population. “Look at the shape of his skull, this face as flat as the palm of my hand­ --look deeply into those eyes” (Gaines 7). Jefferson’s attorney makes it clear that Jefferson’s appearance shows how he has no type of intelligence because of the color of his skin. This shows that society saw Africans Americans as nothing but subhuman; as a result the attorney already knows how society perceives Jefferson as nothing more than inferior and dumb.

In addition, another way the attorney symbolizes social injustice is when he doesn’t even try to defend Jefferson and in fact takes away any dignity he has left. The case of the liquor store shoot out in which three men are killed and the only survivor is Jefferson is still being investigated by the jury and the white men in the courtroom. The court appointed Jefferson to a white defense attorney who will defend him and protect Jefferson from the accusations of the prosecutor. However, the attorney shows that he does not care about Jefferson’s innocence and instead takes away the last of Jefferson’s dignity. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an attorney gives people advice to tell his or her client what he can and can’t do under the law. A good attorney does lots of research and investigating, advocating and advising for their client’s. Yet, Jefferson’s attorney does none of the following to support Jefferson’s innocence.

Throughout the novel, A Lesson Before Dying the attorney shows no signs that he really wants to protect and defend Jefferson from being sentenced to death. The attorney uses other strategies that no lawyer today would use to protect their client.  Instead the attorney uses the strategy of absolute dehumanization towards Jefferson. This shows a clear understanding that the attorney does not have a desire to help Jefferson from the beginning of the murder case.  One scene where the attorney starts dehumanizing Jefferson is in the courtroom when he states, “I would just as soon put a hog in the electric chair at this” (Gaines 8). This is significant because Jefferson’s attorney defends him only by making him feel inferior. Therefore, the attorney implies that Jefferson is nothing but the word “this” which concludes that he is nothing more than an object and not a human being.  Another example, of the attorney dehumanizing Jefferson is when he makes the clear statement, “Gentlemen of the jury, look at this –this – this boy. I almost said man, but I can’t say man” (Gaines 7). This concludes that the attorney dehumanizes Jefferson by calling him a boy and not a man, but in fact Jefferson was a man who was twenty- one years old.  The attorney knows that the pejorative term “boy” is used by racist whites to refer to a grown black man in a prejudiced society, hence that’s why he uses that specific term. The attorney clearly demonstrated that the only job he did to defend Jefferson was to make his client feel subhuman. It was not necessary for the attorney to take away the last dignity Jefferson had in his life. After, the attorney had taken Jefferson’s last dignity; Jefferson felt offended from every negative aspect the attorney used to defend his innocence.

In general, the attorney is the perpetrator he can care less if Jefferson is a dead man or not as he already dehumanizes him. The attorney questions the twelve white men with the question of “Gentlemen of the jury, who would be hurt if you took this life?” (Gaines 8). This quote signifies that the attorney can care less for the life of a black man that is not even seen in the eyes of a white community as a human being.  The attorney infers that letting him die would probably be the best thing since he is not worth anything on earth but a savage animal who has committed a horrible crime. Anissa Wardi, a book reviewer states, “the attorney’s discourse of racial denigration reaches a climax as he dehumanizes his client, proclaiming that putting him to death would be equivalent to tying a hog down to the electric chair.” In fact the attorney’s behavior shows that he was never interested in defending a black man such as Jefferson, because he himself works for the racist white legal system .The attorneys unreasonable strategies did not help convince the verdict that Jefferson was innocent instead he sided with everyone else that Jefferson was guilty.

A final way that the attorney symbolizes social injustice is when he views Jefferson as guilty due to the color of his skin. In the book, A Lesson Before Dying Gaines illustrates that the entire black community struggles with the miserable world view of racism. The black community knows that nothing will ever change because the white ruling society dictates over their lives. Gaines portrays that the color of one’s skin plays a significant role in how the white racist society defines a human of a different skin color. As an American we are taught that an individual is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. However, if an individual’s skin color was black that individual was not allowed to participate in the deep American virtue. There is no document that specifically guarantees the phrase “innocent until proven guilty” but the Fifth Amendment was created as a presumption of innocence. According to the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, “No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process law” (Independence Hall Association). Due of process is also recognized as another term for “fair trial.”  The presumption of innocence is a legal right that everyone is granted. Yet, because Jefferson is black, the defense attorney and the rest of the white men already assume that Jefferson is guilty due to the color of his skin. If Jefferson’s skin color was white he would most likely have a fair trial like any American.

In addition, Gaines uses specific incidents in the novel that demonstrate how racist beliefs can result in the inequality of justice. One example of how the legal system was unjust was in the end of the murder case that states, “The judge commended the twelve white men for reaching a quick and just verdict” (Gaines 8). The scene in the novel shows that the jury was grateful that they reached a quick verdict, because he and the attorney knew that Jefferson was not an innocent man, therefore sentencing a black individual seemed easier than he thought. Another unjust incident is where the prosecutor tells his side of the story. He states, “When the old men and the other two robbers were all dead, this one – it proved the kind of animal he really was” (Gaines 6-7). This is a perfect example of how unfair the legal system really is by already assuming that colored people such as Jefferson were criminals without a doubt. One final incident that attorney is unjust is when he states, “He is innocent of all charges brought against him” (Gaines 8).  The defense attorney also states, “But lets us say he was not, let us for a moment say he was not” (Gaines 8). This shows that attorney makes it seem that he is defending his client but knows very well that Jefferson is black therefore he is guilty. He also contradicts himself about Jefferson being innocent because he tells the judge and white men in the courtroom that he assumes Jefferson is guilty. The attorney only does this because he feels that there is no point of defending a black male for the murder everyone knows he has committed.

As a result even the black community knew there was no hope that things would ever change because the white ruling community controlled their lives. One great example  of a certain incident in the book was when Gaines states, “She knew, as we all knew, what the outcome would be” (Gaines 4).This quote implies that the majority of the black community  knew that a poor and innocent black man would be found guilty and put on the chair for the color of his skin. As the case proceeded in the court Jefferson was found guilty. Jefferson’s family and friends had no other way but to accept the unjust conviction and imprisonment. The whole black community accepted his conviction with solemn silence, since they knew that nothing was going to change the outlook of how whites perceived blacks. Jefferson fell as a victim of his unjust defense attorney who became blind from the perception that all blacks were seen as criminals.

In conclusion, throughout the novel Jefferson’s defense attorney symbolizes the concept of social injustice. He is the symbolic figure in the novel that represents social injustice by assuming that Jefferson is dumb, by defending Jefferson by taking away his dignity, and by convicting Jefferson for a crime because of the color of his skin. He is a character that Gaines uses to portray the social injustice and racism in society. The defense attorney also represents the cruel racist legal system that perceives all blacks as being guilty to a murder case because they are subhuman and unintelligent. He is the symbolic character in the novel because he sets the concept that the color of one’s skin can determine whether you are seen as innocent or guilty individual. Ernest J. Gaines uses many incidents and scenes to make it clear that the defense attorney is just as racist as the rest of the white ruling community, who dictates the lives of African Americans by dehumanizing them.  The symbolic figure of the attorney demonstrated in A Lesson Before Dying represents nothing more than social injustice during a time of turmoil for African Americans.

                                                         

   Works Cited Page

1) Bigelow, Barbara C. "Countries and Their Cultures." African Americans. Advameg, Inc., 2012. Web. 22 Apr. 2012. <http://www.everyculture.com/multi/A-Br/African-Americans.html>.

2) Dictionary. "Social Injustice." Dictionary.com. Lexico Publishing, 23 Jan. 2012. Web. 22 Apr. 2012. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/social injustice>.

3) Gaines, Ernest J. A Lesson Before Dying. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1993. Print.

4)   Independence Hall Association. "Bill of Rights and Later Amendments." Ushistory.org. 2012. Web. 22 Apr. 2012. <http://www.ushistory.org/documents/amendments.htm>.

5) …"Lawyer." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 19 Mar. 2010. Web. 22 Apr. 2012. <http://www.bls.gov/k12/law02.htm>.

6) Wardi, Anissa Janine. "Review of A Lesson before Dying." MELUS 21.2 (Summer 1996): 192-194. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Janet Witalec. Vol. 181. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Literature Resource Center. Web. 22 Apr. 2012.