Summary Of A Lesson Before Dying - 1688 Words

Alia F. AlKhairi†¨Nolan AP English Lit. †¨4 September, 2015 A Lesson Before Dying Year: 1993 Title: A Lesson Before Dying The title of this novel â€Å"A Lesson Before Dying† is what the book’s plot revolves around. Dying refers to Jefferson’s death, while the lesson refers to the lessons learnt by Jefferson, the white community, and Grant. Lesson 1: The article ‘a’ means that there is one, single lesson that is being taught before someone’s death, which is what the title really refers to in the shallowest sense. This lesson talks about Grant (teacher), the protagonist, teaching Jefferson (student) how to die with dignity by teaching him: How To Be a Man. The author chose this title to make the reader -in the beginning of the novel- anticipate that the only lesson that will be given is the one taught by Grant and learnt by Jefferson. We expect the end result to be just that. Lesson 2: By the end of the novel, we come to find that the lesson learned before Jefferson’s death goes deeper than only him learning how to be a man: You Never Know the Value Of What You Have Until You Lose It; when an individual dies, others begin to realise the true value that his/her life had/may have potentially had. As a result of inequality and corruption in the judicial system, Jefferson’s (now playing the role of the teacher) life is sacrificed in order for the white people in the community (students) to gain a better understanding of the value of the black members of society (lesson).Show MoreRelatedA Lesson Before Dying Summary Notes1827 Words   |  8 PagesCorinne Murdock Nolan AP Lit 10 August 2015 A Lesson Before Dying Summary Notes Title of Book †¢ Entire novel about a teacher trying to teach a man named Jefferson that he is a man, not a hog, before he is executed. †¢ It was important for Jefferson’s caretaker, Miss Emma, and the entire black community that he dies as a man- proud and brave. Author- Ernest J. Gaines †¢ Born in 1933 in Oscar, Louisiana †¢ Author and educator †¢ Wrote several books- Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman discusses periodRead MoreThe Great Gatsby647 Words   |  3 Pageslearning universal truths that teach life lessons. People have different opinions towards books and how to utilize them for the generation of today and if reading novels is even relevant for students in the future. Although reading a novel provides the reader a better understanding of its concepts, it is not necessary or important to read an entire novel to understand the book. Endings of books are usually there to bring the novel to a close and deliver a life lesson at the end. All of the concepts andRead MoreNight, By Elie Wiesel1087 Words   |  5 Pagesexperiences shifted the victim s view of life. By providing a summary, critique, and the credentials of the author Elie Wiesel, this overview of Night will reveal that the heartbreaking events of the Holocaust transformed the victims outlook, causing them to have a lack of empathy and faith. Wiesel began by describing his life as a child in the town of Sighet, Transylvania. He was devoutly religious, and, after dark, would receive lessons about the Kabbalah’s revelations and mysteries from the poorestRead MoreBeowulf s Last Battle Of The Epic Hero954 Words   |  4 Pagescompletely different than the ones before, and spells the end for our epic hero. !!!Beowulf s Last Battle Starting around line 2200 of the great epic poem __ Beowulf __, we have the entrance of the last of the monsters that Beowulf must overcome as part of the epic hero cycle. But this battle is unlike the earlier battles Beowulf faced as a young warrior, and the outcome is very different than his earlier triumphs. This lesson will focus on the summary and analysis of Beowulf s last battleRead MoreWhat Makes A Great Poem Readers Will Fall Of Love With? Nothing?1027 Words   |  5 Pagesgood amount of similarities and differences. The poem â€Å"Phaeton† is an interpretation of the myth â€Å"Phaethon,† it has a few similarities and many alterations. The poem and the myth contain very identical endings; for example, they both include Phaeton dying through his experience with his father’s chariot and his sisters mourning the loss of their beloved brother. The father in both the poem and myth is the sun god, but in the myth they mention his name, Phoebus. These two writings have a lot more differencesRead MoreAnalysis of the Story How Much Does a Man Need?1299 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis I. Summary/Plot The story is entitled â€Å"How Much Land Does a Man Need?† because Leo Tolstoy wants us to know about what consequences we may encounter. This story shows the greediness of a man on material things. How man wants everything he could get a hold on. Basically, the question imposed in the title is answered ironically by Tolstoy. It is indeed that a man needs a land that is six feet above his head. The story is about a man who wants to find the enough or at least I say that, heRead MoreBible1395 Words   |  6 PagesMaster Guides Summaries Desire of Ages Summary – Christopher Pennerman The book The Desire of Ages was a book about the life and death of Jesus Christ written by Ellen G. White. It contains 87 chapters in total. Chapter 1 â€Å"God With Us†, talks about The Father and Son covenantedâ€â€" together to save fallen mankind, and answers the question was their plan conceived before or after the fall of man. It then goes on to talk about the importance that Christ had in becoming human. Next in chapter 2 â€Å"TheRead MoreUnderstanding The Premise Of Jesus Christ1510 Words   |  7 Pagesobedience to God’s command of dying on the cross. The Atonement The atonement is reference to Jesus’s sacrifice of dying on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. In the atonement Jesus exemplifies â€Å"perfect faithfulness and obedience on our behalf toward the Father in the Spirit† (Kettler, 2007). Through this Jesus shows how much love can be shown for God and humankind in one single act. His love was so encompassing that he sacrificed himself on the cross before God for humankind and for GodRead MorePros And Cons Of Assisted Suicide1743 Words   |  7 Pagesthroughout all states in the U.S. will give a human being the moral right to choose freely, death with dignity, and an option for timely organ donation. The human action and character gives a person the moral right to choose freely from living and dying willingly. A state of a person’s cognitive mind is necessary to make a decision or a legal medical appointed end-of-life power of attorney document. Throughout life, ethical decisions, a right decision, or a wrong decision has been made. These decisionsRead MoreReading Books On The New Things930 Words   |  4 Pagesthat, that book has just published and showed to people. Therefore, we can summary about the book which has life experience of people who lived and had great experiences. The best way to live is to learn something good of other people throughout pages of the book. We should look at the life famous author who is successful to abridge the gap which we want to fill up closely. I have read the story â€Å"Lesson before dying â€Å"by Ernest J. Gainer talks about the boy is sixteen years old. He lives with

Essay The Heroism of Minerva from In the Time of Butterflies

Although Minerva died she died for a cause she that believed would bring peace to her nation. She said no when everyone else said yes. Minerva is an ordinary girl but she doesnt take nonsense from anyone. Minerva has several characteristics of heroism but the ones that stand out most is her determination, her courage, and that she ï ¬ ghts for what she believes in.î ¨â‚¬ î ¨â‚¬ Minerva shows the most bravery out of all her sisters. She was basically forced to dance with Trujillo at the party and made a scene. I push a little against him so hell loosen his hold, but he pulls me tighter towards him(Minerva pg 66). Trujillo tried to grab Minervas butt and she slapped him in†¦show more content†¦Ã® ¨â‚¬ î ¨â‚¬ Determination is a key characteristic of heroism and Minerva is full of it. Yes, I denied knowing him, I was afraid... Again I choose my words carefully(Minerva pg72). Even know she was under so much pressure and anything she says can get her in trouble she managed to keep her cool and lie to them. Minerva is trying her hardest to keep her cool because the last thing she wants is to get caught lying. Minerva is asked if she know Lio which is the guy she really likes and she lies to them to save herself. But you must believe me,we were just friends. If Id been in love with him, I would have left the country as he wanted me to( Minerva pg72). Minerva was very clever she secretly liked Lio but she was determined to make them believe she did not. Minerva was later given the choice to roll for her fathers freedom and her chance to go to law school could ï ¬ nally happen, but if she lost she would then have to do what Trujillo wanted. But I am so sure I can beat him now that I know his secret, Ill toss(Minerva pg76). Even knowing the risk of losing, Minerva still wants to play just so she will ï ¬ nally go to law school And save her father from being tortured.î ¨â‚¬ î ¨â‚¬ Minerva was a truly incredible person. She was just as ordinary as anyone else, but she was also one of the bravest people there are, and she never gave up a step of the way. Not only Minerva but all of her sister are some of the most courageous girls amongst any other girl during thisShow MoreRelatedThe Bravery of Minerva in In The Time of The Butterflies by Julia Alvarez776 Words   |  4 Pages Minerva Mirabal was a bratty know-it-all that was hellbent on changing the world in some way or another. She was naive and impulsive, but she meant well. But was she the shining light in a dark time that so many people see her to be? According to In The Time of The Butterflies by Julia Alvarez, yes. She was a heroine in a small, yet meaningful, way. She had the bravery to go toe-to-toe with Trujillo, was quite willing to break the law, and wanted nothing more than to get involved with andRead MoreEssay on The Mirabal Family Hero565 Words   |  3 Pagesdanger and adversity. In the time of the butterflies out of all of the sisters, Minerva was the sister that showed the most heroism. Minerva died a hero and she still remains a hero. She stood for what she thought was right and she never backed down, not to anyone. Minerva is an extraordinary hero for many reasons, one she stood up to Trujillo when he got as close as he could to her, two she went to law school, and three she didnt think of Trujillo as her leader. Minerva is a hero for standing up toRead MoreThe Time Of The Butterflies By Julia Alvarez1678 Words   |  7 Pages For decades Minerva, Maria Teresa, Patria and Dede’s bravery and heroism have lived in the heart of many Dominicans who suffered from the ruthless dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo. The Mirabal sisters were four brave women who defied the traditional role of women in their Era and had a major role during revolution against Trujillo. Much of their story has been told in books and in movies from many different accounts. In Julia Alvarez’s novel â€Å"In the Time of the Butterflies†, she writes fictionalizedRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesreunification of Germany, the surge of globalization from the mid-1990s) and afterward (9/11, or the global recession of 2008) when one could quite plausibly argue that a new era had begun. A compelling case can be made for viewing the decades of the global scramble for colonies after 1870 as a predictable culmination of the long nineteenth century, which was ushered in by the industrial and political revolutions of the late 1700s. But at the same time, without serious attention to the processes and

High School and Tina free essay sample

Even my mother knows I am wasting my time there. Counselor- What makes you dis-like school and hate everyone? Tina- I just do. Everyone picks on me and bullies me. I don’t fit in. No one cares what happens to me. Counselor- Well what makes think you don’t fit in? Tina- I don’t get along with anyone. I think the kids don’t like me because I am fat. Counselor- So that’s why you don’t think you fit in with your peers. Tina- SILENCE Yeah, I am always late, I am in trouble all the time, and dumb. I am overweight and so is my family. It’s really embarrassing cuz (because) they don’t care about anything, especially me. Counselor- I see talking about your family makes you really upset. Have you talked to your mom about how you feel about school? Tina- No. Not really. We will write a custom essay sample on High School and Tina or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Counselor- Maybe you can sit down and talk to her about your grade and how you feel. Tina- Why should I talk to her about school and what I feel when she doesn’t even show up for parent teacher meetings? Counselor- Has she told you why she does not go to the meetings. Tina- Yeah, she told me she is too ill to go and I am just fine at home. Counselor- Would you like to do better in school and go on to the 8th grade. Tina- No, I give up with school. Counselor- What would you do if you dropped out? How would you get a job? Tina- I do not know. I would become a hair dresser; you don’t need school for that. Counselor- Is that what you want to do? Tina- Yeah, I like doing hair. Counselor- Did you know that you need a high school diploma for beauty school? Tina- Really No I didn’t know. Counselor- So how do you think you will get in if you don’t finish seventh grade. Tina- I guess I do need to finish seventh grade. Counselor- Alright, how about we look for a good technical school that offers cosmetology so you can work on becoming a hair dresser? Does that sound like a good idea? Tina- Yeah that sounds good, I like that idea. Counselor First we need to get through the end of 7th grade and move on to 8th. Tina- I can do that, but getting to school is difficult. Counselor What about getting up one hour earlier and getting mom up as well? Tina- Maybe, I do only get up 5 minutes before I school starts. Counselor- So getting up earlier and going to bed a little earlier is a goal you can work on. Tina- Ok, I would like that. I need to go to bed earlier. I am actually really excited. I can’t wait to go home and look up beauty schools and new styles. Then maybe I can make some new friends to because I can do their hair. Counselor- I am glad you have something you aspire to. You have a great positive attitude. I could see you making a great beautician. I am looking forward to hearing about some research you did and new hair styles you have looked at. I would like to work on getting your grades up so you can get into that technical school. Are you wanted to tell mom what you want to do when you pass? . Tina- Yeah, I cannot wait to tell her. I think she will be excited with me. Thanks.

Of Mice and Men Is Curleys Wife a Victim or Villian free essay sample

John Steinbeck presents Curley’s wife at the start of the story as an irrelevant character because she has no relation with George and Lennie. At the start, Curley is one of the most important characters (besides George and Lennie) because he has the power to crush George and Lennie’s dream of having a farm of your own. But as the story goes on, to end, we see the importance of her character and that everything that has happened on the ranch is caused by her presence; even though she is not in the story as much as others, she has a long lasting effect on the other characters. She is mentioned in the story a lot because of how she would acted around the men working in the ranch. In the end, we knew Lennie and George were not going to get a farm of their own because of how Lennie is drown to trouble all the time but we ultimately find out that it’s Curly’s wife that crushes George and Lennie’s dreams when Lennie kills her. We will write a custom essay sample on Of Mice and Men: Is Curleys Wife a Victim or Villian? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Again her presence caused a lot of trouble in the ranch which furthermore kills Lennie and their dream. She is a defined as a villain by how she is pruned to flirt and seeks attention from anyone she comes across. She is racist and mean to some of the workers e. g. Crooks and Candy, because she knows even though she is not liked; she has the power to make their lives a living hell. She is also considered a victim because before she dies, she talks to Lennie about how she had all these dreams about becoming an actress and being famous; and as the reader we see her true self and we see that deep down she is a kind and lovely person. We then know that she is only flirtatious and mean to the men because she is just trying to have bond with someone because Curly has commanded her not to talk to anyone; this made her lonely and bitter. Her racist remarks to Crooks wasn’t only because of her bitter behaviour, but because in her times black people were not treated well anyway. Steinbeck presents Curly’s wife as a trouble maker and a pest but he also made her a very complex character and in the end we find out she is one of the most important character in the whole story because it only takes her presence to excite the audience. Paragraph one Curly’s wife is needed in the novel to create suspense and drama with the men, which ultimately makes the story a lot more interesting. Because she is extremely flirtatious with almost everyone in the ranch, her husband, Curly gets jealous and angry; this would probably cause the workers to fear him more because in that state of anger, he could fire them which could render them homeless and foodless causing them to suffer on the streets or even die. Curly’s wife is a very interesting and complex character to understand because we automatically think that she is just flirtatious and a bad wife to Curly but as the story goes on we understand that it’s not all her fault that she is like that and I think that Steinbeck is trying to put across is that women were not treated well; an example of this is the most obvious and unnoticed sign is her name, though out the whole novel we know and call her ‘Curley’s wife’ because no one respects her enough to call her by her true name. Also the only other women mentioned in the novel are the stripper, who we also don’t know the names of and Aunt Clara who raised lennie up before she died, this shows that women were viewed with no respect when this book was written and that men were represented dominate among the two genders. Curly’s wife develops the plot by just being there, we find out that she is still a bit new at the ranch and already she has got all the men talking and thinking about her in a horrible way, but I think that most of them also think of her in a sexual way because she is beautiful and the only women they would see in the day (besides the strippers on the Friday trip to the bar) so it would have been expected of them to think that; but they would not mention it because they don’t wasn’t the other workers thinking that they have bad taste in women or something similar to that and also the fact that she is married to the boss’s son, who could fire them from the ranch if he hears that one of the works has feelings for his wife. Steinbeck also describes the problems in the world by using Curly’s wife, everything Curly’s wife has said or done and not even done shows the reader how the world was like then and how it has changed a lot now. Sexism and racism were two of the most important factors Curly’s wife brought to the novel, we see how women were treated with no respect and were just looked upon as just objects with no feelings and they were for men to push around; we also see that this truly affects curly’s wife by the fact that the only way for her to get noticed, is to act like flirtatious and mean to everyone. Racism is approached in the novel by the fact that crooks is not treated the same as everyone else, curly’s wife calls him a racist name and threatens to hang him if he back chat her again. This shows that even though women were treated badly, but black people were treated worse. Maybe some women expressed their anger with society and how they were treated on black people because in Steinbeck’s days, no one would care if you mistreat a black person. In the novel almost everyone has a dream and in the end, everyone’s dreams are crushed because of curly’s wife pres ence. Life was tough in George and Lennie’s times and the only way for people to stay hopeful was to create a dream that will motivate them to keep living; mostly everyone’s dream was to own a farm of their own and to have an easy life where they don’t have to work in the fields for food or money. George and lennie had this dream, of having a farm of their own and because of them, crooks and candy also became hopeful for this dream to come true. Curly’s wife also had a dream of becoming rich and famous through acting but her dream did not come true and been through a lot before she figured out that her dream is less likely to come true. When curly’s wife makes her first appearance, Steinbeck describes as this beautiful women with nice clothes and a pretty face. She wears a lot of red like the girl lennie abused which Steinbeck planned to foreshadow Curley’s wife death. George had a bad feeling about her because of the way she was flouting her body around to get their attention, her attempt to get one of the men’s attention worked as lennie fell upon her spell. I think that steinback chose’s to introduce curly’s wife at that time because lennie and George have just put the incident with the little girl in the red dress behind them and her appearance has foreshadowed events that could lead them to a lot of trouble like last time. Steinbeck uses a range of creative language to describe Curley’s wife when we first see her to make the reader imagine her as a beautiful young lady. He describes her has heavily made up, wide spaced eyes, nasal brittle voice with red fingernails. This makes her seem like she is trying too hard to be beautiful, as the reader we can see why they call her a tart because she is seeking too much attention to herself when she is married, she also throws her body forward in the scene which makes her look even more of a tart. Also she use’s verbal remarks to make other feel worse about themselves so she can feel better about herself, this makes her seem like a villain. We can also see her as a victim because the only reason people would seek attention because her husband wasn’t the friend she was hoping for and she is not getting enough attention from him. Also she is only allowed to say in the house so she can’t make any friends of her own and she is judge too quickly because she has only been on the ranch for 2 weeks. Steinbeck Is showing us that women didn’t have much say in decisions that concerned them, which made women feel unimportant. She also is called a girl when she is described which could mean that she is too young to be married and the reason she wears too much make-up is to hide her true self from the rest of the men and herself. The first time we hear about Curley’s wife was when Candy calls her a tart because of how she is always flirtatious with the other men, and frankly most of the men on the ranch think of her as a tart who should be more sensible because she is married. This reflection of her is not 100% true but what the other see her as. In the novel, the narrator never calls her a tart because Steinbeck is trying to show us that her being a tart is only the point of view of the men and is not a fact. I think Steinbeck did this because he wants to show the reader how easily women were judge on their actions then the men, for example if a man slept with a women without marring her, he would not be judge as much if it was a woman who slept with someone before marriage. Her relationship with Curley isn’t the typical ‘new wed’ situation but just pointless. It is very clear to the reader that there is no real emotions to this relationship we never see them kiss or even spend time with each other. When she was talking to lennie, she talked about her hopes and dreams for the future and how she felt trapped living with her mother, she also says that men have said to her that she was ‘a natural’ and one man said he will write to her from Hollywood, they also went to riverside dance palace which could mean that he slept with her so she can believe that he will write but he didn’t, this makes her seem gullible. urley’s wife suspected that her mo ther hid the letters so she won’t go to Hollywood, this caused curley’s wife to leave her mother and that same night she met curley and married him to be free from the trap she was in; but unfortunately she became even more trap then before. On page 97 she tells lennie that she doesn’t like and on page 89 she says ‘I’m glad you bust up Curley a little bit. He got it comin’ to him. Sometimes I’d like to bust him myself’. This response on Curley’s injury might possibly mean that Curley irritates her and probably hits her on occasions. Her relationship with slim is very friendly but flirtatious at the same time. e find out about their relationship the same time curly’s wife made her first appearance; the reason steinback introduced their relationship at that time is because before we meet curly’s wife we find out that curly is an aggressive character and the type of person who would get jealous over a small mat ter. We also find out that he knows boxing which would make him confident when it comes to a fight. I think without curly’s wife, lennie won’t of died but is obviously clear that his death was inevitable; if it wasn’t curly’s wife, then it was going to be someone else’s life lost at Lennie’s hands ultimately killing him in the process but he won’t of died at the end of the novel if Curley’s wife didn’t not die. I think the most dramatic part of the novel was when Curley’s wife and lennie had a moment of happiness and peace together bother she died because at that point we see her true self and how see was just a normal girl who made bad choses in her life. We also see that all she wanted was to have a friend to talk about her feelings. She was lonely like everybody else; loneliness had a massive part to play in the novel as everyone was lonely, Curley’s wife, crooks, candy after his dog died and George after lennie died. I think that candy’s dog foreshowed Lennie’s death because the dag was like lennie, difficult to live with and candy is like George, alone when lennie died. I think Steinbeck showed us Curley’s wife true self before her death because he wanted us to feel pit and sorrow for her and to make us feel guilty with ourselves for judging her so quickly and to think poorly of her. We also feel happy because we think that she will stop her games with the other men and start being herself but as we read on, we see that the happy ending we truly wanted for Curley’s wife, lennie and George and the rest of the men was about to die right in front of their eyes as lennie kills curley’s wife. At this point the reader feels anger and pity towards her death because we wanted her to make her dream come true and we also know that lennie and George’s dream of a farm of their own is also never coming true. We also realise that the other men on the ranch will never know how nice and caring Curley’s wife was and they will always remember her as trouble and a tart. Overall I think that Steinbeck created Curley’s wife to show how mistreated the women of 1930’s were treated and this teaches us that women were judge and talked about in a cruel manner. We also learn that their relationships with their husbands are not as easy as they are now because in the 1930’s, men had a lot of say in the relationship and it was custom to women to feel the orders the men have commanded them to do. I think Steinbeck wanted us to feel sympathy to Curley’s wife because she has been though a lot in her short life and that she died through her act of kindness makes us feel sorry for her. I think that Steinbeck wanted us to ultimately see her as a victim in this whole novel because she is treated badly and that no one wants to talk to her, not even her husband. Steinbeck wasn’t trying to be sexist but want to show his readers who badly women were treated and how small things can have massive consequences in life.