A Lesson before Dying Study Guide

Name______Mods: ______

Chapter 1:

  1. What is the name of the defendant? ______
  2. For what is he on trial? ______
  3. On what day is sentencing held? ______
  4. What is the verdict? ______
  5. What is the sentence? ______
  6. Contrast the portrait that is painted of Jefferson. How does the prosecution present him? How does the defense present him?

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Chapter 2:

  1. Who is the narrator? ______
  2. What is his occupation? ______
  3. Who are the two women? ______
  4. What do they want Grant to do? ______
  5. Why do they need permission from the Sheriff for what they want Grant to do? ______
  6. Why does Grant say that Jefferson is already dead? ______
  7. Why does Grant not want to go to Mr. Henri’s house? ______
  8. What color is Henri? ______

Chapter 3:

  1. What is symbolic about going through the back door? ______

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  1. What does Miss Emma ask Mr. Henri to do?______

Chapter 4: (Summary)

  • Grant returns Miss Emma and his aunt to home. He leaves to go to Bayonne. This is the closest town to them. There are approximately 6000 people in Bayonne and the courthouse and jail are located here.
  • Grant goes to the Rainbow Club, a bar for blacks. The year is 1946 and the white schools, theaters, etc. are located uptown while the black facilities are located at the back of town.
  • Grant’s girlfriend, Vivian Baptiste, lives in Bayonne. She, too, is a teacher.

The purpose for visiting her is to let her know about being asked to visit Jefferson in jail. He wants someone to agree with him that it’s a stupid idea. However, she is in agreement that he should go.

Chapter 5:

  1. The church is the meeting place for what? ______
  2. Why did school only meet 5 ½ months? ______

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  1. Why does Grant go into such detail about the process by which Jefferson will be killed? ______

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Chapter 6:

  1. Where has Grant gone? ______
  2. Where does he wait? ______
  3. Why does Edna make Grant reach in order to shake hands? ______
  4. How long does Grant wait before getting to see the men? ______
  5. How did Grant act that was insulting to the white men? ______

Chapter 7: (Summary)

  • This chapter takes place two weeks before Grant begins to visit Jefferson in jail.
  • The superintendent of schools, a white man, comes to visit Grant’s school. The students have been rehearsing their responses to him and they have been on the lookout for him so they won’t get caught off guard.

When the superintendent arrives he calls on the students by grade and then singles them out to answer his questions. He chooses students who look only half-bright or less. As he calls on students he asks to see their hands (he inspects for cleanliness). When he gets to the higher grades, he begins to ask to see their teeth.

  • Grant is reminded of a tale of slave buyers checking slaves’ teeth before buying the slaves.
  • Dr. Joseph, the superintendent, leaves with the instruction to Grant that he needs to pay more attention to hygiene and teaching the pledge of allegiance. This instruction comes because of one dirty boy who is unable to say the pledge and is also dirty.
  • As Dr. Joseph leaves Grant tell shim of the schools need for books and supplies but these needs fall on a deaf ear.

Chapter 8:

Chapter Eight is a flashback.

  1. Once the wood is delivered who has the job of cutting it? ______
  2. When Grant begins to speak of his teacher, Matthew Antoine, what does he say he wanted from the teacher that other students didn’t? ______
  3. What does Antoine say Grant should do? ______
  4. Which year was Grant’s first year as a teacher? ______

Chapter 9:

  1. Where is Grant taking Miss Emma? ______
  2. Why? ______
  3. How does Grant feel about this trip? ______
  4. What does Miss Emma bring for Jefferson? ______
  5. What instruction does Paul, the deputy, give Grant? ______
  6. For what do the other prisoners ask? ______

Chapter 10:

  1. Miss Emma left the cell doing what after each visit? ______
  2. Chapter ten marks what visit with Jefferson? ______
  3. Why is this visit different than the others? ______
  4. How does Grant feel about this visit? ______

Chapter 11: (Summary)

  • Grant arrives at the jail to see Jefferson. He has to go through the usual routine of emptying his pockets and allowing the food to be searched.
  • He deals with some annoying remarks from Guidry about him just wasting his time with Jefferson.
  • Grant is lead to the cell by Deputy Paul. Grant asks Paul how Jefferson is holding up. Paul explains he isn’t much different than when Grant has been there to see him.
  • Grant gives Jefferson the food Miss Emma has prepared for him. Jefferson throws it on the ground and sops it up “like a hog”. He says he’s just acting like what he is. This angers Grant and he defends Miss Emma and himself saying that there a lot of people out who think Grant is wasting his time but that someone out there loves you and is betting against all odds.
  • Grant still does not want to be there but he stands up for Miss Emma’s belief.

Chapter 12:

  1. After Grants fist visit with Jefferson, where does he go? Why? ______

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  1. What are the men in the bar talking about that stirs memories of Grant’s own childhood memories? ______
  2. The little Irishman states, “Regardless of race, regardless of class, the story is universal.” In your own words, describe what the Irishman is talking about: ______

Chapter 13:

  1. How does Grant describe his first visit alone with Jefferson to the older women?______
  2. Tanta Lou questions weather or not Grant did in fact visit Jefferson because instead of coming straight home following the meeting, he went where? ______
  3. In this chapter, Grants ______is questioned.
  4. Why can we assume Grant feels this way? ______

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  1. Who visits Grant at the end of this chapter? ______

Chapter 14: (Summary)

  • Vivian comes to Grant’s house to visit him. He is very relieved to see her after the stressful situation he just encountered with Miss Emma, Tanta Lou, Miss Eloise and Reverend Ambrose.
  • He shows her around the house and they sit down for coffee. She describes the place as being “pastoral”. ONE OF YOUR VOCABULARY WORDS-RUSTIC/RURAL. Over coffee, they get back on the subject of Grant’s belief or lack there of in God. Vivian says she knows deep down inside that he believes. He diverts his answer by responding he only believes in loving her.
  • They clean up the dishes together. They decide to go on a walk. Before they leave, however, she needs to use the bathroom which he directs her outside to a toilet set on a ditch in the sugar cane field.
  • They then walk through the fields, make love, and talk about having their own family some day.

Chapter 15:

  1. Vivian asks Grant if he is going to do what with his students this year.?

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  1. Why has Grant not begun planning one? ______
  2. When the older women return home from church and meet Vivian, how do they treat her? ______
  3. What do they question her deeply about? ______
  4. How does she respond to their questioning? ______

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Chapter 16:

  1. What message is delivered to Grant after school the next day? ______

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  1. Why does Miss Emma not believe Grant’s story about his visit with Jefferson?______
  2. What did the Revererend tell Jefferson that made him extremely angery? ______
  3. Why does this make him so mad? ______

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  1. Using context clues about Jefferson and Grant, what can we foreshadow about the events to come? ______

Chapter 17:

  1. What is the significance between Grant and Deputy Paul shaking hands? ______
  1. What does Grant tell Jefferson to try and make him feel better about dying? ______
  1. Jefferson tells Grant he has no idea how it feels to be in his shoes. He asks Grant why he continues vexing him. What does that mean? ______
  1. Who does Jefferson make crude remarks about that deeply angers Grant? ______
  1. What does Mr. Guidry want to talk to Grant about after the visit? ______
  1. Why is he so angered by Miss Emma’s actions? ______

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  1. What has Mr. Guidry allowed Miss Emma, Tanta Lou, Reverend Ambrose and Grant to do?

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Chapter 18:

  1. During Grant’s first visit with Jefferson outside of the cell, what does he notice about Grant’s voice? ______
  2. In an effort to bring Jefferson “back to life”, what subject does Grant bring up that is very characteristic of him? ______
  3. Grant tells Jefferson that he has a “moral obligation” to try and be nice to his aunt in order to make the situation less heartbreaking for her. Who does he compare the situation to?

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  1. Do you think that Grant has begun to reach Jefferson yet? Why or why not?

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Chapter 19: (Summary)

  • It is the night of the Christmas play.
  • Jefferson tells his students that this year the play is dedicated to Jefferson. This brings in a larger crowd than usual.
  • After the play is over, the congregation takes part in enjoying refreshments. Grant sits alone. He marinates on the fact that nothing seems to be changing. That this is just like every other play he’s seen all his life. He questions weather or not times really are changing.

Chapter 20:

  1. What is the date and time set for Jefferson’s execution? ______
  2. Why this date and time? ______
  3. What is significant about this date and time? ______

Chapter 21:

  1. Who comes to visit Grant? ______
  2. What does Vivian whisper in Miss Emma’s ear? ______
  3. What does Vivian tell Grant at the Rainbow club? ______
  4. What reasoning does Grant offer her? Be specific: ______

Chapter 22:

  1. How is Jefferson acting different? ______
  2. What does he want for his last meal? ______
  3. What does Grant promise to bring Jefferson? ______
  4. Describe the scene at the store: ______

Chapter 23:

  1. Why does the Sheriff continue to bother Miss Emma, Tanta Lou and Reverend Ambrose about their visits with Jefferson? ______
  2. When Grant returns home, what is Tanta Lou so angry about and why? ______
  3. What response does Grant offer her in response to her anger? ______
  4. Grant tells Jefferson he wants them to be friends. Why is this significant? ______
  5. What does Grant now tell Jefferson he wil bring to the next visit? ______

Chapter 24-25:

  1. What does Grant tell Jefferson he wants him to be? ______
  2. What did Jefferson do during this visit that made Miss Emma so happy? ______
  3. What is a mulatto? ______
  4. What happens at the Rainbow club that night and why? ______

Chapter 26:

1. Who knocked Grant out and why? ______

2. Why could Vivian be in so much trouble if Grant stays at her house? ______

3. How does Vivian feel about their relationship lately? ______

Chapter 27:

  1. Why does Reverend Ambrose visit Grant in his room? ______
  2. Why does Reverend Ambrose say he is more educated than Grant? ______
  3. Grant refuses to lie to Jefferson, saying he believes in heaven. What point is he trying to make to the Reverend and Jefferson about finding God? ______

Chapter 28:

  1. What has Jefferson been dreaming about? ______
  2. What does Grant say he believes in? ______
  3. Describe the role reversal at the end of this chapter between Grand and Jefferson: ______

Chapter 29:

  1. What does Jefferson’s notepad reveal about his feelings towards Grant? ______
  2. Why does Jefferson want to see Miss Emma so badly? ______
  3. What does Jefferson apologize to Grant for? ______
  4. The chapter ends by Jefferson telling Grant he succeeded in doing what? ______

Chapter 30: (Summary)

  • Chapter 30 serves the purpose of setting the mood for the execution.
  • We discover what everyone is doing that morning and how it made everyone feel.
  • At the end of the chapter, Jefferson asks Paul if he wants his radio. Paul says he can’t accept the gift. Jefferson then offers him his marble which Paul gladly accepts
  • Jefferson asks Paul to give Grant his notepad. He then asks Paul if he will be present during the event.

Chapter 31:

  1. What does Grant ask his students to do between 12 and 3? ______
  2. Grant prays that he did not make Jefferson push ______away.
  3. What does the yellow butterfly symbolize? ______
  4. What does Officer Paul say about Jefferson’s last moments on Earth? ______
  5. What where Jefferson’s last words? ______
  6. What do Officer Paul and Grant do at the end of the novel that suggest change is happening for the better? ______