Lesson Before Dying

Effects on Religious Beliefs and Human Dignity Throughout history, it has been proven that the environment around us reflects on what we believe and how we act around others. In the novel A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines this aspect is strongly stressed throughout. Jefferson, the character that Gaines creates for us, is not only stripped of his human dignity but is also confused about the existence of God and heaven. His attorney, …

…dignity, our religious beliefs, and the way we act are all effected by our surroundings and by those who we trust. Works Cited Gaines, Ernest J. A Lesson Before Dying. New York: Vintage Contemporaries, 1993. Kenny, W.P. Ed. "A Lesson Before Dying." in Vol. 2 of Masterplots II, 682-687. Pasadena, CA: Salem press, N.D. Giles, James R. Ed. "American Novelists Since WWII" in Vol. 152 of Dictionary of Literary Biography, 63 Detroit, Washington, DC: Gale Research Inc. 1995