Grant And Miss Emma example essay topic

In the book A Lesson Before Dying there are many instances were people's self-identity has changed because of racism. Many people put down the blacks especially the whites, which makes them think that their not as good as the white people in the town. They are very much treated like they (the blacks) are not a part of the white people's life and don't deserve to be there. One of the main people who were affected by the racism is Grant. Grant has never felt that he belongs in his community because he is a black man. Henry Pichot and Sheriff Guidry helps Grant feel this way.

Because both these men are whites and well respected they seem to believe it's acceptable to put people down to make them feel like nothing. Pichot especially does this to Grant when Grant goes and meets him at his house. Pichot makes Grant feel worst then what he already does when Grant doesn't use his proper manner and say Sir after every sentence. Pichot would never call Grant Sir and it seems that Grant thinks if Pichot doesn't have respect for him why should he have respect for him. Then after Grant had finished talking to Pichot he didn't say it as such but he wanted Grant to look away from him after he had finished talking, so Grant did. Not only did Pichot make Grant feel like nothing but he did the same thing to Miss Emma.

Miss Emma went to Pichot house for some help, and although he did help her in the long run, she had to try and convince him to help her by telling him how much she has done for his family over the years. He knew that she had been the maid at his home for many years and that although he didn't owe her anything because she was black and he was white he did anyhow. Jefferson was also apart of this racism that affects his self-identity. Jefferson didn't get a fair hearing at all and we know this. He was put up for murder in front of a jury, which was full of white men. His own defence called him a hog, if this was a white man in front of this jury up on this charge they would have never called him a hog in front of his family.

It was because he was black and was not well educated that they feel the right to be able to treat them like animals. A white man would have got a fair hearing and would have got a defence that actually believes what he said. Vivian was also apart of this racism that caused so many people to change their views on themselves. Vivian was not a black women nor was she a white women she was a half-cast. In those days people who were half-casts were respected much more than people who were completely black and I believe this comes out when in the pub. Although Grant was not put down whilst in the pub it was obvious that Vivian was much more comfortable in the town that the pub was in.

In conclusion people back in those days were very racist, toward those of different colours. Although the whites were sometimes frowned upon it was mostly the blacks that people had a problem with. Whether it is because of their colour or because people believed that the blacks were the whites slaves they treated them like they thought. They didn't have any respect for the blacks as you can see with what happen to Jefferson, Grant and Miss Emma. Especially Pichot, he treated them like he wanted to not how he should which unfortunately was very racist.