Blogpost Assignment #3
A Lesson Before Dying: Chapter 3 Questions
1. How does Henri Pichot's insistence that Jefferson "did it" redirect the plot narrative?
Henri Pichot, who owns a plantation, obviously does not have the best opinion of African Americans in this story. He treats Inez as a slave throughout the chapter, using the signal of raising a glass that he prefers- no, requests, another drink. In another example, he corrects Grant when he ''addresses" him incorrectly, telling him to say sir rather than leaving it at a normal sentence. On page 20-21 Henri simply states that he has already defended Jefferson, not enjoying being asked to do more, he dismisses the idea of turning Jefferson into a man. He then has the audacity to accuse Grant of putting his aunt and Miss Emma to ask him to do this, consequently causing Grant to no longer speak. At the end of the chapter Henri refuses anyone from seeing Jefferson besides the Reverand, Henri left Miss Emma to speak to an empty space. I believe the effect of this situation will cause Grant, being an educated black man, to go and teach Jefferson himself even though he first stated this had nothing to do with him.
2. Miss Emma keeps saying that Grant "doesn't have to go" to visit Jefferson in prison. The narrator comments, "She was looking at me but not seeing me, amd not meaning what she was saying either." What is Grant implying by this, and what does he think she means?
Miss Emma keeps saying similar lines to this one, especially back in chapter 2 when she and Tante Lou were speaking. They kept saying, "He go'n do it," implying that Grant may give up saying no, or he finding a reason to turn Jefferson into a man. Miss Emma and Tante Lou want Grant to go teach Jefferson so he can go as a man and prove that he isn't a hog to those in the court, so he dies knowing that he wasn't some person without sense. As for the second quote, I believe he means that Miss Emma saw his decsion, but kept insisting anyways. For example, when you tell your mother you will do the dishes, but you never have done them. Miss Emma sees that Grant wants more freedom n what he teaches, and she is fully aware that this is an opportunity for not only Jefferson but as well for Grant himself.
3. What does the back door of Henri Pichot's plantation house symbolize to Grant and his aunt? Why does having to enter the plantation house through the back door rankle Grant?
Grant, clearly disliking the way others are treated on plantations and in general, does not want to be seen as a slave. He clearly states this using an old line from his aunt, "It was you who said you never want me to go through that back door again." (Gaines 17). This back door reminds them that they are not equal, they are not 'permitted' to enter through the front door, but instead go through the dirtiest and possibly the worst way they could just because nobody can be equal. It rankles Grant so much because he has to stoop down a level after going through the hardships of being educated and becoming a teacher, in which he had gotten out of serving another man.
4. How does Miss Emma prevail on Henri Pichot to speak to the sheriff on her behalf?
Miss Emma clearly wants Jefferson to go out a man, not a hog as the court boasted him to be. She states that she has done a lot for the Pichot household and that they owe her this much (which probably was not the best way to approach the matter). In addition to this, she adds her old age as a reason she can not go up there and see her boy be killed as a 'hog' rather than a man. Henri, not enjoying being asked to do anything more than lift up a glass, denies this request because he believed that Jefferson was guilty. Through talking to the sheriff, Jefferson would be able to learn as much as he could or as much as a normal man could before facing the death penalty, Henri speaking to the sheriff would guarentee an agreement rather than Miss Emma doing it.
Quotation Assignment:
"But she was speaking to an empty space...Miss Emma continued to stare up the hall for a moment, then she and my aunt turned away, and I held the door open for them to go outside. The sun had gone down,and it was getting colder."- Chapter 3, Page 23
This quotation is introducing another conflict for the characters in this story, so far in the book we know that Jefferson was pronouced guilty for a crime he did not do. On the other hand we have Grant, an educated man who resents those who have slaves, additionally not having the freedom to independently teach. In the situation this quote is in, Miss Emma had semi-convinced Henri to talk to the sheriff, but as time went on he grew less patient and dismissed her silently. This probably gave her the idea that he would not speak to the sheriff and would simply let Jefferson die because of his opinion. By doing this, Miss Emma and Tante Lou will have to depend on Grant to teach Jefferson, if not that, then do something that will help the situation.
The quotation as well provides a detail of the setting that they are currently in, saying that the sun had went down and it had gotten cooler. This could symbolize that they were going to run out of time, or that after this meeting with Henri, the result would be what it usually is. I cannot say that it represents a lack of freedom, but I can say it represents the way that a black person would be treated when they so direly needed something to be done. It seems that these decisions were ignored by any plantation owner no matter how long they had served the family. It getting colder seems to symbolize this, along with the way how Henri treated them once they were in his presence, it being cold because they were interrupting something going on at the time.
1. How does Henri Pichot's insistence that Jefferson "did it" redirect the plot narrative?
Henri Pichot, who owns a plantation, obviously does not have the best opinion of African Americans in this story. He treats Inez as a slave throughout the chapter, using the signal of raising a glass that he prefers- no, requests, another drink. In another example, he corrects Grant when he ''addresses" him incorrectly, telling him to say sir rather than leaving it at a normal sentence. On page 20-21 Henri simply states that he has already defended Jefferson, not enjoying being asked to do more, he dismisses the idea of turning Jefferson into a man. He then has the audacity to accuse Grant of putting his aunt and Miss Emma to ask him to do this, consequently causing Grant to no longer speak. At the end of the chapter Henri refuses anyone from seeing Jefferson besides the Reverand, Henri left Miss Emma to speak to an empty space. I believe the effect of this situation will cause Grant, being an educated black man, to go and teach Jefferson himself even though he first stated this had nothing to do with him.
2. Miss Emma keeps saying that Grant "doesn't have to go" to visit Jefferson in prison. The narrator comments, "She was looking at me but not seeing me, amd not meaning what she was saying either." What is Grant implying by this, and what does he think she means?
Miss Emma keeps saying similar lines to this one, especially back in chapter 2 when she and Tante Lou were speaking. They kept saying, "He go'n do it," implying that Grant may give up saying no, or he finding a reason to turn Jefferson into a man. Miss Emma and Tante Lou want Grant to go teach Jefferson so he can go as a man and prove that he isn't a hog to those in the court, so he dies knowing that he wasn't some person without sense. As for the second quote, I believe he means that Miss Emma saw his decsion, but kept insisting anyways. For example, when you tell your mother you will do the dishes, but you never have done them. Miss Emma sees that Grant wants more freedom n what he teaches, and she is fully aware that this is an opportunity for not only Jefferson but as well for Grant himself.
3. What does the back door of Henri Pichot's plantation house symbolize to Grant and his aunt? Why does having to enter the plantation house through the back door rankle Grant?
Grant, clearly disliking the way others are treated on plantations and in general, does not want to be seen as a slave. He clearly states this using an old line from his aunt, "It was you who said you never want me to go through that back door again." (Gaines 17). This back door reminds them that they are not equal, they are not 'permitted' to enter through the front door, but instead go through the dirtiest and possibly the worst way they could just because nobody can be equal. It rankles Grant so much because he has to stoop down a level after going through the hardships of being educated and becoming a teacher, in which he had gotten out of serving another man.
4. How does Miss Emma prevail on Henri Pichot to speak to the sheriff on her behalf?
Miss Emma clearly wants Jefferson to go out a man, not a hog as the court boasted him to be. She states that she has done a lot for the Pichot household and that they owe her this much (which probably was not the best way to approach the matter). In addition to this, she adds her old age as a reason she can not go up there and see her boy be killed as a 'hog' rather than a man. Henri, not enjoying being asked to do anything more than lift up a glass, denies this request because he believed that Jefferson was guilty. Through talking to the sheriff, Jefferson would be able to learn as much as he could or as much as a normal man could before facing the death penalty, Henri speaking to the sheriff would guarentee an agreement rather than Miss Emma doing it.
Quotation Assignment:
"But she was speaking to an empty space...Miss Emma continued to stare up the hall for a moment, then she and my aunt turned away, and I held the door open for them to go outside. The sun had gone down,and it was getting colder."- Chapter 3, Page 23
This quotation is introducing another conflict for the characters in this story, so far in the book we know that Jefferson was pronouced guilty for a crime he did not do. On the other hand we have Grant, an educated man who resents those who have slaves, additionally not having the freedom to independently teach. In the situation this quote is in, Miss Emma had semi-convinced Henri to talk to the sheriff, but as time went on he grew less patient and dismissed her silently. This probably gave her the idea that he would not speak to the sheriff and would simply let Jefferson die because of his opinion. By doing this, Miss Emma and Tante Lou will have to depend on Grant to teach Jefferson, if not that, then do something that will help the situation.
The quotation as well provides a detail of the setting that they are currently in, saying that the sun had went down and it had gotten cooler. This could symbolize that they were going to run out of time, or that after this meeting with Henri, the result would be what it usually is. I cannot say that it represents a lack of freedom, but I can say it represents the way that a black person would be treated when they so direly needed something to be done. It seems that these decisions were ignored by any plantation owner no matter how long they had served the family. It getting colder seems to symbolize this, along with the way how Henri treated them once they were in his presence, it being cold because they were interrupting something going on at the time.
You did an amazing job this assignment! I really enjoyed reading your responses. Keep up the good work!
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