In a society that is racist towards black men, many black men show weakness towards white men, who were considered powerful in the 1900s. book written by Ernest Gaines, A Lesson Before Dying, is set in a small Cajun community in the late 1940s, where Jefferson, the main character, is convicted of murder and sentenced to death. Additionally, in the small community, 3 men were killed in a shooting at a liquor store. Later in the book, Grant Wiggins, a plantation school teacher, has left town for school and has conflicts between leaving again or staying where he is now. With his decision, his aunt and Jefferson's godmother urge him to visit Jefferson and teach Jefferson his works before his death. Towards the end of the book, they become good friends and discover common ground on themes of resistance and escape. Due to racism, the reader can recognize that the author, Ernest Gaines, develops the theme of justice using the literary device of imagery. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The author, Ernest Gaines, creates the theme of justice, using imagery in the scenes of Jefferson being visited by Grant Wiggins, which was difficult at first. Jefferson, the main character, had an attitude and didn't want anyone near him. As Grant and Jefferson begin to talk and have a conversation, they both begin to relax. Jefferson begins to understand that Grant only wants to help Jefferson and be able to give him some advice before he dies at the end. The author, in describing their conversation, says: "I'll be here when you come back." This means that the conversation allowed Jefferson to open up to others, which benefited him. Along with this, Jefferson making this statement shows another side of his personality as a whole. Through this, the reader can notice the changes in his character. We can see other examples of his personality in other parts of the book. In the book "A Lesson Before Dying", by Ernest Gaines, he explains the conversations and tries to relate them to Jeffferson's current situation. To be more succinct, Jefferson had a difficult life in prison. In the final chapter of the book, Jefferson has his final conversation with Wiggins. Jefferson finally learns the true meaning of caring and having a heart. He also understands why his family cares so much. Jefferson even quotes himself saying, “I see that God has helped me to see the efforts to care for others.” As readers, we can see that caring for others can help you in the long run. In Jefferson's case, he ultimately uses what Grant Wiggins taught him. As readers, we can clearly see the footage of this conversation and be able to notice the change in Jefferson from the beginning of the book to the end, when he is about to live out his final hours and die in prison. As a result, he can use these tools for beneficial purposes and do good things before his death. At the beginning of the book, the author explains Jefferson's situation. He explains how he got into prison and what his life is like in prison. As readers, we get to see what's going on and how he really feels as a character. To be more specific, we learn what happened the night of the liquor store shooting. We learned that the 3 injured had all been drinking all night. At the end of the night we learn that Jefferson had also been drinking a little and didn't.