CHAPTER SUMMARY AND NOTES - A Lesson Before Dying

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Summary

Vivian takes Grant back to her house. She tells him heÂ’ll have to spend the night there because heÂ’s in no shape to drive. She called Dora to watch the children that night. She tries to explain to Grant how his fight has complicated their relationship. She may get firede from her job because she left school early to pull him out of the bar. Her husband had just informed her that he would not grant her a divorce unless he could see the children every weekend. Grant became upset, telling her he couldnÂ’t just sit there and let them talk about Jefferson that way. Vivian responded that he was only thinking about himself, not Jefferson and not her. Love, she says, involves consideration and self-restraint, not just what they do in the bedroom. Enraged, Grant starts out of the house. Then, realizing he was walking away from everything that was important to him, he turned around and went back to Vivian.

Notes

This is a crucial turning point in Grant and VivianÂ’s relationship. GrantÂ’s selfish nature causes him to treat Vivian as an object. His concept of love seems to end with making love. She is confused about the direction they are heading and possibly reconsidering whether she wants to be involved with someone who jeopardizes their relationship, her job, and her custody of her children by getting into a bar fight. It is also a turning point for Grant personally. When faced with VivianÂ’s accusations, his first impulse is run away. This was his problem-solving technique. But in this case, he realizes the futility of this approach and turns around to ask forgiveness and take responsibility for making things better.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Summary

Next Sunday after church, Reverend Ambrose came over to GrantÂ’s house to talk with him about Jefferson. The Reverend tried to enlist GrantÂ’s help in saving JeffersonÂ’s soul. Grant replied that reading and writing was his work, saving souls was the preacherÂ’s work. The Rev. countered that Grant had a responsibility to help save JeffersonÂ’s soul, because Jefferson listens to Grant and no one else. Frustrated, Reverend Ambrose asked Grant if he ever thought about anyone but himself. He may have gone to college, but he was not educated. He didnÂ’t know the first thing about himself, and he didnÂ’t know his people. Using those criteria, Reverend Ambrose was the educated man.

The Reverend wants Grant to help Jefferson fall on his knees before he goes to the chair, but Grant wants Jefferson to stand tall, not realizing a man can kneel and stand at the same time. Grant agrees to tell Jefferson to believe, but if Jefferson asks Grant if he believes, he won’t lie and pretend that he does, not even for Miss Emma’s sake. Rev. Ambrose reminds him that he’s not the only person who’s ever had to lie. Their job is to relieve pain and suffering, to cast out ignorance, and if they have to lie to do it - then they lie. The Reverend pointed out that it was Aunt Tante Lou’s lies that got Grant through university. She’d tell him she was fine when in fact her hands were bleeding from the can knife, or she had blisters on her knees from praying for Grant. Grant didn’t know any of this because she didn’t want him to know. That’s what made him the ‘gump’ and Rev. Ambrose the scholar. The Rev. knew his people and knew their suffering.

Notes

This chapter, following as it does GrantÂ’s confrontation with Vivian, is a step on GrantÂ’s path towards self-realization. Like Vivian, Reverend Ambrose wonders aloud if Grant ever thinks of anyone but himself. Despite this, Grant displays a degree of self-control during the conversation, which did not possess down at the Rainbow Room. When Rev. Ambrose grabs his shoulders, he manages to refrain from knocking the ReverendÂ’s hands down.

Throughout the novel, Grant is slightly contemptuous of Rev. Ambrose and his spiritual outlook, but in their discussion the preacher proves himself to be an astute observer of the human condition. He possesses more of the answers to lifeÂ’s questions than GrantÂ’s old schoolteacher, Mathew Antoine. He speaks to Grant about self-awareness, the power of sacrifice, and the strength of humility. Most importantly, he tries to convince Grant that education should be a tool used to help others. It should bring Grant closer to the people in the quarter instead of isolating him from them. This is one of the reasons Grant is not yet truly educated.

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