Summer Blog #8: "A black man has three choices..."

Every work of literature has both a protagonist and an antagonist. In your opinion, who is the protagonist and who or what is the antagonist in A Lesson Before Dying? Give specific examples to prove your stand. (The deadline to post a response to this question is midnight, July 2, 2011.)

Summer Blog #7: "Quality..."

We have talked about the power and influence that Miss Emma has in driving the plot of this novel. Tante Lou and Vivian also present themselves as strong women. Cite a passage about either Tante Lou or Vivian that you found especially important in understanding the power of women. Explain what this passage reveals. (The deadline to post a response to this post is midnight, June 30, 2011.)

Summer Blog # 6: "You can write down anything you need to ask me..."

A great portion of the end on the book is Jefferson's notebook/diary. Grant gave him the notebook so that he could write down his thoughts and feelings; it becomes, however, a chronicle of Jefferson's metamorphosis. Select a passage from the notebook and cite it and then explain how this passage helped you to recognize a change within Jefferson. Also, include how the notebook section made you feel. (The deadline to post a response to this question is midnight, June 28, 2011.)

Summer Blog #5: "He need both of you..."

A great deal of the novel focuses upon Grant's internal conflict with religion and his external conflict with Reverend Mose Ambrose. Select a passage/scene(cite it) that reflects this struggle and explain its significance in the scope of the novel and explain how Gaines uses this conflict to develop Grant. Also, indicate which side wins in this passage and how so. (The deadline to post a response to this blog question is midnight, June 23, 2011.)

Summer Blog #4: "He's gonna walk..."

Upon leaving Pichot's house after discussing Jefferson's impending execution, Grant says to Reverend Ambrose, "I'm going for a walk, a long walk in the opposite direction" [p.159]. Where does this walk take him, actually and symbolically? ( The deadline to post a response to this question is midnight, June 22, 2011.)

Summer Question #3: There is no place like home...

Using only chapters 1-16, what details does Gaines provide to establish the identity and significance of the quarter and its history, the plantation, Bayonne, and the surrounding county? Select a passage that helps convey the setting and explain its effectiveness. (The deadline to post a response to this question is midnight, June 20,2011.)

Summer Blog # 2: "Just do the best you can. But it won't matter."

In Chapters 5-8, Ernest Gaines reveals the main conflict of A Lesson Before Dying lies within Grant Wiggins himself. Likewise, Gaines illustrates the racism that plagues Grant. Which two parts/scenes/events from Chapters 5-8 best convey the internal conflict within Grant and the racism he faces? Explain how so. (The deadline to post a repsonse to this blog is midnight June 19, 2011.)

Summer Blog #1 : Just one word...

Below is a poem entitled Incident; it was written by Countee Cullen, one of America's best African American poets. Read the poem and then respond to the question below.
Incident by Countee Cullen

Once riding in old Baltimore,
Heart-filled, head-filled with glee,
I saw a Baltimorean
Keep looking straight at me.

Now I was eight and very small,
And he was no whit bigger,
And so I smiled, but he poked out
His tongue, and called me, "Nigger."

I saw the whole of Baltimore
From May until December;
Of all the things that happened there
That's all that I remember.

In A Lesson Before Dying, the first 4 chapters focus on the power of just one word as this poem does. Using only the first 4 chapters of the novel to support your claims, explain the power of the one word in the novel and how it is used as a catalyst for this novel. Who do you think is most affected by the word? Why? (The deadline to post a response to this question is midnight June 18,2011. Remember use only your initials when posting a response. )