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.)
Monday, June 20, 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.)
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In the opening paragraph of Chapter 25, Grant tells of a conflict between he and Reverend Ambrose. Grant, internally, could care less about religion. He would rather talk to Jefferson about Miss Emma's joy she found when he ate his dinner. Externally, the reverend believes that Jefferson finding God is more important than becoming a man. Grant wins this conflict because he is able to get through to Jefferson. "Sin (or the sinner) had done this, not he."
In the paragraph, in Chapter 19, where Reverend Ambrose prays before the Christmas play is started, Reverend Ambrose prays that "No matter how educated a man was, he, too, was locked in a cold, dark cell of ignorance if he did not know God in the pardon of his sins." When Reverend Ambrose says this, Grant knows he was talking about him. This scene shows how Grant is struggling with religion, and how he is struggling against Reverend Ambrose. This scene is important because it shows how Reverend Ambrose is admitting that he thinks Grant has a problem and is a sinner. Gaines uses this conflict to develop Grant because he shows how upset Grant is from Reverend Ambrose's remarks after the play is over. Because Grant is upset from what Reverend Ambrose said, Reverend Ambrose wins in this passage.
On page 146, at the bottom of the first whole paragraph, Reverend Ambrose says "No matter how educated a man was..." implying this message to Grant. After the play Grant is internally unhappy due to the Reverend's remark. In this scene the Reverend wins. The Reverend continues his implied remarks/actions when Grant goes to see Miss Emma and the Reverend gave Grant "a long hard look to let me know what he thought of me." When Grant turns away the Reverend has won again.
In chapter 13, Reverend Ambrose is sitting at Tante Lou's kitchen table with Miss Emma. After a discussion about how Jefferson was, Reverend Ambrose tells Grant "I baptized him. He was 'leven or twelve then. But like so many others, he didn't keep the faith, either. Like yourself." (101). Gaines uses this conflict to show how Grant is not the only person who rejected Christianity, and he is fine with his decision. He knows that his Tante Lou and Reverend Ambrose thinks he is one of the worst sinners. However, throughout this conversation, Grant wins because he acts indifferent towards everything that Reverend Ambrose says or thinks about him.
On P. 181 Grant, Tante Lou, Miss Emma, and Reverend Ambrose are arguing over the radio. Grant claims the radio is company for Jefferson, so he isn't always thinking of his execution, but the others claim it is a "sin box" which distracts Jefferson from God. Tante Lou and the reverend want to have the radio removed from the cell, but Grant claims if the radio is removed, they will never reach him. During the argument Grant says he doesn't know much about soul, which enfuriates his aunt and she says "Yes you do."... "'Cause I raised you better." Tante Lou's statement tells that Grant used to believe in God, but now he doesn't. This argument is more or less over to conflicting views on religion. One view is of an educated man who doesn't believe in God anymore, and the other view is of old time, heavy Catholic belief. I think that this whole argument is not just about Jefferson. It is also about Grant and his beliefs, and choices. I think Grant won this argument because he says if they take the radio away Jefferson will become unreachable, and none of them want that.
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