A Hero Within

Everywhere you turn society today seems to be keen on portraying Afri stand Ameri backs as a scapegoat to white societal issues and inadequacies. Ernest Gaines exemplifies this idea in the novel A Lesson forward Dying in which a young black man, Jefferson, is sentenced to trial and consummation for what can be considered a wrong place and wrong cadence incident. sacrifice, who is an educator in the community, plays the role of a cynic and buffer amid Jefferson and the rest of the community.He begins this novel as a somewhat exhausted out drop off husk of what his full potential can full abide. In a society that is dominated by white hoi polloi in a post slavery pro-racist world very fewer opportunities present themselves for African Americans, such as Jefferson or knuckle under, that all in allow for harvest-tide and fulfill handst of onenesss existence. As the novel progresses Gaines provides the right elements to allow for self-fulfillment and causeth for both chara cters that lead to sprightliness changing epiphanies and at last allow for a genius figure to rise.Although almost opposite in composition both Jefferson and shell out lack elements that allow them to feel wholly and truly get it on. As individuals both struggle to live in a world that seeks to oppress causing separately to b bely live, exclusively by their combined experiences and shared struggles, each are able to resolve the duress of oppression and rise to their ultimate potential. leave begins the novel sentiment distanced from the some otherwise members of the black community dapple at the same time feeling intrinsically bound to them.He feels pressured to conform to a society in which white state are superior and give little to no privilege to blacks. This idea is furthered as Dr. Joseph visits Grants school and gaze his scholarly persons mentioning that they are a good crop, insinuating that the black students are infrahuman or objects for a slave type of work. Although Grants inadequacies bury him feeling conflicted, hollow, and helpless to do anything but run away, he a great deal remembers the pride and excitement surrounding black heroes such as Jackie Robinson and Joe Louis as they stood up to the white men and society.A hero as seen through Grants eyes is a man who does something that other men do non do or cannot do. Although Grant believes he is not a hero, he believes that Jefferson can embody the idea of a hero and that he can stand up to defy the white people proving that African Americans are human too. Grant continues by explaining to Jefferson while utter that he (Grant) needs him (Jefferson) more than Jefferson needs him. The crying(a) and conveying f helplessness marks the first transition for Grant towards the hero he can become and shows the characters positive growth. This transition excessively marks where the individual struggles between Jefferson and Grant end and unification towards the incarnation of heroism begins Grant continues to embody the idea of a hero and show character progression while drinking at the Rainbow Club by standing up for Jefferson, when it would begin been much easier to ignore the situation and uncomplimentary comments.Grants passion and inability to sit back while the mulatto bricklayers demean the idea of Jefferson promotes the hero within, by standing up for the flea-bitten and doing something when others would not. Even though a fight breaks out and Grant is knocked unconscious, it is allay another positive step towards the inner fulfillment he desperately needs. Grant also embodies a non-traditional hero in the sense that he keeps his loved ones, Vivian, at arms length at all times.This typically is done to protect the loved ones from impending harm and this differs because in this instance it stems from his own inadequacies and lack of conviction in himself. Although Grant lacks the ability to see his true inner potential, others such as Tante Lou have shown positive encouragement and ultimately given everything in the belief that Grant can be great. In this instance Tante Lou has kept hidden the concomitant that she works incredibly long hours and works her fingers to the bone, just to send Grant to college.These outside positive factors have helped pave the pathway so that one day Grant can find his inner hero and live up to his full potential. Another important transition into Grants heroic path is the belief in himself which stems from an important connection with Jefferson whom he felt provided an idea he lacked, wholeness. Grant explained to Jefferson that he felt disjointed and ask Jefferson to believe in something so that someday he (Grant) can look to Jefferson as an example and start believing in himself. through Jefferson, Grant has learned to stop hiding behind his own business organisation and inadequacies. This marks the change in status for both men as Jefferson for the first time exemplifies strength, which is shown in his posture and offer to provide Jefferson food. Grant steps back from a teaching role and exemplifies a student role in which he feels inadequate, realizing that perhaps his opinions and cynic views on life have been wrong. This is an important stage in the book of account because it marks the lowest transition into the fulfillment of both mens existence. At this point he reader has seen both characters come full circle and grow from empty husks into in depth complex people, both of which can be considered as heroes. On Jeffersons last night Jefferson apologizes to Grant for crying when he realized that Grant would not be at the execution, stating that nobody had ever been as good to him as Grant had been during his incarceration. This kindness shown by Grant once again exemplifies the hero role as doing something that other men do not do in this case it was treating Jefferson as a man, a human, and as an equal.Finally Jeffersons diary shows how Jefferson has big(p) into his potential and indicates that his faith is placed not in God but in his friendship with Grant. His finding of faith is the last part needed by Grant, to fully believe in himself and become the man Tante Lou and everyone else knows he can become. Although both individuals started on a path of isolation, cynicism and were shown as empty husks of their true potential, they each found fulfillment and growth.Even though it was unknowing both Jefferson and Grant grew from the experiences provided by the other and were finally able to break the chains holding them back to fulfill their potential as heroes. Upon the epiphanies that each had based on the others actions and conversations, both characters were able to grow and accomplish what one at a time they could not. Even though in the end Jefferson was still put to death, this book shows that two men who have nothing in common can create something so great that it shakes the very foundation on which they are built. Thi s can apply to present day society as substantially as to society in the past.