Chapters 16 and 17 Quotations

Chapter Sixteen - #1

“Young man, I pray for you every night, and I know the Lord is hearing my prayers. Put all your faith in Him, and He’ll bring you through.” - Page 99.

This quotation relates to the theme of the final act of redemption. With Reverend Ambrose constantly referring to Jesus Christ when trying to speak to Jefferson, he believes that Jefferson still has an opportunity to change himself and have an impact on the black community by being executed with a positive outlook. Those who opposed Jefferson because of his color wanted him to perceive himself as a wild animal, but Grant and Miss Emma were trying to convince him that he is a human being. By dying as a man, he will sway the hearts of his fellow African Americans by defying society until his heart stops beating.

Chapter Seventeen - #1

“You can talk like that; you know you go’n walk out here in a hour. I bet you wouldn’t be talking like that if you knowed you was go’n stay in here.” - Page 105.

This quotation relates to the theme of empathy. Grant revisits Jefferson in his cell to talk to him about Miss Emma and wants Jefferson to do something for Miss Emma before she passes away. Eventually, Grant asks him if doing one last thing for Miss Emma is too much to ask and begins talking about how he does not know when he will die and that he does not want to hurt those closest to him. However, Jefferson believes that the only reason why Grant thinks like this is because he is not the one who was wrongfully accused of murder and sentenced to death by execution. Grant, Miss Emma, and their aunt were only sympathizing, not empathizing. To sympathize means to comprehend another's problems and providing comfort, but empathizing means to truly understand another's situation by sharing the same perspective. Without similar experiences, Grant will never know what it is truly like to be in Jefferson's shoes.

A Lesson Before Dying: Chapter 14 Quotation

According to chapter 14 in the novel A Lesson Before Dying, it states, "In the kitchen was a black four-lid wood stove, a five-foot-tall white icebox, a handmade table with four wood-bottom chairs around it, a safe with screen doors for the dishes, a broom that had seen better days, an ax in the corner, and several black pots and aluminum pans, hanging from nails on the wall." Even if one did not know the exact setting which the story took place, it could be easily deduced that it was between the early and mid-1900s. As an aspect of history and as a theme, it is most related to racism and segregation in the southern states. After the end of slavery in the United States, Congress ratified a few amendments which gave blacks citizenship and the right to vote. However, the Supreme Court also made decisions which completely contradicted the acts of Congress and ended up separating the two races by making different facilities that were supposed to be "Separate but Equal."

Temporary Escape

When one speaks of a temporary escape, that person is talking about escaping from the troubles in everyday life which confines them. Life has infinite possibilities and any choice made by one person may affect another in a strong manner. Depending on the problem faced, the choice made may have a positive or negative consequence, and may affect many people or one person. Sometimes a person may need a temporary escape to continue and to realize that humans are without limits and can become what they aspire to be. My temporary escape is any quiet and secluded area; the mind is able to focus greater when sound is kept to a minimum around it.