Preview

A Lesson Before Dying: Mr. Wiggins Essay Example

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
986 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
A Lesson Before Dying: Mr. Wiggins Essay Example
A Lesson Before Dying: Mr. Wiggins

In A Lesson Before Dying, Mr. Grant Wiggins' life crises were the center of the story. Although he was supposed to make Jefferson into a man, he himself became more of one as a result. Not to say that Jefferson was not in any way transformed from the "hog" he was into an actual man, but I believe this story was really written about Mr. Wiggins.

Mr. Wiggins improved as a person greatly in this book, and that helped his relationships with other people for the most part. At the start of the book, he more or less hated Jefferson, but after a while he became his friend and probably the only person Jefferson felt he could trust. The turning point in their relationship was the one visit in which Jefferson told Mr. Wiggins that he wanted a gallon of ice cream, and that he never had enough ice cream in his whole life. At that point Jefferson confided something in Mr. Wiggins, something that I didn't see Jefferson doing often at all in this book.

"I saw a slight smile come to his face, and it was not a bitter smile.
Not bitter at all"; this is the first instance in which Jefferson breaks his somber barrier and shows emotions. At that point he became a man, not a hog. As far as the story tells, he never showed any sort of emotion before the shooting or after up until that point. A hog can't show emotions, but a man can. There is the epiphany of the story, where Mr. Wiggins realizes that the purpose of life is to help make the world a better place, and at that time he no longer minds visiting Jefferson and begins becoming his friend.

Mr. Wiggins' relationship with his Aunt declined in this story, although it was never very strong. His Aunt treated him like he should be a hog and always obey, yet she wanted him to make a hog into a man. His Aunt was not a very nice person, she would only show kindness towards people who shared many of her views, and therefore was probably a very hard person to get along with.

The way Mr.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Ⅰ Firstly, the author use various proper uses of rhetoric to show that he treated his young pig as a human, like a closed friend, rather than animal.…

    • 1001 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Grant Wiggins life crisis’ seemed to take up a huge role in A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines. Grant’s main focus was to make Jefferson into a man before he was electrocuted to death in prison. I am not saying that Jefferson was not changed from a “hog” into a man, but I believe that Grant was the one who became the bigger man. Therefore, I strongly believe that Gaines wrote this book about Wiggins; rather than Jefferson.…

    • 284 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    hog and instead of letting that get to him he learned from it and died as a man. You…

    • 1538 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Each one of the boys gives something different to offer to the brotherhood between them. Tradd comes from a wealthy family in Charleston, with his father being a graduate from The Institute. Not only is he rich, but he is also reserved and highly educated. Within the brotherhood, Tradd feels like he is the outcast and is able to diffuse most fights within the brotherhood using his words. During his education at The Institute, he is called ‘The Honey Prince’, making a joke of his suspected gayness because he is an English major and seems to not be interested in women. When he finally has sex with a girl on his trip in England, he thinks that it will erase his title. “But nothing happened. Nothing changed. People still think I’m a queer, and there’s nothing I can do about it” (Conroy 257). Pig is the total opposite and is best described as a beefy man with a hot temper. He is so infatuated with his girlfriend, that if anyone calls her pretty or says…

    • 1415 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jack Finney’s concise narrative “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket” exhibits the author's concern with time and the struggle to escape from its grip. The story's protagonist, Tom Benecke, illustrates the delicate balance between what people tend to prioritize in life and spend the most time on versus what ends up arguably being the more worthwhile investment of that time. Benecke has tremendously invested himself, including all of his leisure time, in completing research to gain a higher position at the grocery store where he is employed. In the process of working so hard, Benecke neglects his wife, Clare, and his life outside of his job. It takes a near-death experience for Benecke to realize that he has been wasting valuable portions of his life that he could have spent with his wife. Faced with the prospect of not ever having those opportunities again, Benecke mourns the death he created—the death of time—and resolves to save his life by valuing the time he is given.…

    • 476 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Thomas Jefferson through his life, his experiences have changed his view to suit what he believes is best for America. Jefferson grew up in a wealthy family and grew with a positive view of the people. He served as a Virginia delegate and as a Virginia state legislature member. Then, he was an author of the Declaration of Independence to create the new nation of America. Later, he became part of Washington’s cabinet as Secretary of State and served as a U.S. Minister to France. Through his political background, he grew skills to help hone his vision on how…

    • 616 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Giver Essay Example

    • 379 Words
    • 2 Pages

    4. What do you think is the most severe pain the community members could experience?…

    • 379 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    He was merciless, and he showed no emotions whatsoever when he pulled that trigger. Aaron was starting to get this wild look on his face, almost as if he was blood thirsty. He suddenly just began to go up to random students and started shooting; again with no emotion, I called over to him.…

    • 1388 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    unappreciative. He often belittled her by insulting her while at the same time forcing her to…

    • 592 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ben Carson Essay

    • 1063 Words
    • 5 Pages

    years old he struggled with a bad temper. All the hate he felt from his dad…

    • 1063 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Macbeth Commentary

    • 278 Words
    • 2 Pages

    his emotions hidden from the other characters in the play, this connects to his downfall…

    • 278 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    began to feed his ill temper. He came home one night intoxicated and felt that his favorite…

    • 711 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Arthur Miller’s drama Death of a Salesman is highly regarded as one of the best examples of a modern American play. Following the “certain private conversations” of the Loman family in New York, Death of a Salesman analyzes the detrimental aspects of pursuing the American dream while still retaining enough sentimental emotion to deliver a strong, heartfelt message on redemption. These and many other aspects of Miller’s play all culminate inside the main character, Willy Loman, in a way that makes him seem to some like a rendition of the modern tragic hero. Now viewed by many as a modern American tragedy, Death of a Salesman continues to connect with audiences but on a more emotionally established, dramatic level.…

    • 1570 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Writers are often influenced by the ideologies upheld by society during the historical context in which they were writing in and texts can often challenge these ideologies, or uphold them, or even do both. Oscar Wilde’s, The Importance of Being Earnest, is a dramatic comedy of manners that takes place in polite wealthy Victorian society. Wilde successfully funnels the snobbery and superficiality of London’s elite during the 1890’s and has both challenged and upholds certain ideologies placed on marriage, class and social etiquette.…

    • 1285 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the Woods

    • 3430 Words
    • 14 Pages

    people had a problem with her. First of all, she was a woman, only the…

    • 3430 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Good Essays