Advice Column Assignment

Dear Advice Column,
A close friend of my family recently got convicted of a murder and was sentenced to death. His defense attorney could not get him off for the crime, and he actually ended up changing the guy's perspective of himself. Because of this, his grandmother has asked me to visit him in jail and help him "become a man". But I don't know how to really do that and if I eventually figure out how to I don't see the point in doing it. This guy is going to be killed and know one knows exactly when yet. Should I try to help the guy even though his death is inevitable?

A Lesson Before Dying: Chapters 5-6

Review Questions
Chapter 3:
1. The church is the meeting place for what?
The church was used as a school by Grant and his students.
2. Why does the school only meet for 5 and a half months?
The school only meets for 5 and a half months because the children are needed in the field the rest of the year.
3. Why does Grant go into such detail about the process by which Jefferson will be killed?
Grant goes into detail because he is very upset about the situation and because it is the main thing on his mind he decides to vent to his students to cause them grief similar to his.
4. What news does Mr. Farrell bring to the class?
Mr. Farrell tells Grant that Mr. Pichot wanted to speak to him that evening.

Chapter 6:
1. Where has Grant gone?
Grant has gone to Henri Pichot's house to meet with him about Jefferson.
2. Where does he wait?
Grant stands in the kitchen waiting for Mr. Pichot for 2 and a half hours.
3. Why does Edna make Grant reach in order to shake hands?
Edna probably is afraid to get too close to Grant so she tries to be polite from a distance.
4. Why was Grant's behavior insulting to the white man?
Grant spoke with intelligence showing that he was not as dumb as the white man expected him to be.

Quotation Assignment:
Chapter 5, Pg. 39
"I could see how painful it was for most of them to hear this, but I did not stop."
   Grant is very aggravated by the situation with Jefferson so to make himself feel better he lashes out on his students. The students are being punished for being in a situation they did not choose to be in just like Jefferson.
Chapter 5, Pg. 40
"He had known me all my life, and he knew my aunt and all my people before me, but since I had gone off to the university and returned as a teacher, he treated me with great respect."
   During this time is was not normal for a black man, or any black person, to attend college and get a job other than working in the fields or as a house servant. Because Grant was one of the few who did, he was highly respected by many. He was looked on as one of the wiser black men.
Chapter 6, Pg. 47
"To show too much intelligence would be an insult to them. To show lack of intelligence would have been a greater insult to me."
Grant had to monitor the way he spoke to the white men because they were believed to be above him. However, Grant knows that he is just as intelligent as them so he does not let them degrade him in any type of way.

A Lesson Before Dying: Chapters 3-4

Discussion Questions
Chapter 3
1. The original plot narrative portrays Jefferson as innocent, however Henri Pichot's insistence that Jefferson is guilty could lead the reader to believe that he did indeed commit the crime.
2. Miss Emma was exhausted from Jefferson's trial and conviction. Grant knew that Miss Emma wanted his help, however he also knew that her mind was isolated and she did not have the energy to beg him for help so she just kept stating that he didn't have to do it.
3. Henri Pichot's back door is used by his workers. Because Grant's aunt used to work for the Pichot's, using the back door symbolizes being less than him. Grant was rankled by using the back door because he knew what message it portrayed.
4. Miss Emma persuaded Henri Pichot to speak to the sheriff on her behalf by emphasizing that she had done a lot for his family. She feels as though Mr. Pichot owes her in some form.

Chapter 4
1. The statement shows that Jefferson's defence attorney tried to portray him as a hog because hogs were carelessly killed frequently.
2. Grant wants to flee town because the way he lives his life is limited there. He is forced to do things he does not want to do. Yet, he stays because he knows that he is needed there.

Quotation Assignment
Chapter 2, Page 15
" But she had not heard me before, and I knew that no matter how loud I screamed, she would not here me now."
2. This quotation characterizes Grant as confined. His personal feelings and opinions are not important to his aunt. He could not refuse to go see Jefferson no matter how much he wished to because his aunt was forcing him to do so.
3. This quote connects to a contemporary issue dealing with the relationship between parents and their children. Parents tend to force their children to do things they do not wish to do. Children are forced to get involved in things they dislike with no objections. The children in those type of situations most likely feel the way Grant did.