The ending of A Lesson Before Dying gives the reader a sense of despair and then portrays a sense of optimism. Gaines' writing is unique because the reader feels this hope for the future and optimism without Gaines having to say it. Instead, he wrote about the execution and the hope was picked up from the "little things." At the reader feels disappointed because Jefferson has died. The optimism comes into play through Grant and the fact that he has learned his lesson(s) from Jefferson. It is also uplifting because Jefferson has died with dignity on the day meant for him. I think that Gaines also throws a curve in at the end through the character of Paul whose purpose seems to stress the hope for the future of Blacks in a white society.
When I first finish reading the novel, the very end was most significant. "I went up to the desk and turned to face them. I was crying."(p.256). These last words are appropriate because they convey exactly how I felt as I finish the book, and how I......

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Title: Lesson Before Dying
Approximate Word Count: 1037
Approximate Pages: 5 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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