In A Lesson Before Dying, Ernest J Gaines, the author, sets his story in the 1940s in a Cajun community. Jefferson, a young African American, is an innocent witness to a shootout in a liquor store in which three men are killed, but he is the only survivor and, therefore, is sentenced to prison and death. As a boy, Gaines grew up on a plantation in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana, which features Bayonne in his fictional writings. Having experienced the lifestyle of slavery, Gaines portrays the trials and tribulations of living an African-American life. Although the main theme of A Lesson Before Dying is based on the persistent power of racism in the South, an examination of the novel's subtle details and interpretations examines the complications faced by African Americans. Racism becomes more palatable when white individuals dehumanize African Americans. When Jefferson is convicted in court for allegedly killing a gang of three men, Gaines uses a combination of similes to develop the association between flawless black humans and animals. Although Jefferson's lawyer creates many logical ideas to explain that Jefferson did not kill Alcee Grope, he also points out that Jefferson is a boy and a fool, so he does not have the ability to plan the murder. Jefferson's lawyer does not support him with evidence, but by saying: “He has reached the age of twenty-one years, when we, civilized men, consider the male species to have reached manhood, but would you call this-this-this a man? Ninth. I would call him a boy and a fool. A fool is not aware of right and wrong” (Gaines, 7). By stating that Jefferson is a boy, Gaines indicates how racism spreads through everyday interactions. The defense claims that he... middle of paper... saying I'm a "nice rump"; instead of thinking of them as people, he thinks of them as things. Through such bold words, the power of racism is expressed. While minutiae may be irrelevant in some stories, Gaines uses subtle points to demonstrate the importance of racism in the world past and present. The lingering power of racism that existed in the past still exists today. Gaines tries to push forward a message throughout the novel through Jefferson's death. Jefferson's execution will be a lifelong remembered event that will have a great influence on many individuals in that society. By dying with dignity, Jefferson demonstrates to whites that he is a distinct human being. The lives of African Americans should be viewed equally as the lives of white people. Works Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York, NY: Scribner, 2004. Print.