A Lesson Before Dying characters

Grant Wiggins 

Grant Wiggins is the most educated figure in his surrounding of the Afro-American people. This is a person who was able to complete an education at the university but returned to his hometown afterward. Wiggins started giving lessons at his home school where his childhood had been spent. People...

Jefferson 

Jefferson is a boy whose way was not supplied with good luck. He met the guys who organized a robbery at the store, and when they run away, Jefferson was the one who stayed and was caught by the owner. He made some stupid mistakes that even deeper his situation and made it more complicated. The...

Tante Lou

Tante Lou is pictured in the book as a strict and not sentimental woman. She was the one, who raised her nephew Grant and previously even raised his mother. She is not the person who expresses her love and kindness with the help of kisses and hugs. Tante Lou is often angry and irritated, more...

Miss Emma Glenn

Miss Emma Glenn is Jefferson’s godmother and the one person who raised him up and took care of him. The plot does not give too much information about this woman, but it is known that she is poor. Miss Emma had been working as a housekeeper on the plantation all her life before she was...

Henri Pichot

Henri Pichot is a person who supplies most of the people from the community by the job. He has his own plantation that gives much work. He is the man that is much higher by the position than any other surrounding people and can easily influence them using his bossy abilities. Henri lives in a huge...

Vivian Baptiste

Vivian Baptiste similar to Grant is a teacher. However, she works in a better school with more comfort and space. This school has different rooms for children with different learning levels. Vivian’s position is much nicer than Grant’s one in the plantation school. However, her life is...

Deputy Paul Bonin

Deputy Paul Bonin is a young white worker in a jail, where Jefferson is placed. Among other workers and officers, Paul shows a deep education and human attitude to the black people. He is the only sheriff that sympathize Jefferson and respects Grant. The difference in color of the skin did not...

Reverend Moses Ambrose

Reverend Moses Ambrose is a strong believer and a person who is strongly devoted to religion. It is the main problem why there is always arguing between Reverend and Grant. Grant is a radical nonbeliever, and these both always have the theme to argue about. Grant blames Reverend in the blindness...

Edna Guidry

Edna Guidry is a wife to the sheriff. She is described in the book as an extremely kind woman with a deep heart and ability to sympathize people. Actually, this woman is one of the rare characters in the book that can deeply and sincerely sympathize with black people. Being a wife of the sheriff...

Matthew Antoine

Matthew Antoine was Grant’s teacher in the days when he was learning at school. He was the first person that encouraged him to change the life he had. Matthew Antoine is sure that the place where all of them live is not good for the comfort happy life. He does not see the bright future for...