A Lesson Before Dying

This novel deals with questions of racism and human dignity, and traces an ‘education’ which equates with a religious conversion. The turning point for the central character, Jefferson, is when his date of execution is brought down. In the face of death, he embraces life and discovers his self-worth. The lesson is as much the teacher’s as it is the pupil’s. There is a dual progress being traced from ignorance to enlightenment, from cynicism to faith.