A Lesson Before Dying: Chapter 30 Summary & Analysis

Chapter 30 is written in Grant’s point of view, along with many others. Grant describes Sidney deRogers, a local worker who’s on his way to mow the lawn at George Jarreau’s house. A black truck with a gray tarpaulin cover drives by him. deRogers later reports feeling cold when the truck drives by. At eleven o’clock, George’s wife, Lucy, tells Sidney to drive to the store to pick up some white thread. Sidney drives toward the store in Lucy’s car; before he reaches the store, he notices a crowd of people standing by the courthouse. Everyone is staring at the black truck. Sidney drives past the crowd toward the store. Inside, he tells a saleswoman that he needs thread; the woman tells him to find it himself and pay her back later.

Tante Lou spends the night with Miss Emma, as do many other members of the community. Lou stays there all night, while Ambrose leaves around midnight to get some sleep, knowing that Sheriff Guidry wants all witnesses to the execution to be present at the courthouse by eleven thirty. Vivian and Grant spend the night at the Rainbow Club—it’s both quieter and more full than he’s ever seen it. At eleven, Claiborne announces that the place is closing; he and Grant don’t look each other in the eye. Grant drives home alone. He stops by Miss Emma’s house, but doesn’t go inside, thinking that he has nothing left to say to her.

The next morning, Reverend Ambrose, who is to read Jefferson his last rights, wakes up and prays that God will give him the strength to do his job today. He eats breakfast and thinks about his duties: he is to read the 23rd Psalm. Meanwhile, Sheriff Guidry eats breakfast and prays that everything will go smoothly that day, thinking that he wishes this day had never come. He tells Edna, his wife, that he spoke to Grant earlier, and asked him if he would be a witness at the execution; Grant declined the offer, and Guidry said that he understood. Guidry also mentions that Reverend Ambrose asked to be a witness, and that the other witness will be Henry Williams, a local man who Guidry knows is not a troublemaker. Some members of Alcee Gropé’s family will also be in attendance at the execution. He doesn’t look directly at his wife as he tells her all of this.

Melvina Jack is working at Edwin’s department store when the black truck drives by her. Juanita deJean, a white worker at the store, asks Melvina if she knows what’s in the truck; when Melvina says that she doesn’t, Juanita tells her that she will before the day is over. Melvina sees that the truck is parking near the courthouse, and she says, “No, no.” Juanita responds, “Yes, yes.” Melvina can barely stand as she sees an electric chair being taken from the truck. Juanita comments that she wishes the event could take place farther from school; Melvina knows she means farther from the white school, not the Black school that is even closer by.

Fee Jinkins is a petty criminal who spends a month in jail during the time when Jefferson is to be executed. He cleans the sheriff’s office and the white people’s restrooms. He is cleaning when he sees men in suits bring the electric chair into the courthouse. One of the men carrying the chair says that it’s called Gruesome Gerty, and jokingly threatens to put Fee in it if he misbehaves. Another man carrying the chair says that the execution will occur between twelve and three that afternoon, and that anyone working in the jailhouse can leave during this time if they don’t want to see it. Someone whom Fee doesn’t know says that Christ was executed at the same time of day on a Friday; someone else says that two thieves were executed then as well.

Clay Lemon works at Weber’s Café and Bar and Bait Shop, running errands for Felix Weber, the owner. He is walking to the bank when he hears a loud noise. Inside the bank, he finds a white man and woman complaining about the noise, which they say is coming from the courthouse. The man and woman talk to a clerk, who tells them that her child asked about who was going to be killed; the clerk told the child that an “old bad nigger” was going to die, and the next day, the child had forgotten all about the incident. When it’s Clay’s turn to go to the clerk, he’s forgotten what he’s come to the bank for; the clerk irritably asks if he’s from Felix’s, snatches the check he’s brought out of his hands, and gives him change in return for it.

Paul stands in the sheriff’s office in the jailhouse discussing the execution with Sheriff Guidry and two special deputies, Claude Guerin and Oscar Guerin. The executioner’s name is Henry Vincent. Vincent tells Paul that he must shave Jefferson before the execution, so that there’s not a hair on his head, his wrists, or his legs; Paul says that Jefferson barely has any hair on his body to begin with. Sheriff Guidry assures Vincent that Paul is up to the task, but also that he’s nervous, since this is his first execution. Guidry tells Paul that he should find the prisoner named Murphy and release him from his cell so that he can shave Jefferson.

Paul carries a safety razor and pair of scissors to Murphy’s cell and tells him that he must shave Jefferson; Murphy is confused, but agrees, and Paul sends him to get a piece of soap and some warm water from the shower room. Paul then goes to Jefferson’s cell with Claude, and tells Jefferson that Murphy will need to shave his hair. Paul can see that Jefferson hasn’t slept the night before. He also notices his blue denim shirt, his notebook, which is lying by the wall, and his radio, which is off. As the three of them wait for Murphy to return, Jefferson asks Claude about Miss Bernice and little Roy, Claude’s wife and child; Claude is reluctant to respond at first, but with Paul’s encouragement, he answers Jefferson—they’re both fine.

Murphy returns with the soap and the water; he goes to work shaving Jefferson’s head, cutting holes in his pants and shirt, and shaving his ankles and wrists. As Murphy works, Jefferson sits on his bed, as if in a trance. When Murphy is finished, Paul motions for Claude and Murphy to leave the cell. As Paul locks the cell door, Jefferson asks Paul to give Grant his diary and Pichot his knife and gold chain; Paul says that he will. Jefferson gives Paul a long look and asks him if he’ll be at the execution that afternoon. Paul nods and says that he will.