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Deputy Paul Bonin
An influential minister in Grant and Jefferson's community, and a champion of faith and humility, Reverend Moses Ambrose takes an active role in Jefferson's life from the moment Jefferson is sentenced to death: he visits Jefferson in his jail cell and encourages others to visit as well. Ambrose is suspicious of Grant's religious values, and frequently tells Grant that he must improve Jefferson's soul, not just his life. Ambrose is also skeptical of the merits of higher education, and tells Grant that college has made him more, not less ignorant. Toward the end of the novel, Ambrose reveals that he sees himself as a "liar": a minister who uses his influence to propagate Christian stories of transcendence and hope that, while not literally true, give people the courage to live their lives and thus take on a kind of metaphysical truth. While Grant spends most of the novel in disagreement with Ambrose, he comes to see that Ambrose's strength and integrity, stemming from a sincere belief in God and Heaven, far exceed his own.
Reverend Moses Ambrose Quotes in A Lesson Before Dying
The A Lesson Before Dying quotes below are all either spoken by Reverend Moses Ambrose or refer to Reverend Moses Ambrose. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 27
Quotes
“She been lying every day of her life, your aunt in there. That’s how you got through that university—cheating herself here, cheating herself there, but always telling you she’s all right. I’ve seen her hands bleed from picking cotton. I’ve seen the blisters from the hoe and the cane knife. At that church, crying on her knees. You ever looked at the scabs on her knees, boy? Course you never. ’Cause she never wanted you to see it. And that’s the difference between me and you, boy; that make me the educated one, and you the gump. I know my people. I know what they gone through. I know they done cheated themself, lied to themself—hoping that one they all love and trust can come back and help relieve the pain.”
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Explanation and Analysis:
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Reverend Moses Ambrose Quotes in A Lesson Before Dying
The A Lesson Before Dying quotes below are all either spoken by Reverend Moses Ambrose or refer to Reverend Moses Ambrose. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 27
Quotes
“She been lying every day of her life, your aunt in there. That’s how you got through that university—cheating herself here, cheating herself there, but always telling you she’s all right. I’ve seen her hands bleed from picking cotton. I’ve seen the blisters from the hoe and the cane knife. At that church, crying on her knees. You ever looked at the scabs on her knees, boy? Course you never. ’Cause she never wanted you to see it. And that’s the difference between me and you, boy; that make me the educated one, and you the gump. I know my people. I know what they gone through. I know they done cheated themself, lied to themself—hoping that one they all love and trust can come back and help relieve the pain.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
