Food and Meals Symbol in A Lesson Before Dying

A significant number of the key events in A Lesson Before Dying either happen directly because of food or happen while the characters are eating a meal: most of Miss Emma’s early interactions with Jefferson in jail consist of her offering Jefferson food; Grant shows (or denies) his love for Tante Lou by eating her cooking; Grant’s breakthrough with Jefferson occurs when Jefferson thanks Grant for the pecans he’s brought; Jefferson first shows love for Miss Emma by eating her gumbo; Jefferson eats his last meal the night before his execution and declares it the best he’s ever eaten.

Food and Meals Quotes in A Lesson Before Dying

The A Lesson Before Dying quotes below all refer to the symbol of Food and Meals. 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:

Edna turned back to me. “Grant, please tell Emma how sorry I am about Jefferson. I would do it myself, but I’m just too broken up over this matter. I ran into Madame Gropé just the other day; Lord, how sad she looks. Just dragging along. Poor old thing. I had to put my arms round her.” Edna drank from her glass.

Related Characters: Edna Guidry (speaker), Grant Wiggins, Jefferson

Related Symbols: Food and Meals

Page Number and Citation: 45

Explanation and Analysis:

“Everything you sent me to school for, you’re stripping me of it,” I told my aunt. They were looking at the fire, and I stood behind them with the bag of food. “The humiliation I had to go through, going into that man’s kitchen. The hours I had to wait while they ate and drank and socialized before they would even see me. Now going up to that jail. To watch them put their dirty hands on that food. To search my body each time as if I’m some kind of common criminal. Maybe today they’ll want to look into my mouth, or my nostrils, or make me strip. Anything to humiliate me. All the things you wanted me to escape by going to school. Years ago, Professor Antoine told me that if I stayed here, they were going to break me down to the nigger I was born to be. But he didn’t tell me that my aunt would help them do it.”

Related Characters: Grant Wiggins (speaker), Tante Lou

Related Symbols: Fire, Heat, and Warmth, Food and Meals

Page Number and Citation: 79

Explanation and Analysis:

Food and Meals Symbol Timeline in A Lesson Before Dying

The timeline below shows where the symbol Food and Meals appears in A Lesson Before Dying. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Roots, Connections, and Morality Theme Icon

...house, and he thinks that he’s being very hurtful—he’s always supposed to eat his aunt’s food. Grant drives away from Emma’s house, thinking about all the schoolwork he has to do,... (full context)

...says there’s nothing she needs help with, Edna pours herself a drink. She offers Grant food, but Grant refuses, even though he’s hungry—he’ll never eat at Pichot’s kitchen table again. Inez... (full context)

...Bayonne, neither Grant nor Miss Emma says anything. Emma, who’s bringing Jefferson a basket of food, knows that Grant is reluctant to speak to Jefferson at all. (full context)

...that Jefferson has been very quiet lately. The other deputy goes through the basket of food and clothing that Emma has brought, and tells Grant to empty his pockets; Grant notes... (full context)

...to Jefferson’s cell. As they walk there, the other prisoners ask Emma and Grant for food and money. Emma says she’ll give them what Jefferson doesn’t take, and Grant gives them... (full context)

...quiet, and even when Emma strokes his hair he doesn’t speak. Emma shows him the food she’s brought him: fried chicken, yams, and tea cakes. Jefferson says that none of this... (full context)

...opens the cell door. Emma tells Jefferson that they’ll be back soon. She leaves the food with him, and asks Paul to give whatever Jefferson doesn’t eat to the other inmates;... (full context)

...nothing; Emma weeps; Grant and Emma leave together, instructing the guards to leave the extra food for the other prisoners. (full context)

...jail, but she insists that he go alone. Angry, Grant picks up the bag of food Emma has prepared; it contains enough food to feed the entire jail. He tells Lou... (full context)

...Jefferson, and Jefferson asks Grant if he brought him any corn, since corn is the food that hogs eat. Grant insists that Jefferson isn’t a hog, and asks him how long... (full context)

...he and Jefferson sit in the cell in silence, and Grant stares at the half-eaten food. (full context)

...visit Jefferson on Monday, along with Emma and Lou; Grant recommends that they bring him food and clothing. When Ambrose asks about a Bible, he replies, “That would be nice, too.” (full context)

...him, insisting that Grant didn’t tell her the truth about Jefferson: he didn’t like the food or ask about Emma. Emma knows this because she had to hit Jefferson when she... (full context)

...how Jefferson is doing; Paul replies that he’s doing all right, eating some of the food his family sends him. He introduces himself to Grant as Paul Bonin; Grant introduces himself... (full context)

Paul leaves Grant with Jefferson. Grant offers Jefferson food, but Jefferson says he isn’t hungry; Grant leaves the food for the other inmates. He... (full context)

...Instead, he tells Jefferson that Vivian cares about him deeply. Jefferson replies that manners and food are for the living. He kicks all the food off his bed and turns away... (full context)

...brought him a feast of beef, rice, and biscuits. Jefferson doesn’t eat any of the food, even when Emma puts the food next to his mouth. Tante Lou sees the pain... (full context)

...said after the two of them left Pichot’s house. She tells him that she left food for him at home, and then ignores him. Grant leaves the house after only ten... (full context)

At home, Grant heats up food for himself, and is surprised to hear Vivian arrive outside. She tells him that she... (full context)

In the cell, Grant greets Jefferson and offers him food, but Jefferson shakes his head and refuses to eat. Jefferson asks Grant what day it... (full context)

In the jailhouse, Grant greets Jefferson and offers him the food and entertainment he’s brought. Jefferson remains silent, but Grant sees that he’s listening to his... (full context)

In the dayroom, Jefferson doesn’t respond when Miss Emma shows him the food she’s brought, but he answers Grant when Grant greets him. The group eats gumbo together,... (full context)

...unable to answer. He gets up to leave, slamming his towel on his plate of food. He opens the door and stares out into the darkness, thinking that he has nothing... (full context)

...greets Jefferson, and Jefferson tells him that he’s doing all right. Grant shows Jefferson the food he’s brought, and notices that the pencil he gave Jefferson on his last visit has... (full context)

...take Jefferson to clean himself, and when he’s returned to his cell, he finds the food waiting for him; he eats it, knowing it’s the best food Emma ever cooked. He... (full context)

A Lesson Before Dying

Ernest Gaines

Food and Meals Symbol Analysis

Food and Meals Quotes in A Lesson Before Dying

Food and Meals Symbol Timeline in A Lesson Before Dying