Faith has always played a role in human society. Some place their faith in a divine being, while others place their faith in more physical things. In the historical fiction novel A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest J. Gaines, a reader can see the motivation that people draw from faith, whether it is their own faith or that of others. This novel is set in the city of Bayonne, Louisiana, in the 1940s. It depicts the struggle two black men face in their lives, one has been wrongly accused of murder and the other tries to accept the state of his community. Jefferson was called a pig by his defense attorney and sentenced to death after being falsely accused. Throughout the book, Grant Wiggins, a teacher, tries to help Jefferson learn how to behave and die like a man. With the narrative centered on Grant, the reader sees how Grant struggles to live in a community where everyone he loves is oppressed. However, both Grant and Jefferson learn what it means to be a man in their struggles. Faith gives people the strength to accomplish anything: it is the ever-present theme in Ernest Gaines' novel, A Lesson Before Dying. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Symbols are scattered everywhere in A Lesson Before Dying. When Jefferson is in prison, he doesn't have much to live for. After his defense attorney calls Jefferson a pig, he takes those words to heart and loses the ability to behave like a human being. Grant spends time building that confidence; reach Jefferson's human side thanks to the radio. Jefferson gets this radio with the help of the community. Thelma and Claiborne of the Rainbow Club give money to Grant so he can purchase this radio (Gaines 173). Jefferson clearly has the community behind him and they want to support him. Grant isn't the only one who wants Jefferson to be a man. The radio represents everyone's desire for Jefferson to become a man and die with dignity. The radio helps Jefferson realize who he really is and how much hope the community has in him. Even the show that Grant organizes with his students represents the faith of the community. Grant is held in high esteem by most people he interacts with, especially his students. After the show, “[they] waited on stage to hear what [Grant] thought of the program. [He] told them it was fine, really fine” (Gaines 151). Here the reader sees that Grant is losing faith. Most teachers would be very enthusiastic about the students' performance. However, Grant thinks of the work as a representation of the constant, infinite state of Bayonne. For him, this shows how, year after year, nothing changes in this city. It is a symbol of the uselessness he lives with, day after day. However, the trend that year was slightly different: “This year the children found a beautiful pine tree. Before it was oak or whatever they could find” (Gaines 141). This pine symbolizes the constant improvement of Bayonne. In years past, children couldn't try hard enough to find a pine tree. However, this year Grant motivated them enough that the children wanted a pine tree for their performance. The pine tree shows that Grant is able to reach both the children and Jefferson because of his and others' trust in those people. The symbols allow Gaines to convey the theme that faith allows people to achieve any goal. Gaines also skillfully uses metaphors to show the theme of faith. These metaphors occasionally span entire pages of Gaines' writing;conveying a lot about the book, its theme and characters. In one of his visits to Jefferson, Grant attempts to encourage Jefferson by telling him that the ability to change exists for everyone, no matter who they are. Before this, a feeling of uselessness could be found in Grant's visits. Each seemed to have almost no effect on Jefferson, ending unsatisfactorily. However, Jefferson listened to Grant as he described: How Mr. Farrell makes the handle of a sling. Start with a small piece of rough wood, any scrap wood, then start cutting… and then shaving. It reduces it…until it's no longer what it was before, but something new and nice. …And that is all we are, Jefferson, all of us on this earth, a piece of driftwood, until we – each of us, individually – decide to become something else. … [You] can be better. Because we need you to be and we want you to be. …Do you understand what I'm telling you, Jefferson? You do? (Gaines 193) In this passage, Grant connects the construction of any object to any life. He says that "[h]e begins with just a small piece of rough wood," showing how each begins as an uncarved work, waiting to be crafted and recreated. The fact that Grant has been talking about a topic since childhood is also very important. This shows that, even though you may not be aware of it, your life is constantly changing. Grant then shows that evolution does not occur in a single step. Mr. Farrell must first cut the wood into a similar shape, then spend just as much time shaving it down to create the slingshot from a simple piece of wood. After starting with a slingshot, Grant explains that everyone must find their own path and "decide to become something else." However, this does not mean that everyone has to find their own path alone. Grant is encouraging Jefferson to change the future of their community and at the same time come to terms with his own destiny. Describing the slingshot as “something new and cute” reflects the potential everyone has to become beautiful in their own way. Throughout the passage, Grant's trust in Jefferson is evident. In this metaphor, Gaines described the relationship between Grant and Jefferson by being vague and giving the reader a choice. Since Grant is speaking, it seems clear that Grant is Mr. Farrell, who turns Jefferson into a man, and Jefferson is the slingshot. Later in the book, this is called into question. It becomes apparent that Jefferson did so much for Grant as he grew up as well. The reader begins to wonder if Grant was really Mr. Farrell and if it wasn't the slingshot. This passage clearly shows the mutual trust that Grant and Jefferson had for each other. Furthermore, he reflects that mutual faith motivated both Grant and Jefferson to move forward in their lives and achieve their goals. The passage on page 193 clearly shows that A Lesson Before Dying has a theme that shows how faith gives people strength in all circumstances. The slingshot metaphor is not the only one in the book. A Lesson Before Dying contains many other metaphors, most of which show the strength and faith of the characters in the book. While at the Rainbow Club, Grant overhears a group of men talking about Jackie Robinson. Grant finds himself reflecting on Joe Louis, reflecting on how he was the hero of the black community. Grant then thinks about the execution of another black victim and his final words: “Please, Joe Louis, help me. Please help me. Help me." (Gaines 91). Here it is clear that this nameless man was put to death for a crime he hoped to escape. The reader is not told much about what happened in this scenario, but the parallels with Jefferson's story are clear. Both need the help of others to achieve the.