Jefferson Dies, But Is Not Defeated Jefferson, a black man condemned to die by the electric chair in the novel A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines, is perhaps the strongest character in African-American literature today. Jefferson is a courageous young black man that a jury of all white men convicts of a murder he has not committed ; yet he still does not let this defeat destroy his personal character. Ernest Gaines portrays Jefferson …showed first 75 words of 647 total…

…showed last 75 words of 647 total…way to overcome all of them. He is one of the best examples in literature that a man can overcome many defeats without destruction. Jefferson proves that as long as a man can still take comfort in things, show compassion for others, and better himself; he will never destruct as a human being. This is one of the most important lessons to be learned from a literary character. Works Cited Gaines, Ernest. A Lesson Before