Folks starts off his critical essay by describing Gaines and his efforts to write a cultural tradition into his books. He touches on Gaines and his thoughts on his culture growing up - Gaines thought that it was natural to suppress your natural heritage. Folks states that Gaines writes A Lesson Before Dying with more of a grasp on the entire range of the Southern traditional rural culture, and that Gaines tried to reverse the culture alienation resulting from the Diaspora. Folks mentions how through Grant’s narrative, he greatens the possibility for social change. Folks then describes how Gaines is not thought to be “Southern”, thought he grew up rural Louisiana.Gaines was educated, and spent most of his years in California, like most of the people in his stories. He asserts that the social nature of Grant’s fiction is shown through most of his books. Folks states that Grant writes simply, with “clarity” and “truthfulness”. Folks says that Grant lacks a belief in religion, and that he thinks that the African Americans in his town depend too much on Christianity. He discerns that Grant’s refusal to follow religion is linked to his denial of the potential heroism that he has inside. Folks states that Gaines’s purpose is to inform the readers about moral choice and historical. He points out that while Jefferson is starting to respect himself, Grant is doing the same. For example - as a reviewer of the book noted - , Grant’s own problems with self - contempt for the students helps contribute determination to Grant’s mission to turn Jefferson to a man. Folks concludes his essay by saying that Grant has greatly contributed to the cultural aspect of African - American society, and that he can see it changing.
This essay helps support the thesis about the terrible treatment of blacks and how it is shown through the characters Jefferson and Grant. “...his fifth - and sixth - graders sawing and chopping wood (tasks familiar to their ancestors in slavery times).”...