In the novel “A Lesson before Dying” by Ernest J. Gaines Grant has strengths and weaknesses that cause him wonder to himself Why wasn’t I there? Why wasn’t I standing beside him? Why wasn’t my arm around him? Why, on the morning of Grant’s execution. The strengths of Grant are Grant is a very intelligent man and willing man to help out, but his weakness are caused by the town he lives in which leads his hatred of whites, his arrogance, and his detachment from the black community. As an educated man, he sees himself as superior to people like Jefferson and Rev. Instead of preparing him to contribute to his community, his formal education has taught him to despise his own people.
His weaknesses stubborn, irresponsible, bitter, and bigoted and is faithless. He is an educated man, but thinks he is better then the rest of the community, he is bigoted towards his own race and resents being a Negro, “…she knew how much I hated all this.” His stubbornness of not being willing to help out Tante Lou and Miss Emma, hold him back and make him a much more rented person mentally. He has no self-esteem and by lacking in self-confidence, he turns out to be exactly what the white men want him to be. He lacks confidence to be able to influence the colored community. He does not go out and try to make a difference; instead he continues to teach the children with out being the mentor he should really be. He in fact, does what the white men tell him to do, “I teach”
He is blinded by his own selfishness, and not being able to see that small changes are happening all around him. This shows his cowardness and irresponsibility. He has been brought up with education, and the colored folk believe that Grant is the one that can help to save them. They believe that Grant can teach the next generation of children, not to make the same mistakes, or to become stuck in the never ending rut, “exactly what I’m trying to do here with you now: to make you responsible young men and ladies....