Analysis of Vivian from a Lesson Before Dying Essay Example

to say. To Vivian, it seems that love is more than a simple, “I love you”; it’s more of actions. The way she feels is that Grant only loves her when it’s time for sex or when he’s in need.

Love is that acknowledgement from a person. Love is simply more than words. Support is a means or device that keeps something erect, stable, or secure. In the novel, Vivian is in the process of getting a divorce; however, her husband will only agree to the divorce if he can see his children every weekend.While Grant should be there to console her, in reality, he’s upset that the divorce will only delay their “going away” trip from the plantation.

A prime example of Grants self-centered actions is when he suspected Vivian was mad with him; most people would try to talk it out or even pretend to be interested in her feelings; however, Grant continued to talk about his daily activities: “It went well today, honey. It went very well. He and I walked around the room, while I talked to him. Then we ate. His nannan was so proud.

I brought him the pencil and notepad I told you about.It went good today, honey. Aren’t you proud? ” Grant feels that he is trapped by a myriad of forces, his aunt’s incessant wants, the children’s need for a teacher, and the community’s need for leadership. Grant cannot bring himself to carry these burdens thus far he cannot support Vivian in her life decisions because he has so much going on in his own life. In contrast to Grants busy life, Vivian gives him an ultimatum: unless he

is willing to show some consideration, she will leave him. With all that has gone on in Vivian’s life, she still has room to be an idolized black woman.

For Vivian, being a teacher has more morale and meaning than just instructing students what to do. It means being a leader and role model. However, for Grant being a teacher means having a steady job and a measure of status in his community. Vivian challenges her students and gives them hope for the future. Her goal is to instill hope in her students for a brighter future and a life outside the limited plantation community. She does this by building their self-esteem and helping them become contributing members of the community, while Grant — as evidenced by his ever-present Westcott ruler — is primarily concerned with control and discipline.

A classic example that illustrates their divergent approach to teaching is their method of teaching students to write a simple sentence: While Grant ridicules and humiliates his student who can’t write her simple sentence in a straight line; Vivian encourages her students, who are learning to write simple sentences in French. By teaching her students French, Vivian is embracing her Creole heritage. By helping her students transcend their cultural boundaries by learning a foreign language, she is also teaching them to transcend their geographic boundaries and their perceived personal limits.As she points out to Grant, “We’re teachers and we have a commitment. ” All in all, Grant is caught up in his own troubles that he doesn’t realize he’s driving away the woman that loves him.

Just as he leans on Vivian for support, she wants the same. As

she states, “I hope you love me half as much as I love you,” Vivian wants someone to be there for her, someone to listen to her troubles and support her in her decisions. She needs not a verbal proclamation, but the action and commitment to show it. She needs true love.