A Lesson Before Dying Coming of Age Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

"Oh, sure, he has reached the age of twenty-one, when we, civilized men, consider the male species has reached manhood, but would you call this—this—this a man? No, not I. I would call it a boy and a fool." (1.12)

The public defender is picking apart the word "man". First of all, he takes for granted that he and the jury are all "civilized men", but then he questions whether one birthday really makes someone a man. Then, he gives us two opposites to the concept "man": boy, and fool. The first one isn't too surprising; boys are often contrasted to men. But he also shows that he values intelligence in order to call someone a man.

Quote #2

"I don't want them to kill no hog," she said. "I want a man to go to that chair, on his own two feet." (2.29)

Miss Emma surely doesn't really think that Jefferson is a hog. She loves him and thinks of him as her dear boy. However, she knows that being a man has to do with the way that society sees Jefferson, and how he sees himself. That's what she wants to change.

Quote #3

"I'm supposed to make him a man. Who am I? God?" (4.103)

Grant knows that helping someone grow up is hard enough, and that making them do it is next to impossible. It would take a miracle, in fact, to force an immature person to mature against their will.