In A Lesson Before Dying, Grant gets the opportunity to go to college unlike the others in his family. Grant was able to attend college because of the hard efforts of his aunt. When he goes to college he finally is able to understand the extent of racism going on in his community. He wants to make a change.

He hears a speech from the Reverend who said that black people aren’t ignorant. They know what’s going on but they must lie and cheat themselves and their loved ones in order to survive. We see an example of this when Grant’s aunt tells him that she was fine and everything was okay when in reality, she was working like an animal and things were extremely tough. She had to take the role of a leader in that situation in order to have her nephew happily go to college. This type of lying isn’t necessarily bad. The situation they are in forces them to lie and in fact is more constructive than harmful. If they were to admit to themselves that they were living a life of hardship and pain, they may have all given up.

Grant is now a professor trying to pass down his knowledge to his students although he sees it as useless. Slavery has been going on way too long and he feels like he’s getting nowhere in his efforts to make a difference.

“I wish I could just run away from this place.”
Vivian shook her head. “You know you can’t.”
”Why not?”
[. . .] 
”You know the answer yourself, Grant. You love them more than you hate this place (Chapter 12: 88-92).”

We see his frustration and pessimism throughout the novel but by the end of the novel he makes a lot of progress with his students and with Jefferson as we see he cries when Jefferson gets killed. This novel may be trying to teach us that no matter ones personality don’t count them out as they may have much to offer. Grant didn’t count Jefferson out and I’m sure he doesn’t regret that decision.

Education has a very broad meaning but the common variable is that education ALWAYS gives one the potential to come out successful and make a difference in whatever they do.