In the book, A Lesson Before Dying, written by Ernest G. Gaines, Grant Wiggins was forced to transform Jefferson, an innocent African American who was accused with murder, to become a man. However, Jefferson was not the only person that undergoes the transformation. Grant learned more things than Jefferson, after encountering conflicts between Vivian, Reverend Ambrose and Jefferson. Grant was the one who learned a lesson.

Grant learned a lesson from Vivian. She showed Grant that he does not think about others and that he was pessimistic about the people around his society. This allowed him to be separated with the rest of the people and thus prevent himself from knowing other people's distress. Grant stated that he loves Vivian, but he seemed to be more focused on his own life. He thought of her not as a person with needs of her own, but as a person...