A Lesson Before Dying

Grant and his students prepare for the annual visit from Dr. Joseph Morgan, the superintendent of schools. Irene Cole, a sixth grader, is in charge of the younger students. Dr. Joseph sits at the teacher’s desk and selects various students to come and talk to him about their studies. The students are nervous. He calls on Gloria Hebert from the primer group, and then he calls on Louis Washington Jr., a first grader that Grant wishes had stayed home on this day. The boy’s hands are dirty, and when asked to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, he doesn’t say it correctly.

Dr. Joseph inspects the cleanliness of the children’s hands and teeth. Grant compares this inspection to that of the white slave masters when buying new slaves. Grant finds consolation in that at least Dr. Joseph lets the kids spread their own lips rather than using “some kind of crude instrument” (46). Dr. Joseph continues to call Grant “Higgins” instead of Wiggins, and he compliments him on his good “crop” of students. Grant recalls that Dr. Joseph calls him the same name and says the same things about his students every year. He regrets having drilled them so much.