Chapter 29

Info

• page: 246-254
• place: jail in Bayonne
• time: a few days before Jeffersons execution
• people: Jefferson, Vivian, Grant, Mr Guidry, Mr Pichot, Mr Morgan

Content

Jefferson's diary

• The lines filling Jefferson's diary are full of spelling mistakes since he had never had an education that could have taught him such knowledge. Some of the writing sounds like Jefferson is writing to Grant. The text includes narratives about Jefferson's fellow prisoners and the difference between rich and poor. For Jefferson, the only plausible explanation for poor people being so much worse off than rich people is that God must favour the rich
• Jefferson's time as a prisoner gives him, for the first time in his life, the opportunity to reflect extensively on himself and his career to date, and he realizes that he had always underestimated himself up to that point in his life. A few days before his scheduled death Jefferson writes in his diary, that Mr Pichot and Mr Morgan visit him. The sheriff Mr Guidry and Mr Morgan talk about having a bet about whether Grant can help Jefferson or not
• Pichot offers to lend Jefferson his knife so that Jefferson can sharpen his pencil. After Guidry permits Jefferson to do this, the prisoner is loaned the knife for the next few days
• The fact that numerous people stop by Jefferson's house in the days before his death to see him one last time deeply touches the prisoner. His friend Bok even gives him one of his marbles, which is a special memory for Jefferson
• The night before Jefferson's execution, Vivian accompanies Grant to visit Jefferson. The prisoner is overwhelmed by the young woman's appearance and worries about not being presentable enough, and he is unshowered and dirty, but Vivian makes him understand in no uncertain terms that she likes him as he is and does not mind the dirt
• To Jefferson, Grant is one of the very few people in his life who ever cared about him. That's why the prisoner burst into tears when Grant previously told him he couldn't be at his execution
• Jefferson is allowed to request food for his last evening, and he asks that Miss Emma cook for him. Guidry arranges for the prisoner to receive his meal. After dinner, Guidry inquires of Jefferson whether he felt well treated in prison and asks the prisoner to write this down
• Jefferson can't get any rest and writes in his diary for a long time. In the course of his writing, he decides to watch the sunrise again the next morning before his execution. The young man is terrified of death, yet he remains strong and calm. Lastly, he composes a letter addressed to Mr Wiggins. In it, Jefferson asks him to proclaim that Jefferson is a real man. He wants to give the diary to clerk Paul so that he can deliver it to Grant

Chapter 30

Info

• page: 255-266
• place: streets of Bayonne, Rainbow Club, courthouse in Bayonne
• time: the evening and the morning before Jefferson's execution
• people: Grant, Vivian, citizens of Bayonne, Mr Guidry, Paul, Henry Vincent, Jefferson

Content

• On Jefferson's final morning, Bayonne residents become aware of a dark van covered with a tarp heading towards the courthouse
• Vivian and Grant spend the evening at the Rainbow Club, where they talk about the impending execution. Vivian decides to have her students pray in the classroom at the time of the execution. The pair go their separate ways again early in the evening, and Grant heads to Tante Lou's. As he drives past Miss Emma's house, he sees some strange cars parked in her driveway, but he thinks nothing more of it and continues on his way
• On the morning of the execution, the sheriff, Mr Guidry, is also in a tense mood, as it is the first execution he's attending. Grant was unable to participate in the execution, but the Reverend will be there. At eight o'clock sharp, the clerks unload Jefferson from the dark truck, and the prisoner has to undergo a shave, which Paul performs on him.
• After Paul has shaved Jefferson's ankles and head, Jefferson gives the Clerk his diary with the request that he hand it over to Grant. Jefferson is not allowed to keep the radio with him until the execution, but he does not get upset about it. Instead, he gives Paul the marble that his friend Bok gave him. Paul will also be present at the execution

Chapter 31

Info

• page: 267-277
• time: noon on the day of Jefferson's execution
• place: Grant's school on the plantation
• people: Grant

Content:

• Shortly before Jefferson's execution, Grant interrupts his lesson and goes outside. Inevitably, tears well up in his eyes as he watches the memories of his friends and acquaintances who have already died pass before his inner eye. For Jefferson, however, he pulls himself together and wants to be strong for his friend, who is currently experiencing the most challenging hour of his life
• For him, Ambrose is a brave man because, as a white man, he draws strength from God, which helps him through difficult times. Emotionally troubled as he is, Grant blames himself for leading Jefferson away from divine faith and fervently hopes Jefferson will forgive him for it. Again Grant's faith in Jefferson is unshakeable
• Shortly before noon, the primary school teacher makes his students kneel on the floor and, himself goes back outside the school building. While Grant thinks about his friend who is about to be executed, he refuses to believe in a God who let Jefferson's execution happen and in whom the white members of the court believe who condemned Jefferson despite his innocence
• Grant realises that Aunt Lou, Miss Emma and Ambrose believe in God because they hope for salvation from him. The primary school teacher can understand this because he isn't free as well. That's why he also calls himself a slave at the end