Ernest J. Gaines's 'Lesson' prompts teens to grapple with stark realities

The English teacher, Frazier O'Leary Jr., who has been teaching 33 years, said he loves this class so much, he can't wait to get up in the morning to transfer his love of literature to young men who sit before him. The students arrived at school an hour early to take part.

School officially begins at 8:45. This senior class starts at 7:50 a.m.

"They destroy all the stereotypes about minority males," said O'Leary, who is white.

He was preparing the students for an AP exam they were about to take, an exam he expects all of them to pass, because they have been studying literature with him for two years. Although the exam likely would not focus on this book, O' Leary asked them how they might use the story to help them ace the open-question AP exam.

O'Leary asked them: What are themes in the book they could explore? Are there scenes of violence in the story?

Isaiah Aladejob, 18, wearing a purple shirt and black tie, raised his hand: "When Grant" -- the teacher in the book -- "starts the fight with the guy at the bar."

"Good," O'Leary said.

O'Leary asked the students to look for symbols of parental figures in the book, a potential exam question.

"There are no parents, only parental figures," Isaiah said. "Look at Grant. He is a parental figure to Paul." (Paul is a white deputy.)

"What about the reverend?" asked Shawn Arrington, 18.

"Good question," O'Leary said.

He moved to other potential exam questions: What about a funeral scene in literature? Is there a funeral scene in this book?