What does it mean to be human at any point in history? How does the definition of being human change over time? This is one theme of A Lesson Before Dying. In the place and time of this novel, certain humans, slaves in particular, were seen as less human than whites and therefore had fewer rights. Another theme is that of acceptance of one's humanity as it is defined at that time and transcending past it to a better place.
The story is set in the southern United States during the 1940s when racism and segregation were still very much a part of daily life. An innocent black man is unfairly, quickly charged as guilty and sentenced to death. The family rather than fight this charge, enlist the help of a family relative to assist the condemned black man in learning how to face death with dignity.
Rather than fight the false chargers that he murdered another man, the main character and his family are much more accepting of his fate. They are more concerned that he die with dignity than that he clear his name. This theme of acceptance and transcendence over the circumstance of being sentenced to death, focusing on dying with dignity is only believable to the reader because of the setting of the book.
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