Chapter 5, which takes place at Grant's school and illustrates the interaction between Grant and his students, is a mirror image of Chapter 6, which takes place at Pichot's mansion and illustrates the interaction between Grant and the white men. In effect, we see Grant treating his students the same way that he is treated by the white men. In both cases, the interactions are marked by a blatant lack of respect and by a desire on the part of the so-called superior individual(s) to humiliate their so-called inferiors.
Chapter 5 opens with Grant and his students in the churchyard, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, a ritual that is fraught with irony, given that there is no "liberty and justice" for blacks in the South. Adding to the irony is the white picket fence surrounding the church, which suggests that the church is the students' "home." Note the sensual language in the opening paragraph which enables us to see the smoke, hear the tractors, and feel the cold air.
We then follow the students inside and listen to them recite their Bible verses, a ritual that has also become meaningless to Grant (and his students). By quoting several of the verses, Gaines expresses his respect for these short, concise statements — for example, "Jesus wept" — which convey the power he aims for in his own spare writing style.
Chapter 5 also introduces us to the plantation school and to the role of the black teacher. We learn that the school year consists of only five and a half months, since the children are needed to work in the fields, and that Grant has taught at the school for six years. We learn that the school is an integral part of the community, and that Grant knows the families of all his students. We also learn that he is frustrated with his life and with his role as a teacher, and that he feels he has little or no impact on his students' lives.
