What makes Ernest Gaines unique? Every good author has certain characteristics in their writing that make them unique and special. Ernest Gaines, the author of A Lesson before Dying, is no exception. His writing is the perfect example of an author using certain techniques to make his writing stand out above all others. Ernest Gaines was noted for the absence of melodrama, his avoidance of propaganda, and the broad and generous humanity brought by the words of his works. First of all, when Gaines's work is criticized for its lack of melodrama, it means that , Gaines does not use heightened emotion to depict that feeling in a scene. Instead, it flattens emotions and in turn creates very strong emotions that the audience can fully understand. For example, in the first scene with Jefferson and Grant Wiggins in prison, instead of creating a screaming confrontation between the two stubborn individuals who clearly didn't want to be there, Gaines created a lack of it all and showed pure emotion. in describing Jefferson as “…grunt[ing] deep in his t...