| ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS | 第6-7页 |
| ABSTRACT | 第7-8页 |
| 中文摘要 | 第9-11页 |
| CHAPTER ONE Introduction | 第11-37页 |
| 1.1 Reception on Ernest J. Gaines and His Works | 第11-24页 |
| 1.2 Focus and Scope of the Present Dissertation | 第24-37页 |
| CHAPTER TWO Changes in Grant: The Educator to the Learner | 第37-85页 |
| 2.1 Grant’s Change in Attitude Toward his Community | 第41-48页 |
| 2.2 Grant’s Change in the Understanding of His Role | 第48-61页 |
| 2.3 Interior Monologue: Process and Progress of the Changes | 第61-68页 |
| 2.4 Changes through Mutual Education | 第68-76页 |
| 2.5 Changes in the White People: The Chain Effects | 第76-83页 |
| 2.6 Changes for the Better: An Issue of Individual Attitude | 第83-85页 |
| CHAPTER THREE Changes in Jefferson: The Victim to the Hero | 第85-133页 |
| 3.1 Be a Man: The Pressure to Change | 第86-89页 |
| 3.2 Death as Preservation of the Transformation | 第89-98页 |
| 3.3 The Subject and Object of the Targeted Change | 第98-105页 |
| 3.4 Rise from Debasement: Change to Glorify the Race | 第105-115页 |
| 3.5 Jefferson’s Diary: Recounting the Changes | 第115-122页 |
| 3.6 Learning to Die and Learning to Live Better | 第122-130页 |
| 3.7 Changes for the Better: An Issue of Racial Honor | 第130-133页 |
| CHAPTER FOUR Changes in Group: The Individual to Community.. | 第133-167页 |
| 4.1 Significance of Accumulation of Every Little Change | 第134-138页 |
| 4.2 From Individual Changes to Communal Changes | 第138-146页 |
| 4.3 Black Music: Promoting the Changes | 第146-149页 |
| 4.4 Changing Together: Road to Social Evolution | 第149-154页 |
| 4.5 Breaking the “Vicious Circle”by “Spiral-Cycle”Development | 第154-157页 |
| 4.6 A Death and Lesson of Communal Rebirth | 第157-164页 |
| 4.7 Changes for the Better: An Issue of Human Progress | 第164-167页 |
| CONCUSION | 第167-171页 |
| APPENDIX I Works Written by Ernest J. Gaines | 第171-173页 |
| APPENDIX II Outlines of Literary Works Written by Ernest J. Gaines | 第173-180页 |
| APPENDIX III Awards, Nominations, and Honors | 第180-182页 |
| APPENDIX IV The Big Read: A Conversation with Ernest J. Gaines | 第182-184页 |
| WORKS CITED | 第184-199页 |
