If you have ever seen this movie you know what a powerful
storyline it is. The book is at time heart wrenching and
keeps you on the edge of your seat just waiting to see how
it will end. This story takes place in the
southern town of
Clanton, Mississippi. It begins with the brutal beating and
rape of a
little black girl by two redneck
boys in their
early twenties. Once the beating was over they had planned
to lynch her but luckily a car came by and scared them so
they threw her in the back of their pick up truck and drove
around into they found a ditch to throw her in.
The reactions of this town to such a heinous crime are
mixed right down the color line. The black people are
outraged but because it takes place in southern
Mississippi they do not have a lot of power. The white
people of this town are also shocked until justice is
served in a different way. Of course, the two boys are
caught and brought to
trial. Both of them are known well
by the police so they quickly became suspects. However, on
the day of the trial, fearing that the boys might get off
or issued light sentences, Car Lee the little girl’s father
waited in the courthouse for the boys (Cobb and Williard)
to come out in handcuffs and he opened fire on them.
An interesting point to make is a few days before this
incident Carl Lee and a lawyer Jake Brigance have a
conversation in which Carl Lee pretty much tells Jake that
he plans to kill the boys Cobb and Williard. Jake tells him
not to do it but then Carl Lee turns to Jake and says what
would you do “if two black niggers attack your little
daughter?” and Jake states that he would kill them too.
Jake is very bothered by this conversation and at his
wife’s urging he tells the Sheriff who brushes it off and
assures him that the jail and courthouse are secure.
Because of this conversation lawyer Jake feels compelled to
represent Carl Lee when he is apprehended and brought to
trial for murder. This murder trial is about to turn this
very southern town into a hotbed of racial tension. Before
it is over Jake will have had crosses burned on his front
yard, threatened by the Ku Klux Klan, his secretary is
threatened, and they burn down his house.
By Chapter 26 Grisham introduces a fiery character in the
likes of Ellen Roark a
law student from Ole Miss who shows
up on Jake’s door one day and offers (actually demands) to
help him with the law case. He has just sent his wife out
of town for the duration of the trial for her safety.
Unlike the movie, there isn’t all this sexual tension
between Ellen and Jake. But they do engage in some great
controversial debates about the law ,for example the death
penalty,which gives insight into their characters. They
also, get into a lot of trouble together as the town would
like to whole court case to hurry up and end.
In an interesting turn of events the KKK try to take out
Jake and instead hit a guardsman. Then they kidnap the law
student and tie her naked to a pole. As all of this tension
escalates the trial continues, we find out the identities
of these Klansman whom are terrorizing Jake, and the
verdict is read. Not guilty by reason of insanity. And
peace is returned to this little southern town.
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