Hope In Bryan Stevenson's Just Mercy

Have you ever had an experience that altered or shifted your understanding of something?  Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson examines the experience of Bryan as he fights cases for people on Death Row, including those who have been wrongly imprisoned and/or have a mental illness. Through his interaction with Henry, Marsha, and Jim, Bryan’s level of understanding redemption and hopefulness was altered.

A pharmaceutical millionaire, Gigi Jordan, had a son who was diagnosed with autism, Jude. Her husband, ended up abusing Jude, and she explained that “...Tzekov had shoved feces in his mouth, stuck needles under his fingernails, and stabbed him in the hand repeatedly in addition to sexual abuse” (Rosenberg, “Millionaire admits to ‘mercy killing,’” NY Post). Jordan also had Jude go into a number of painful procedures to try and rid him of his autism. She consequently realized it was wrong, because it was a form of torture for Jude. Sequentially, Jordan made the choice to give Jude a drug that would kill him, to put an end to his abuse.

In an attempt to find the gold that would free Milkman from his monotonous life in Michigan, Milkman goes on both a physical and spiritual journey. Instead of obtaining the gold that would change his life, Milkman ultimately goes on a long quest to find his family history,

In the introduction chapter of Bryan Stevenson’s book Just Mercy, Stevenson states, “The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned.” I agree with this quote because it is easy to treat people with love and fairness when you like them and when they think and act like you. It is not so easy to treat someone with the same amount of respect and love when you prejudged them or make assumptions about them before getting to know them. It is significant to remember that all people deserve respect and compassion no matter the situation; it is the golden rule being lived out. Treat others how you want to be

“ Judge Briskey leaves the room.” Mr. Montresor would go to live the next ten years in Verona Maximum Security Prison before dying of aids he got from a blood transfusion after an inmate cut his arm with a shank. Mr. Montresor has been asked multiple times afterwards if he regrets killing his friend and every time he responds with the same answer.

Another turning point in which McCandless lost trust in his father occurs during the revealing of his father’s secret, second family after questioning a number of old family friends. This pushes McCandless past his limit, and results into him rejecting his

Hagar, Pilate, Macon Jr., and Guitar all vie for Milkman’s commitment pulling in him to achieve their goals for him. To Milkman, his life seems to lack an identity in which to base his life’s direction and purpose, “…trying to make up his mind whether to go forward or to turn back. The decision he made would be extremely important, but the way in which he made the decision would be careless, haphazard, and uninformed.” (Morrison, 69-70). Unwilling to commit himself to any one goal, Milkman rejects these options, choosing instead to continue his aimless drifting, cutting himself off from the people who care for him and the African-American community.

In Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy, he writes to illustrate the injustices of the judicial system to its readers. To do so, Stevenson utilizes multiple writing styles that provide variety and helps keep the reader engaged in the topic. Such methods of his include the use of anecdotes from his personal experiences, statistics, and specific facts that apply to cases Stevenson had worked on as well as specific facts that pertain to particular states. The most prominent writing tool that Stevenson included in Just Mercy is the incorporation of anecdotes from cases that he himself had worked on as a nonprofit lawyer defending those who were unrightfully sentenced to die in prison.

Furthermore, Ruth’s endless, captivating love restricts Milkman and thwarts his personality’s development to a mature man. His search for his self cannot be satisfied at home since he has no space to become independent or is regarded as a separate

The passage reveals Guitar’s explanation to Milkman for joining the Seven Days society when Milkman confronts him on his furtive behavior. The setting of the conversation is at Mary’s bar, where they begin discussing Hagar’s attempted murder but Milkman feels uncomfortable when Guitar questions why Hagar would exhibit such extreme behavior; thus, he turns it around and questions Guitar. Morrison characterizes and illustrates the contrast between Guitar and Milkman in this section through repetition and an accusatory tone. By repeating words and phrases multiple times, Morrison stresses her about the two sides of black activists. Milkman preferred nonviolence and came from a privileged background whereas Guitar preferred violence and came from a poor family; this foil creates highlights the characters’ differences and clashing beliefs towards

He exudes the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), such as nightmares, guilt, flashbacks, self-destructive behavior, and agitation. “He could feel it inside his skull- the tension of little threads being pulled and how it was with tangled throughs tied together, and as he tried to pill them part and rewind them into their place, they snagged and tangled

He shouldn’t be held responsible for the crimes he committed, and most of all, he needs help. “I don’t believe a word you’re saying,” a stubborn old man replied. “You don’t understand!” I exclaimed. This man needs help and your planning to lock him up somewhere he doesn’t belong?”

Milkman’s acknowledgment of racism and change in attitude towards women ultimately highlights his maturity and the development of an unmaterialistic identity through his metaphorical

“There is a strength, a power even, in understanding brokenness, because embracing our brokenness creates a need and desire for mercy, and perhaps a corresponding need to show mercy (Stevenson 109) .” This bold statement is one of many as Bryan Stevenson sets the tone for his renowned award winning novel Just Mercy. As a young lawyer from Georgia, built the foundation for his company, SPDC (Southern Prisoners Defense Committee) to help convicts that are on death row or in need a second chance. Bryan Stevenson, a young lawyer from Georgia who fought for justice on the behalf of inmates on death row, showed tremendous intelligence in becoming a successful lawyer, demanding for not backing down in moments of refusal, and was an overall advocate

Bryan Stevenson knew the perils of injustice and inequality just as well as his clients on death row. He grew up in a poor, racially segregated area in Delaware and his great-grandparents had been slaves. While he was a law student, he had interned working for clients on death row. He realized that some people were treated unfairly in the judicial system and created the Equal Justice Institute where he began to take on prisoners sentenced to death as clients since many death row prisoners had no legal representation of any kind. In Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson focuses on some of these true stories of injustice, mainly the case of his client, Walter McMillian.