Have you ever wondered why a particular scene in a book is there? Well, in many cases, they are inserted for a reason. Encompassing many scenes of violence are in stories for a reason, in which, these scenes end up contributing to the meaning of complete work. Numerous events in “Just Mercy” exhibit violence of racial injustice, dehumanization, and oppression such as the scenes in which Bryan Stevenson was falsely accused of burglary, and a young boy being assaulted in a men’s prison. To start, a considerable amount of events in Just Mercy exhibit violence of racial injustice, dehumanization, and oppression. To begin, one event of violence in just mercy is the scene in which Bryan Stevenson is falsely accused of burglary. …show more content…
This includes the imprisonment of a child who was sentenced to the death penalty after the he murdered of his abusive stepfather. The child was given death penalty without parole and placed in to a men’s prison instead of a juvenile prison. In the men’s prison the child had been sexually assaulted and raped on multiple occasions. On page 128 Stevenson states, “I told them that the child had been sexually abused and raped.” This particular scene shows the violence and neglect in the prisons of Alabama as well as the dehumanization of inmates from officers. This leads to show the complete work and how Stevenson reacts to these circumstances and even changes them. Using the same scene, Stevenson visits the prison to meet with the child. In the time, the child does not speak a word until he becomes hysterical in recalling the night before his meeting with Stevenson. “His trembling intensified before he finally leaned completely into me and started crying” (Stevenson 127). As the young boy recalls the night prior to meeting with Stevenson, he begins to tremble and cry with both fear and trauma. Hence, this scene is filled with both violence and trauma but clearly shows how Stevenson is contributing his time to end the problem of neglect and dehumanization in
The guard stopped pushing him.” (10) Even though this may seem like nothing, it means a lot because some humans think that death row inmates are all hardened criminals. Before Stevenson had heard him sing, he was wondering to himself why this man was on death row. He did not fit the “death row criteria”. Not every criminal is a hardened criminal as we see in this novel, most inmates are wrongly accused of some others
He explains everything and ends the phone call by warning Stevenson to be careful because if he gets to the bottom of this they will kill him. At the end of this chapter, Stevenson and Michael go through all of the evidence they have collected, from Myers to the Pittman murder files and soon after this, the bomb threats started rolling in. In chapter 8, Stevenson tells the story of Trina Garret who was 14 when she committed her crime and was convicted as an adult of second-degree murder. Throughout her time in prison, she developed several mental illnesses, one of them being multiple sclerosis, and she became confined to a wheelchair. He then tells the story of a kid named Ian Manuel who was also convicted as an adult and due to the risk of rape they put him in solitary confinement.
Bryan Stevenson is a young Harvard intern on his way to meet a man on death row and is mostly undereducated about the prison systems, and what he wants to do exactly in life and with his career. On his flight he meets the director of the Southern Prisoners Defense Committee, Steve Bright. He tells the scared and nervous Bryan “them without the capital get the punishment,” applying class is largely involved in the justice systems and capital punishment. After only working at a law firm for a short amount of time, he is assigned to meet with one the death row inmates and is instructed to assure the condemned man that he will “not be killed in the next year.” When Bryan finally met the man Henry, although nervous at first, they instantly clicked and Bryan realized
The novel Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson has brought to life the horrors of the prison system. Previously, I knew very little about the prison system, especially the level of injustice experienced by numerous prisoners. While I knew of the discrimination in the courtrooms for minorities, Stevenson’s stories added a personal touch to a harsh reality. I was especially shocked when Stevenson related the story of how he was stopped by police outside of his own house. Although he had done nothing wrong, the police immediately accused him of crimes, which he did not understand.
After years, Myers began to feel guilty about his falsified statements during the trial and knew that Stevenson was someone that he could trust, as Myers had known him to be a good, honest man. Myers believed that telling Stevenson the truth would allow McMillian a much higher chance at release, which it did. While working on the McMillian case, Stevenson also took many other cases, one of which was a fourteen-year-old boy named Charlie. Charlie was convicted of murder and sentenced to death after killing his mother’s incredibly abusive boyfriend. When Stevenson went to the prison to visit Charlie, Charlie wouldn’t speak or show emotion for most of the visit.
According to the criminal justice system, children underage who commit a criminal act are sent to an adult prison. Children don’t have to be sentenced for 10-15 years just because of a small crime that wasn’t against the law. Stevenson states “The lawyer didn’t realize that two of the charges against Ian were punishable with sentences of life imprisonment without parole” (Stevenson 128). Stevenson believes that no one deserves to be physically abused because they can become ill or suicidal. In the 1980’s, our country was giving lots of attention to black and brown children because of their poor actions and threats towards people.
“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
The entire work helps the reader feel empathy and distress. Stevenson uses the reader's emotions to promote a greater understanding of social injustice in the United States legal system. Grabbing the attention of his audience, Stevenson introduces Walter, who was undoubtedly wrongfully convicted, as well as anecdotes about children convicted/sentenced to death leaving the readers sad and mixed with emotions. Every case Stevenson writes about helps the reader realize the unfairness of the criminal
There are many victims of unfortunate circumstances in the world today, yet some of these results could have been easily avoided. In the novel, Just Mercy, the author Bryan Stevenson addresses many cases in which children under the age of 18 are incarcerated within the adult criminal justice system. By treating children as adults in the criminal justice system their innocence and undeveloped person, become criminalized. These children become dehumanized and only viewed as full-fledged criminals and as a result society offers no chance sympathy towards them. Stevenson argues that children tried as adults have become damaged and traumatized by this system of injustice.
In Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson tells a first person account of his years defending the people who were wrongly convicted or punished by the US justice system. At the heart of the novel is the story of Walter McMillian, a man wrongly convicted of murder and sent to death row. Throughout the novel, Stevenson presents examples of individuals who were wrongfully punished due to racism and discrimination. He shows the readers how our criminal justice system unfairly impacts members of the Black community. He also highlights the destruction and devastation this can cause.
Bryan Stevenson generated an inspiring and serious voice in his memoir Just Mercy. The novel by Stevenson is something that weighs on the reader’s heart due to the naked truth revealed in almost every case presented to the audience. The tragic and real events throughout the book are heavy and difficult to grasp, especially when all of the events happened recently. Every chapter exploits the raw corruption of the justice systems, as well as the proof that there are good and just people in the world. Stevenson tells half of the story from his perspective, and the other half as a third party narrator.
Bryan Stevenson never knew what could happen and he was full of fear of the possibility of jail time or death. Herbert Richardson was a mentally ill person who didn’t get the help he needed, and due to that, he killed little girl and was executed. During that time, the mentally ill lost most of its funding, and because of that, those who needed help couldn’t get it. Richardson and other mentally ill people didn’t have much money and lived in poverty. Without justice, the world would become nothing but poverty, despair and fear, and the only ones who wouldn’t be affected are the
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.
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.
1. Which social problems are treated in this book? Why did they develop? Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption focuses on many social problems, including the miscarriage of justice to the poor, disabled and minorities; along with the poor living conditions in prisons, and the cruel and unusual punishment. The miscarriage of justice developed throughout our country’s history.