The Theme Of Trust In Bryan Stevenson's 'Just Mercy'

In the memoir Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, closeness contributes to Stevenson’s success as a lawyer by allowing his clients to form trust, hope, and understanding in the toughest of times. In his autobiography, Steveson relied heavily on the element of trust in order to succeed in his career. Many of Stevenson’s clients, like Walter McMillian, trusted him from the beginning, while others took a while to open up, like Charlie and Ralph Myers. Even after McMillian was pronounced guilty several times, McMillian still put his trust in Stevenson, he never let go of that joyfulness that kept him going. Eventually, that trust paid off and got McMillian off of death row and into the world as an innocent, free man (226). Another instance of trust

‘I lied. Everything I said at McMillian’s trial was a lie. I’ve lost a lot of sleep and have been in a lot of pain over this. I can't be quiet any longer’” (166). 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. After Stevenson sat with him for a while, trying to get him to talk before finally just asking if he was okay, Charlie broke down into Stevenson’s arms. Charlie began to trust Stevenson and confessed to his troubles, “It didn't take me long to realize he wasn't talking about what happened with George or with his mom but about what had happened at the jail” (123).

Hope allows people to maintain their strength in the toughest parts of their lives. Stevenson recognized that without the right kind of hope, you can't get anywhere when working in the field of law. There is a certain kind of hope that is most important: “The kind of hope that creates a willingness to position oneself in a hopeless place and be a witness, that allows one to believe in a better future, even in the face of abusive power. That kind of hope makes one strong” (219). Stevenson acknowledged that hope is what makes you strongest, showing that you need it. Even after the McMillian case was denied countless times, Stevenson and Walter never gave up hope, and it paid off. Walter McMillian was released after six years on death row. Stevenson said, “But Walter’s case also taught me something else: there is light within this darkness” (28). Stevenson saw hope as light, as it shined brightly even when Walter’s life was on the line. Stevenson also learned through his time that you don't just hope for yourself, you hope for others, too. Mrs. Jennings, an elderly lady who later adopted Charlie, the fourteen-year-old boy, told Stevenson “We’ve all been through a lot, Bryan, all of us. I know that some have been through more than others. But if we don’t expect more from each other, hope better for one another, and recover from the hurt we experience, we are surely doomed” (126). If we don't hope well for one