72 pages • 2 hours read
John GrishamA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
One of the novel’s core themes is the relationship between truth and justice. One element of this relationship is the idea of fairness regarding criminal prosecution and its subsequent trial. For example, fairness is at the heart of Jake’s internal conflict over defending Drew. Jake knows his peers will judge him for defending a cop killer, yet he believes everyone deserves a fair trial and that his “job was to fight for his client, regardless of how unpopular the cause” (590). Jake believes this more firmly as the trial progresses and knows it’s his responsibility to fight for Drew’s rights. Another example stems from Drew being unquestionably responsible for Stuart’s death. Despite his guilt, some characters and jurors feel the death penalty is unfair and that a lighter sentence is more fitting. Fighting for a lesser punishment is an uphill battle in the eye-for-an-eye culture typically portrayed of rural Mississippi, but it shows how difficult defining justice can be in the face of a complex situation. Lastly, Portia questions Jake several times, wondering if what Jake’s doing is fair for maintaining objectivity. For example, Portia challenges keeping Kiera’s pregnancy secret to gain sympathy from the jury.
By John Grisham
A Painted House
John Grisham
A Time to Kill
John Grisham
Bleachers
John Grisham
Calico Joe
John Grisham
Camino Island
John Grisham
Gray Mountain
John Grisham
Playing For Pizza
John Grisham
Skipping Christmas
John Grisham
Sooley
John Grisham
Sparring Partners
John Grisham
Sycamore Row
John Grisham
The Appeal
John Grisham
The Boys from Biloxi
John Grisham
The Brethren
John Grisham
The Chamber
John Grisham
The Client
John Grisham
The Confession
John Grisham
The Firm
John Grisham
The Guardians
John Grisham
The Innocent Man
John Grisham