Theme Of Just Mercy And Shawshank Redemption

“Just mercy” written by Bryan Stevenson is a story about “justice and redemption”(title). Bryan Stevenson tells the story about Walter McMillian a convicted murder. McMillian was unjustly charged for the murder of Ronda Morrison by Ralph Myers even though there was clear evidence that McMillian did not commit this murder. McMillian’s story proves the inequities in the American justice system, and Stevenson proves the faults in the system by telling McMillian’s story. “Proximity has taught me some basic and humbling truths, including this vital lesson: each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done”(17). When we judge people based on their person not the facts innocent people can be charged for crimes that they never committed, and that is where are justice system is unjust.

The main social problem addressed in Just Mercy is the unjust American justice system and the extreme biases and prejudices that plague it. There are numerous examples of this shown throughout the book. The best example of racial bias and prejudice is Walter McMillian’s case because it shows both extreme racial biases and extreme racial prejudices against McMillian because of the color of his skin.

In the novel, Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson, it is extremely apparent that there is a link between poverty, wealth, injustice, and justice. This book incorporates a strong theme of poverty and how it relates to justice, as well as injustice. Furthermore, it very apparently works to explain and provide examples of problems within the justice system, and the urgency that these be corrected. One major problem being poverty in relation to obtaining justice. This being said, throughout my personal reading of the book, I have come to agree with Stevenson's statement, "the opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice" (Stevenson 18).

The book Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, and the film “Shawshank Redemption” both contain similarities and differences in reference to the justice system. Both the book and the film have characters in them which go through certain situations. Some of the similarities and differences being shown have to do with hope, industrialization, and how people are being treated by guards.

Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption is a story of innocents sentenced to death row (2015). As an attorney at law, he sheds light on the fraudulent Criminal Justice System with the corruption of cops and prison guards, bribed witnesses, and paid off judges. Written in first person, Stevenson’s (2015) account depicts 50 years of debasement of the Criminal Justice System. Telling the accounts of corruption in first person and using dialogue that included the actual victims conversations allowed his readers to be invested in the story. His vocabulary and the stories used, made the reader realize that corruption takes place in the United States Criminal Justice System both in history and continues through today.

In Bryan Stevenson’s novel, Just Mercy, it is extremely apparent that there is a link between poverty, wealth, injustice, and justice. This book incorporates a strong theme of poverty and how it relates to justice, as well as injustice. Furthermore, it works to explain and provide examples of problems within the justice system, and the urgency to correct these. This being said, throughout a personal reading of the book, one might come to agree with Stevenson's statement, "the opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice" (Stevenson 18).

Just Mercy was written in 2014 by Stevenson Bryan. This story takes place in Montgomery Alabama. This story is about the broken system of justice. How people are judged unfairly even in the supreme Court. Bryan Stevenson primarily focuses on death penalty cases and juveniles sentenced to life or death. He provides relief for those incarcerated also, he understands the need to fix this criminal justice system by focusing on poverty, and racial disparities. Stevenson chooses cases that did not receive justice. This book discusses the prison life and how they are treated. It also decides about the different cases and how each case has one theory. It provides additional insight into the rush to incarcerate for life people as young teenagers, putting them in an adult prison. Where they are certain to suffer from sexual, mentally and physical abuse.

Bryan Stevenson, the author of Just Mercy, has many themes in his book. One of which is the importance of human life. He goes through many cases of which, in the end, he realizes that every human deserves empathy and mercy and a fair chance at living their lives. Throughout the novel there is one specific case that changes Stevenson’s perspective the most however. This case is the Walter McMillian case that demonstrates the unfairness that was tolerated for death row inmates. Stevenson expresses this theme throughout the book. Some examples are through the McMillian case, the mental patient case, the juvenile case, and his own experience.

In the book Just Mercy: A story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson, there are several topics discussed regarding the American Justice system. One of those many topics discussed is regarding how a person’s race, social status and income, may influence the outcome of a court trail. In present day America, many years after the era of Jim crow and segregation the Justice system still seems to be more lenient towards white Americans, especially those with high income and a good standing in society. The American justice system has become unjust in the trials deemed to be fair, due to an evident prejudice against minorities, their social status and whether or not they receive a well off or poor income.

“A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just.” said Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic church. Mercy is something that is represented in parts of stories like The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Merchant of Venice. It is also represented throughout history in times like the Holocaust. Mercy can be stronger and more powerful than a weapon if used with purpose and used at the right moment.

Just mercy is a powerful novel Written by Bryan Stevenson in the book he put us in a different world. while he depicts the social injustices he experiences while he defended an innocent man. Walter whom was set up for a murder of a women named Ronda even with multiple witnesses he is still convicted. Which made this be my topic of interest during the time that I was reading Just Mercy. Because In this society we have a race based institution where they can directly say a African American is guilty without fair trial. in the which mean that African Americans are “Guilty until proven innocent”. which is the opposite when it come to the opposite races.

The scene, dark and eerie, let’s the viewer know without a doubt, Andy has come to kill them both. Tim Robbins’ portrayal of Andy, places anyone who has ever been hurt by love, in the car with him. Dejected and long past crying, he pulls a gun from the glove box, loads it, and stumbles out of the car, dropping the empty bourbon bottle along the way. Immediately the viewer is transferred to the courtroom where Andy, claiming his innocence, is convicted, sent to Shawshank and the true story

The Shawshank Redemption is a film that is directed by Frank Darabont in 1995. The film is about a man named Andy, who was accused of murdering his wife and her lover. And is sentenced to a tough prison, but Andy knows he didn't commit the crime. Andy experience friendship, hope, corruption during his time at Shawshank. Throughout the film, Darabont develops the theme corruption while also overlapping with Good vs Evil in the different section of the film by using the variety of techniques such as camera angles, sound, symbolism and dialogue to give an enhance the meaning of the themes for the audience.

Because of this several African-Americans and Hispanics have been wrongfully incarcerated or even sentenced to death. These consequences are not only given to people of these races, but also to people who do not have the economic resources to afford an attorney, or do not have a plethora of money to offer to the judge or jury to find them innocent. Todays’s legal system can even be considered the new Jim Crow. In “Mystery of Iniquity” Lauryn Hill exposes the justice system as being corrupt, biased, and blasphemous.

Throughout the reading of “Just Mercy”, a novel written by Bryan Stevenson, and the movie “The Shawshank Redemption”, there are many examples that represent the corruption within the criminal justice system. The various forms of corruption are expressed through specific cases that have occurred within the criminal justice and through different characters in the reading or the movie that show examples of corruption. The different corruptions categorize into overall groups such as race, gender, and mental capabilities.