John Coffey's Sacrifice Explored in The Green Mile

Analysis Of The Green Mile
Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen of the Literary and Media Arts Festival. In today's session,
Novel to Film Adaptations – Empowering the Marginalised Perspective, Frank Darabont's corrupt
film adaptation of, The Green Mile, will be exposed as a blatant juxtaposition of Paul Edgecombe's
journal on which it is based. Audiences are invited to follow the disturbing experiences and
happenings upon the green mile in 1932 at the Cold Mountain Penitentiary death row. The film
constructs Percy Wetmore as cruel, malevolent and aggressive, however, this is contrasted by the
reality presented in the journal, through which he portrays characteristics of dedication,
determination and intuition. Three scenes evident within both written evidence and film will be
pinpointed in today's presentation explaining why my client, Percy Wetmore has been unjustly
represented. Firstly, the Squashing of Mr. Jingles, secondly Delacroix's Execution, and thirdly, John
Coffey's Arrival. It is apparent through the examination of the character construction of Percy
Wetmore within the film, that the representation dehumanizes, exploits and manipulates the actions
and intentions of Percy in a manner that is discriminatory. The Squashing of Mr Jingles is a scene
in the film which cleverly appeals to the emotions of audiences, and is particularly significant as it
further establishes the demonization of Percy. In this particular scene a low camera angle,
confronting sound effects and elusive dialogue are
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John Coffey In Stephen King's The Green Mile
In Stephen King's book, On Writing, he says that the main character of The Green Mile, John
Coffey, is "an innocent man likely to be executed for the crime of another, [and that he] decided to
give him the initials J.C., after the most famous innocent man of all time." He goes further, saying
that he "first saw this done in Light in August (still my favorite Faulkner novel), where the sacrificial
lamb is named Joe Christmas." Not unlike Christmas, Coffey is a character about whom the reader,
or, perhaps, the viewer, is given bits and pieces of information– all of which are vital, and most of
which are easily overlooked. Undoubtedly, Coffey's most notable and defining characteristic is his
innocence – in the sense of both his legal absence of guilt and his childlike behaviors. While Coffey
may at first seem to be a fairly one dimensional character due to said childish innocence and
characteristics, his actions and relationships with others show a much deeper and robust
characterization.
Coffey's innocence is prominent and apparent from nearly the very beginning of the movie. He
cried quite often and openly admitted to being afraid of the dark; the guards even thought he might
have had...show more content...
Coffey and Wharton are extreme opposites. Coffey is innocent, while Wharton is as guilty as
possible. Coffey is respectful and kind, while Wharton is rude, violent, and despicable. However,
both have childlike qualities. Wharton's behavior while "on the mile" is not dissimilar to that of a
child during his "terrible two" stage. This foiling of Wharton and Coffey makes Coffey seem even
kinder. It also ends up showing that Coffey, like Edgecomb, is motivated primarily by a sense of
justice. Coffey kills Wharton because Wharton is a "bad man." Obviously killing someone goes
against Coffey's innocence and childlike qualities, but keeps in line with his sense of justice and
wanting to help

The Green Mile Research Paper
The green mile is a very powerful movie with lots of emotion. It is about a man called John
Coffey who has been blamed for a murder he did not commit. Due to this he was imprisoned for
many years until he was executed. But while he is in prison he makes friends and enemies. When
he is in prison the guards and other prisoners soon find out John Coffey has a gift, which he can
heal and take back the evil that has been done.
What I enjoyed about the green mile is how John Coffey has such care for all the people in the prison
and how all he wants to do is help and take back anything bad. I remember when he first came to his
cell and he told the guard if he would keep the light on after bed time, I was surprised by this
because he is such a big

Green Mile Essay
The Green Mile has a huge connection to the seven Catholic social teachings. The first one,
human life and dignity, is very evident in the Green Mile. The main connection with this one is
how Tom Hank's character cares about John Coffey. Many people would not care or even given a
second look to someone who is in prison and on death row but Paul, the guard, gets close to him.
He ends up really caring about John Coffey and believes he is innocent. It shows human life and
dignity because when he has to execute him, he believes he is going to hell and can't live with what
he has done. The film overall brings up the debate of capital punishment. To truly have respect for
human life you cannot be in favor of the death penalty. This movie...show more content...
Work is presented in this film very differently from others. All the guards share a connection with
one and other and are all religious besides Percy. The show their faith and beliefs during work too.
They don't treat Percy well only because of the way he treats others and how he does not respect
what he is doing. I think this is one of the best movies out there to show Solidarity. Paul is a great
example throughout the movie when he makes his connection with John Coffey. Paul does what
he thinks is right by God when doing anything and brings it over in work. John is also an example
of solidarity when he heals people. He is doing his call by God and using his gif from God to help
people in need. He never thinks anything of it and never wants any credit. He is humble and just
wants to share his gift to God's creation. This movie represents solidarity because it gives us a
deeper understanding of we should act as Christian people. Paul really cared for God's creation
even though many times he was the one to end their lives. He thought he was going to hell when
he had to kill John Coffey. John cared for everything. He brought the mouse back to life after Percy
killed it. John also helped all the people and took in their pain.
John Coffey's life really resembles that of Jesus Christ. In one, both initials are J.C. which first
shows the connection. Then, John is convicted of a crime he did not commit just like

Film Analysis Of The Green Mile
Film: The Green MileDirector: Frank Darabont
The Green Mile, 1999, directed by Frank Darabont has an important scene In the film. The scene
consists of four main characters Paul Edgecomb head of death row, Percy Wetmore, one of the
security guards, Mr. Jingles a small mouse who lurks around the block and lastly a big built
prisoner named John Coffey. Mr. Jingles death takes place in the scene when Percy Wetmore
harshly stomps his foot down on top of the mouse giving a quick execution, after the death takes
place he is divinely resurrected from the darkness of death by John Coffey. Power is the idea that
will be explored through using camera shots and angles, lighting , sound effects and costume.
Frank Darabont uses camera shots and angles to show energy dominance for the characters. Camera
angles are shown dominance when Wetmore executes Mr. Jingles and Edgecomb has to confront the
situation. Using techniques the camera is tilted down and allows us to observe the arrogant actions
Wetmore is producing towards Edgecomb.
Wetmore is being cocky because he wants to be more intimidating than his boss making him
desperate to contain domination. Camera shots show energy by using a camera technique called an
extreme close up. The camera is zoomed up closely outlining John Coffey's hands and we have a
glimpse of Mr. Jingles weightless limp tail peeking through an opening part of his divided hands.
Having the camera up close on his hands show his hands are humongous filling

The Green Mile Symbolism Essay
The film, The Green Mile, portrays several deep religious themes through symbolism to portray the
main character John Coffey. The ideas of Christianity are shown through several of these underlying
themes. The cross and God are the key religious symbols portrayed throughout this movie. Some of
the main themes I will talk about are capital punishment, racism and Christianity symbols. Also, I
will describe ways cinematography is used in the film; some examples are cross cutting, flashback,
three shot and close–up.
Plot Summary
The main prison guard, Paul Edgecomb, has a very serious bladder infection during the movie that
distracts him from the outside world. Paul possesses a faith in God and everyday watches inmates
enter Death Row. When...show more content...
Before electrocution the primary methods of capital punishment were hanging, firing squad and
gas chambers (Dow, 2000). The era of The Green Mile takes place in the 1930s, but Louisiana did
not begin to use the electric chair until around 1940. Studies show that King made an error on the
timespan in his book (Arbeiter, 2015). Texas was the first state to use lethal injections on prisoners
on death row in 1977, and is now the only type of capital punishment used (Dow, 2000).
During this time, African Americans experienced prejudice towards them and were not given an
equal chance. This statistic will help the audience understand the segregation occurring in this
movie; during the early 1930's about 50% of the Southern towns were African American and the
people did not have the right to vote (Dieter, 1998). African Americans were not allowed to marry
whites at the time or even date in public. This movie opens with police officers screaming at John
Coffey and pointing guns at him. This is the first example of racism shown in the movie. It was
found that in 1983 Philadelphia, as well as other states, African Americans were more likely to get
the death penalty. Research also shows that 38% of African Americans were given the death penalty
over other ethnic groups that committed the same crimes (Dieter, 1998). Even after all this, John
Coffey is still the definition of compassion. He has a huge heart full of grace and sorrow. He wants
to see more

Stephen King's 'The Green Mile'
The Green Mile is beyond unique with the bizarre (or gruesome) plot that Stephen King sets up.
King, being a horror story writer, is known for his gory stories that keep readers on edge and up at
night. But The Green Mile is different. No ghosts, vampires, rabid dogs, or anything of the sort.
Just good ol' fashion rape and murder... or that's what King wants you think. The story takes place
in the early 1930s on death row in the Cold Mountain State Penitentiary. Paul Edgecomb narrates
the story of when he was Death Row's (otherwise known as "The Green Mile") cell block
supervisor. The story follows Paul, Percy the abusive guard, Eduard Delacroix the crazy arsonist,
accused rapist and murderer of twin girls, John Coffey, and last but not least

Scene Analysis of "The Green Mile" Essay
The film The Green Mile was originally written by Stephen King and later directed by Frank
Darabont. It is based on the guards and inmates of a penitentiary's Death Row during the great
depression. There is a certain monotony that comes with working on Death Row and Paul
Edgecomb, played by Tom Hanks, has become numb to the fact that he is paid to take lives; that
is until John Coffey gets sentenced to death and is sent to Paul's "green mile". John Coffey is a
very large black man that was accused of rape and murder of two little girls, and in the 1930's
having charges like that brought upon you was grounds for the death penalty, especially for a black
man in the south. Through the movie we see that although large in nature, John is quite...show more
content...
Jingles. Quite a lot of time has passed in the movie from Paul on the Green Mile to Paul in the
nursing home, this is referred to as cinematic time. He has walked with another resident, Elaine
who is a minor character, out to an old shed on location filled with objects of the past, usual things
found in a shed but they were all covered in dust. Just that screen shot of the two elderly people
juxtaposed together to create a composition that plays off of each other is very powerful in itself.
The book The Philosophy of Language Film Analysis explains to us that these types of scenarios,
elderly people in an old building, help to create a really strong scene and help the movie a lot. If we
has seen Paul and Elaine walk into a brand–new mansion the effect of Paul's suffering would not be
understood. The next shot is of both Paul and Elaine getting down on the old wood floor and are
playing with Mr. Jingles. Then Paul starts explaining the details of the story to Elaine and they go
back and forth conversing. He is explaining to her that he was cursed for killing "a miracle of God"
and his punishment is to stay alive while those around him that he loves must die. Both he and Mr.
Jingles got a piece of John Coffey when they had their little encounters with him, and together they
must go on. We see three different shots throughout the majority of this scene. First it goes back and
forth with shot and reverse shot as Paul and Elaine are

The Green Mile Character Analysis
The Green Mile, written by Stephen King and directed by Frank Darabont provides a large
overview of many psychological issues that may occur in a humans mind. Not only did the movie
concentrate on a person's conscious, but also their subconscious. Several clear psychological
disorders were identified within different characters. The movie touches on each aspects and how
they tie into human nature. During the time period of the movie, the behavior seen along the Green
Mile would've been considered unforgivable under all circumstances and completely unacceptable to
society. This being said, prisoners who suffered from intense mental and behavioral problems, are
found in the only location that was considered safe enough for them to be contained in the 1930's – a
prison, you may think a mental institution is the best place for people like this, but in the movie
that's not the case. The first scene in The Green Mile opens with the main character, Paul, elderly
and living in an assisted living home. The movie suddenly flashes back to when Paul was young,
as he begins to tell a friend of his past experiences as a correctional officer, these memories being
stirred up when he watched the same movie that he watched with an inmate decades ago. The main
setting of the movie is now introduced in Louisiana, the summer of 1935, as Paul tells tales about
Death Row that only fellow officers could believe. Throughout Paul's time at the prison, he has seen
more than a fair share of insane

Green Mile Ethics
THE GREEN MILE MINI ESSAY The Green Mile, a 1999 film directed by Frank Darabont,
focuses on virtue ethics. Paul Edgecombe (played by Tom Hanks) is in charge of overseeing
executions by electric chair, and one of the inmates on death row is a huge black man, John Coffey
(Michael Clarke Duncan), who convicted based on circumstantial evident of the murder of two
white children. In contrast to his menacing size, Coffey is quite childlike in his innocence, as well
as a magical healer (Rainer, 2018). The principles of virtue ethics are dramatized most clearly in the
contrast between the character of Paul Edgecombe and Percy Wetmore (Doug Hutchinson), whose
aunt is married to the governor, which means he could have any number of state positions,...show
more content...
Percy is especially abuse towards inmate Eduard Delacroix. He intentionally Delacroix's fingers with
his baton, and steps on his pet mouse. However, his most sadistic action is to sabotage the execution
of Arlen Bitterbuck, a Native–American. Percy does this by not wetting a sponge, which placed
under the skullcap on the electric chair. This procedure ensures that the electrical current is carried
properly, and ensures a swift death. Arlen dies screaming, and it is obvious that Percy enjoys his
pain. He taps the Arlen's burned face after his death and comments, "Chief! Drop us a card from
Hell, let us know if it's hot enough" (Darabont,

Essay On The Green Mile
The Green Mile is a movie that is based on a Stephen King novel that goes by the same name. The
story is one of a heart–wrenching and deeply allegorical plot. It is told by the man Paul Edgecomb
(Tom Hanks), who, at the time of his recollection, is six decades removed from his position as
head guard on death row, or as the inmates call it, "The Green Mile". Edgecomb tells of one inmate
who was brought into his custody that changed his life: John Coffey (the late Michael Clarke
Duncan), who was convicted of the sadistic rape and murder of two 9–year–old sisters. However,
contrary to his size and the fearsome crimes for which he is serving time, Coffey seems to be a very
kind and well–mannered man; acting more like an innocent child than a...show more content...
I assured them that I would do the project, and that they could just copy down my work and make
it look as if it were their own; taking their burdens upon myself. Of course, they agreed to this plan
of action, as it required little work from them with a large pay–off. During the week, I allotted a
substantial amount of time to work on this project, and when the due date arrived, it was finished.
The next time I saw them, I allowed my friends to see my work and copy it. They got to go to
their party, and they also got to turn in their work. Later in the school year, I began to notice that
whenever some work needed to be done, my "friends" looked to me to handle it so that they could
reap the benefits when it was done. I decided that what I had developed with my friends was a
parasitic relationship: they would just wait until all of the hard work necessary to achieve
something was completed, and then leap in to wade in the benefactors. I decided that what I was
doing was not right for me, or them: my work ethic was being exploited by people who I assumed
were friends, and they were growing unhealthily dependent on me as they were not able to develop
certain life skills due to their lack of participation in these academic endeavors. Consequently, I cut
the cords on the relationship; I stopped doing work for my friends and allowed them to do it on
their own. Their grades dropped, but they also learned that

Analysis of the Green Mile Essay
Knaub 1
Jill Knaub
Professor Janet Ward
English 110
November 3, 2011 Summary of the Novel, "The Green Mile"
A summary of any novel by Stephen King has to include a small biography of the horror novelist,
himself. Publishing this novel in 1996 as a serial novel, with the first edition actually coming out as
one of six small paperbacks that were eventually made into one novel. Stephen King is well known
for his horror novels, therefore, this summary of the novel "The Green Mile" shows this book set in
the 1930's and is a deviation from some of his other works.
The story is told in the first–person narrative by Paul Edgecombe, switching between Paul as an old
man in the nursing home in 1996 and his time as block supervisor...show more content...
Percy is offered a job at Briar Ridge psychiatric hospital and Paul and the other guards think they
are finally rid of him, however, Percy refuses to leave until he supervises an execution. Paul
hesitantly allows Percy to run Dels execution. Percy the snake he is, deliberately avoids soaking a
sponge in water, which are supposed to be tucked inside the electrodes; this ensures a quick death in
the electric chair.
Paul, over time, realizes that John possesses unexplained healing abilities, which he uses to cure
Paul's Urinary infection as well as reviving Mr. Jingles after Percy stomps on him. John Cofey is
very sensitive to the thoughts and feelings of others around him. One night the guards drugged
Wharton ("Wild Bill"), and then put a straitjacket on Percy and locked him in the padded cell so
they could smuggle John Cofey out of the prison to take him to the home of the Warden Hal
Moores. Hal's wife Melinda has a deadly brain tumor, which John Cofey cures. When they returned
to the mile, John passes the "disease" from Melinda into Percy, causing him to go mad and shoot
"Wild Bill" to death before going into a catatonic state from which he never recovers.
Knaub 3
Paul's suspicions about John Cofeys innocence is proven when he discovers that it was actually
"Wild Bill" who raped and murdered the two girls and that John was trying to revive them when he
was discovered holding the two in his arms. John tells

Analysis of Film The Green Mile
The movie was written and directed by Frank Darabont. The film is based on the novel written by
Stephen King. It was released in the theatres on 1oth December 1994. The movie was named the
green mile because of the dark green linoleum that tiles the floor. The main featured character is
Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) who acts as the head of the guard in the Green Mile. The film can
be classified into the following genres: Drama, Mystery and Suspense, Science Fiction and
Fantasy this is based on the events that unfold from the different scenes in the film. (King) The
cast for the film is as follows: Tom Hanks (Paul Edgecomb), Bonnie Hunt (Jan Edgecomb), James
Cromwell (Warden Hal Moores), David Morse (Brutus Howel), Michael Clarke Duncan (John
Coffey) and Michael Jeter (Eduard Del Delacro) among others. Most of the scenes in this film
were performed at the green mile where the execution of the death sentences used to be made. The
exercise was done by the use of an electric chair. Paul was the head of the guards in charge of the
executions at the prison. The death execution was being made in a Louisiana penitentiary during the
Depression. (LLC) Paul aside from his duties, his is nice and has a competent and humane except
for the loathsome Percy, whose aunt is married to the governor, and he wants to stay and mistreat the
inmates that have been brought in the Green Mile for the Death Row execution. He is the one who
admits John Coffey the one who comes to make things turn around

Elements of Design in the Green Mile Essay
Elements of Design in the Green Mile
John Jelks
ENG 225: Introduction to Film
Instructor Renee Gurley
July 16, 2012
Elements of Design in the Green Mile
The Green Mile is an exceptional film that was created in the year 1999. This film was nominated
for four academy awards: Best Supporting Actor, Best Picture, Best Sound, and Best Adapted
Screenplay. This movie teaches us how different the times were back in the 1900s compared to the
way it is now. The movie is set in 1935 which was during the times of theGreat Depression. It also
illustrates death row and how execution is still a problem to where it is not just and fair. There are
several well–known actors that cast in this film. Each actor plays a very unique role and elements
...show more content...
The production designer, who is also sometimes called the art director, is responsible for maintaining
the sets, props and the costumes so that they are in sync with the story and the character's role
(Goodykontz & Jacobs, 2011). Production designers are head of the department on film crews
and they are responsible for the art department. Basically, they may be asked to look at scripts to
decide how much time the art department needs to spend on films. They also calculate the budgets
to figure out how much money will be spent as well. Furthermore, they will provide their design
sketches expressing detailing mood, lighting, composition and color to the art directors who
oversees the production (Anonymous, 2012).
In this scene, the "Miracle Worker", the lighting is low because it is night time, but there are
lights on inside of the house in the bedroom where the warden wife is lying in bed. The lighting is
very dim which evokes a depressing and gloomy mood. It draws the audience into the scene to
where they can feel the same pain and sorrow that the actors feel. John Coffey places his lips over
the warden's wife's lips to retrieve the sickness of the cancer from her body. The chandelier begins
to brighten and the sound of the music increases as the scene becomes more intense. There is a sign
of bright lighting coming from the

The Green Mile Essay example
The Green Mile
Frank Darabont (writer–director–producer) in 1999, returned to the director's chair for the first time
in five years. Darabont, who not only directed Shawshank Redemption, but adapted it from a
Stephen King story, followed the exact same path with The Green Mile. The film was released by
Warner Bros. Pictures, and Produced by Castle Rock Entertainment, Darkwoods Productions, and
Warner Bros. David Valdes is the producer, David Tattersall, B.S.C. is the director of photography,
Terence Marsh is the production designer, and Richard Francis–Bruce is the film editor.
Thomas Newman is the composer of The Green Mile, who has had the distinct honor of collecting
his first two Academy Award nominations for Best Dramatic Score in
...show more content...
Into their midst comes John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), a mountainous but child–like black
man, convicted of murdering two small children, but whose demeanour leads Edgcomb to believe
that Coffey is innocent. For a while, life on the green mile remains normal, until the day it transpires
that Coffey possesses the ability to heal people through the power of touch.
The Green Mile is a 3–hour film of two halves: firstly, painting a vivid portrait of life on death row,
and the trivialities that brighten up the lives of the people who live and die there. The second half
of the movie is given to exploring Coffey himself: his past, his crime, and his powers. He is initially
misunderstood by those around him, is convicted of a crime he did not commit, he greatly enriches
the lives of those around him, and is eventually executed for refusing to proclaim his own innocence.
Much of Thomas Newman's music is rooted in the sounds of the deep south, with several interesting
cues written for an eclectic ensemble including such weird and wonderful instruments as a bowed
travelling guitar, a Vietnamese banjo, a jaw harp, bass marimbas, a tonut and the omnipresent saz.
Occasionally, the music attains a kind of hypnotic sensibility that draws the listener in, but at other
times it

The Green Mile Discussion Questions
Question how does the director prove the them in the movie
love is a great thing but it can be one of the most painful things, that's what happened to John Coffey
in the story the green mile. The theme I chose for this story is love can hurt.
To start with John Coffey loves these girl until they are killed and he starts to pray for them when
he comes across their bodies but then he is found and mistaken for the murderer, he is given a
death sentence. But we know he loves these girls, he's a nice guy,"oh my John that smells good."
Can I give some to Del?" It's yours John". John then hands some to Del.
Another point is how sad John is when he finds out they died, it hurts when a loved one dies, that's
one way love can hurt us. We find out

Morality In The Green Mile
Being a moral person comes down to the choices being made. Whether they will create benefits or
adversity for others around, they should satisfy the one making the decisions. The film, The Green
Mile, directed by Frank Darabont, based on the novel written by Stephen King, displays many
concepts of morality–what is right or wrong–through the decisions of the protagonists Paul
Edgecomb and John Coffey. Paul and John reveal throughout the film that everyone can have
different views, as both they both have various outlooks of the moral ideal. The concept of morality
within the film develops through the complex decisions that the characters have to make. These
decisions can lead to hardships for many others in the future, but the choices made throughout...show
more content...
Although life may be at its worst, the sense of morality within, will still shine through. As John
Coffey is on death row, his moral decisions shine past him. While Paul Edgecomb feels theneed to
help those around him, it also shines. The moral decisions both these characters make shows who
they are inside, exposing their beliefs in life. This also shows that morality is subjective to those
as everyone's decisions are based on something personal and their own worldviews for the certain
situations. As morality is subjective; as it could be seen as offensive, but yet it can be seen as
acceptable. John Coffey's decision on allowing his gift to leave the world may be seen as
offensive to most, but to John himself it is seen as acceptable because he was in pain. In addition
to so, Paul Edgecomb's decision to allow the execution of John may also seem as unacceptable, as
he knew John was innocent, but as John himself wanted to leave the world, Paul allowed it. Many
moral decisions throughout the film are double edge swords, as they can create benefits or
adversity; in the end, morality between characters is embodied within the film The Green Mile,
allowing them to make the choices best fitted for

The Novel ' The Green Mile '
King 's novel"The Green Mile," was a depiction of horror and imagery, or as Harold Bloom stated,
"visually oriented scenarios." He teased the senses and gave an inevitable emotional twist at the
end. This story follows a special inmate possessed some unworldly powers that changed people 's
fate, when he deemed worthy. John Coffey, last name "like the drink, only not spelled the same
way," (King 16) plays the hand of God in this story, when he saved a life, cured the incurable,
punished the guilty, and changed the life of Paul Edgecomb inevitably. "The arrival of John
Coffey in fall of 1932 was a hot, normal day in the E Block cells"(King 5). The guards saw this
man as not much of a talker, but he often cried himself to sleep. He was sentenced there for the
rape and murder of two little girls; a crime he did not commit. John Coffey was a large black man
in both height and mass, but there was an oddity sensed about this man. "Paul Edgecomb had
been acquainted with many inmates over his years, but this is the first one he offered his hand
to" (King 19). "Even now I don't know why," he stated (King 19). Coffey, a simple man, who
talked very little, touched the guards hearts very quickly in his stay. From the start, it seemed
Coffey knew he was going to be killed for the crime he did not commit. "[He was] doomed and
[maybe] even perhaps eager to die and put all of the pain and misery behind him"(D 'Ammassa). He
had a hand for healing, even though this man knew that life was

Essay on Main Themes in "The Green Mile"
One of the main themes in "The Green Mile" is death. It encapsulates the whole novel, leaving the
reader to think deeply about their fate. It's an obvious theme, considering the story takes place on
death row. However, further analysis reveals a deeper meaning than men dying in the electric
chair for their crimes. "And I think about all of us. Walking our own green mile; each in our own
time."(Pg 434) Paul said. The reader will discover that the Green Mile itself is a metaphor for
death. Paul compared life at the Green Mile to life for a free citizen, because both lifestyles will
end in the same way. Death is inevitable. For the prisoners, they have a set number of days until
their execution, so their "Green Mile" is relatively short. A...show more content...
But Paul was going to try. He was trying to release John at all costs, he knew it was an injustice.
When he consults John about his potential release, he adamantly refuses. He thought the world
was far too of cruel a place to live any longer, and he knew the electric chair was his fate. King's
trying to challenge the reader's beliefs. The reader might ask: Is justice always served in the legal
system? These are questions one must ask oneself. Just because a person looks intimidating and
is convicted of a crime, they aren't always guilty. Stephen King is simply trying to say that the
legal system can have its flaws. One must look past physical appearance and find sufficient
evidence before proving another guilty. The last central theme in the novel, "The Green Mile" is
racism. Keep in mind, this story was based in the '30s, therefore racism was a massive issue, more
so than the present day. Paul's thought of black men going to court back then was shown when
he said "Appeals weren't for the likes of John Coffey, not back then; they had their way in court
and then the world forgot them until they saw a squib in the paper saying a certain fellow had
taken a little electricity along about midnight." Because racism was such an issue back then, John's
lawyer had given up on him, thought it was a hopeless case. Due to racism, John didn't get a fair
trial. King's trying to show readers that racism can affect so much in life. If John had been your
average white

Essay on The Green Mile
The Green Mile For my third quarter book report I read The Green Mile written by Stephen King.
This book is about an old man, Paul Edgecomb, recalling his experiences when he worked as the
cell block captain in Cold Mountain state penitentiary. Paul was the cell block captain of death row
in this Alabama correctional institute.
This story takes place in a nursing home. The narrator Paul is writing a book about when he was
cell block captain in 1932. During the time he is writing his book he points out how people never
change, how there is always the bully, and so on. He compares writing the book to a time machine.
Both seem to take him back to 1932, and every lasdetail is clear.
This book made me feel involved. As the reader...show more content...
Stephan King does an excellent job using many detail, and sensory images. The title fits the book
perfectly. On death row Paul describes the floor as being a lime Green, and death row is often called
the mile. Therefore, in this book Paul and the other death row guards call their territory the Green
Mile. Another reason this is a good title is because more than three fourths of the book takes place
on the Green Mile. Not only is the Green Mile the name of the cell block that Paul and the other
guards head, but in this book it is referred to as an idea. The Green Mile is used as a synonym to the
road of death. During his account of what happened in 1932, he speaks of a gift he has earned.
This gift keeps him from dying in a timely fashion. So the end of the book after he has wrote his
book his, and has nothing left to live for he comments on the gift he has, and says "but sometimes,
oh God, the Green Mile is so long". Back in 1932 a prisoner arrived on the Green Mile, his name
was John Coffey. He was a well built, tall, could not remember much, and was African American.
He was found guilty of murdering, and raping two young girls. Because he was African American,
in Alabama, in 1932 he had no chance of being acquitted. On top of that, he was found with the
victims in his arms. After he was in on the Green Mile for a while, Paul wondered if this man could
have committed such a violent crime. Paul discovered John Coffey had a healing power. Then after

John Coffey's Sacrifice Explored in The Green Mile

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John Coffey's Sacrifice Explored in The Green Mile