Analysis Of Bryan Stevenson's Just Mercy

Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy makes his readers ask themselves many questions that not very many books could or would get them to think of. It sparks thoughtfulness of how a simple mistake, or prejudice, could cost a man his reputation. Just Mercy makes readers think of the many mistakes that are made in the name of the law. Stevenson keeps his readers dangling onto the edge of their seat with a story of truth that would make anyone think about the differences between equity and equality. His story is certainly a rival to Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, as it shows his will to do his absolute best while following the rule, “protect and serve.” He proves this with his main argument that the American justice system is not fair. Bryan Stevenson shows his want for mercy in our court system. He uses his readers’ emotions, logic, and asserting his authority as the lawyer in the story to prove his point.

What is mercy? According to the Oxford English Dictionary “mercy” can be defined as, “Compassion or forgiveness shown towards someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.” According to the definition, today’s society really does lack mercy. Stevenson states, “This book is about getting closer to mass incarceration and extreme punishment in a America. It is about how easily we condemn people in this country and the injustice we create when we allow fear, anger, and distance to shape the way we treat the most vulnerable among us”. These two sentences in the introduction may not have mattered that much but it tells the reader what he is trying to say throughout the book. America condemns people too easily for things without knowing the full story; throughout the book Stevenson is trying to teach his readers that they should love all people and be just as compassionate to those that might not deserve it as to those that do.

Stevenson plays with the reader’s emotions to prove his point. He tells them the story of a war veteran that suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The man could not get a stay of execution so he had to go to the electric chair and Mr. Stevenson says, “I thought about Herbert, about how desperately he wanted the American flag he earned through his military service in Vietnam. I thought about his family and about the victim’s family and the tragedy the crime created for them. I thought about the visitation officer, the Department of Corrections officials, the men who were paid to shave Herbert’s body so that he could be killed more efficiently”. He led the reader to hope, the way that he had, and when Herbert died he showed the readers how it was not just one person that affected by it all. Herbert was not alone; he had a family, friends, and people that cared enough not to want any more death. The aunt of the little girl stated, “All this grievin’ is hard. We can’t cheer for that man you trying to help but don’t want to have to grieve for him, too. There shouldn’t be no more killing behind this”. The close family of the little girl that he had killed was more merciful and understanding than the court system.

The reader’s sense of logic is appealed to when Stevenson says, “Despite my general reluctance about media on pending cases, I believed that if people in Monroe County heard enough reports that Walter had been released because he was innocent, there would be less resistance to accepting him when he returned home”. The reader may have assumed that he had just wanted publicity but he gave them a reason for involving the media. He had wanted his client, and his friend, to be able to safely return home. Stevenson also says on page 299, “His struggle to form words and his determination to express gratitude reinforced his humanity for me, and it made thinking about his impending execution unbearable. Why couldn’t they see it too?” Mr. Dill was about to die and he was trying to express his gratitude. He was fighting through his nerves about his impending death to tell Bryan Stevenson, who hadn't been able to save him, thank you.

Bryan Stevenson repeatedly shows his credibility as a lawyer multiple times within the pages of his book. At one point the lawyer was searched without a warrant and could have gotten killed if he had lost his cool. Stevenson said, “He was furious and urged me to file a complaint with the Atlanta Police Department. Some folks in the office said I should explain in my complaint that I was a civil rights attorney working on police misconduct cases. It seemed to me that no one should need those kinds of credentials to complain about misconduct by police officers”. Stevenson, like most readers, saw no reason that him being a lawyer should have made any difference in the legal system. He was still a citizen of the United States just like everyone else. He goes on to say, “A bigger staff, bigger cases, and a bigger docket also sometimes meant bigger problems. While exciting and very gratifying, the Supreme Court rulings on juveniles created all sorts of new challenges for us”. This shows that he has become better as a lawyer over time. He now has so much more than he had had in the beginning of his career but he still has the exact same view as he did back then.

Stevenson still wants justice just as much as he did when he was younger. He has a firm belief that the court system could be much more fair. He saved people, he lost people, and he tried his hardest all throughout the nonfiction tale. Jesus once said, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Bryan Stevenson clearly looks at all people with this in mind.