Will Justice example essay topic

In A Time To Kill, by John Grisham, two drunken white men violently raped, beat, and nearly killed a 10-year-old black girl named Tonya Hailey. Her father, in a clouded rage, executed the two rapists with an M-16 on their way out of the courthouse. His vigilante form of justice was not well taken by many in prejudiced Ford County, Mississippi. On the other hand, he had lots of support from the black community and from any white person whom dared to step into his shoes. A young, thirty-something lawyer named Jack Brisance was hired as his defense. He personally hoped it would give him national recognition, but his outlook turned sour when an all-white jury was drawn to decide on the fate of this Negro man.

As the case gained popularity, the got involved, and everyone involved in the court case was put in severe danger through shootings, riots, bombings, and random acts of violence. The non-stop action this book has to offer would keep any reader on the edge of his seat through the last page of the novel. The story begins with the horrific, detailed rape of Tonya Hailey. Besides being the most disgusting series of events in the entire book, the reader has no choice but to pray that the little girl will make it out alive. Through all of the beatings and tortures, she luckily survives, offering a sense of relief and finality. Shortly after, though, the action picks up again with the sheriff's search for the rapists.

The break-in to a drug dealer's home and a barroom fight continues the trend of rising action. The opening sets a high standard for the rest of the book, which continues to go above and beyond. At no point in the book was a decrease in action evident, so the chance for a loss of interest was never possible. The book held several different tactics to increase appeal, interest, and attention.

Throughout the book, a series of attacks (on the characters and reader alike) made the element of surprise extremely valuable to the storyline. Controversy was introduced with the initiation of new members in Ford County, something society today has a strong feeling about. By keeping relevant topics on the front line throughout the story, attention was rarely lost since no unpopular topics needed to be explained or elaborated on. By keeping with a theme that will surely last for decades, this book is one of the few that will last for years to come. And, unlike other books that include racism to provoke controversy, Grisham made sure to show both sides of the argument, in order to keep everyone happy. Although this is sometimes seen as a weak approach that could make a novel boring, he did it in such a way that the book's luminosity could not be faded.

A happy medium was reached, which is a direct sign of a world-class author. Without giving away the ending, it is hard to explain what a tremendous job was done in the conclusion of the story. Simply put, the last fifty pages have to be read in one sitting-it is impossible to read it any other way. The suspense level is so high that tears want to fall, but foggy eyes would slow the reading of the next few pages, so they have to be held back. The feelings of the reader perfectly match those of the jury towards the end: fear, confusion, and the teetering on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Adrenaline seems to be pumped out at levels unseen in the world of medicine when ten or so pages are left.

This book gives a whole new meaning to the word tension. This story is as enjoyable as it is for one reason-the action does not allow for the book to be put to rest, even for a minute. The reader is chosen as a member of the jury, the reader is put on trial, and the reader becomes lost in a world where the line between right and wrong is not only blurred, it's invisible. Values are put to the test, prejudice fights against justice, and the law is bent by sympathy. Any person who chooses not to read this book is at a major loss, and so are the people around them.

There is a major life lesson to be learned through this story, and since few people would actually be able to experience it first hand, this book actually serves as a learning device to anyone who is open to it. It also poses a great question, one that will most likely be left unanswered: Will justice prevail to put an end to discrimination, or will discrimination always be an obstacle when justice is sought?