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Student Example

Flowers

Honors English II

16 May 2019

Conflict and Justice in A Time To Kill

Author

John Grisham, author of A Time To Kill, is one of the most acclaimed and celebrated

modern fiction authors of the past twenty years. The majority of Grisham’s notable works are

legal thrillers, like A Time To Kill, that are written based on his personal experiences learning and

practicing criminal law (“John Grisham Biography”). Grisham studied criminal law at The

University of Mississippi, practiced law in Mississippi for several years, and was elected to the

Mississippi House of Representatives in 1983 (“John Grisham Biography”). In his legal thrillers,

he explores various aspects, issues, and conflicts within the American legal system. Grisham uses

his writing to address issues such as racism, injustice, and the struggles of both lawyers and their

clients in court cases. Grisham also uses his platform as a method to organize change in the

justice system. For example, he is a member of the Innocence project, an “organization that

promotes the use of DNA evidence to exonerate the wrongly convicted” (“John Grisham

Biography”). Grisham has written many best selling legal fiction novels, such as A Time To Kill,

which sold “more than three million copies” (“John Grisham”). His widespread success and

platform has allowed him to present the American legal system in a way that is both entertaining

and moving to readers.

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Plot

A Time To Kill features many prominent characters. However, Carl Lee Hailey is the most

important to the novel’s plot. Hailey is an African American father of Tonya Hailey, a ten year

old girl who is brutally raped and beaten by two white men. Hailey murders the two men,

sending him into a trial that grips the nation, and making him the focal point of the plot. Jake

Brigance, Hailey’s defense lawyer, is the novel’s main character. Brigance is a young, cocky, and

intelligent lawyer who, with help from his colleagues, defends Carl Lee Hailey from being

convicted and sent to death row. Brigance’s opposition in the case, Rufus Buckley, is a seasoned,

egotistical Defense Attorney, responsible for convincing the jurors in the trial to convict Carl

Lee. Throughout the plot, Grisham develops the hatred and disrespect between Brigance and

Buckley through showing the two’s rivalry, driven by media attention, inside and outside of the

courtroom.

The novel’s main plot takes place entirely in Clanton, a small town located in Ford

County, Mississippi. Most of the novel’s important events take place in and around the

courthouse, Jake’s house, and Jake’s office. The novel’s conflict is between Jake, Carl Lee’s

lawyer, and Rufus Buckley, the state’s Defense Attorney. These two characters represent both

their clients and two opposing views of justice. Jake fights for Carl Lee’s freedom and believes

that Carl Lee’s crime is justified due to the victims’ raping his daughter. However, Buckley

believes vigilante justice, such as Carl Lee’s is unacceptable, and must be punished. Jake and

Buckley have conflicts throughout the story, showing the struggle between two views of a trial.

Additionally, the conflict between black civil rights protestors and white supremacists such as the

Ku Klux Klan is shown. During the trial, both of these groups protest around the courthouse,

leading to violent riots and fights, and multiple deaths and injuries. (Grisham 336).
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As the trial date approaches, the stress of preparing and delivering a winning defense

continually weighs Jake down. Additionally, his life is threatened multiple times by the KKK,

and his house is burnt to the ground. As the trial begins, Jake suffers several unfortunate events,

such as attempts on his life and the lives of his wife and daughter. Additionally, the KKK ensures

Jake’s preferred jurors will not be eligible for jury duty for the Hailey trial. The trial climaxes at

the end, when the jury decides Carl Lee is not guilty (Grisham 508). The conflict is resolved

when, due to a strong final speech from Jake, and a juror’s emotional and moving speech, the

jury decides Carl Lee is not guilty, allowing him to return to his family. (Grisham 508).

The plot focuses on a theme of racism, emphasizing that Carl Lee’s struggle to be freed

despite most people agreeing with his actions is due to his race, and that a white man in the same

situation would have much less trouble being deemed innocent. The theme of racism is also

present in the conflict surrounding the case, as the riots and protests outside the courthouse by

the KKK and African-American demonstrators are shown to have important effects on the trial

and its outcome.

Critique

After reading A Time To Kill, I was left with a positive opinion regarding the plot and the

message of the book. The plot was entertaining and thought-provoking, and kept me interested

until the end. Additionally, the book’s setting and topic interested me, despite being about law,

something I would not previously have considered interesting.

The book is an interesting, enthralling and entertaining depiction of the American legal

system and is worthy of acclaim and praise. It tackles prevalent issues such as racism, ethics, and

conflicts in the justice system (Hatcher). The novel is “well-written” and “an excellent read”

(Katie). The novel’s plot uses a variety of issues and challenges faced by Carl Lee Hailey and
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Jake Brigance to keep the reader entertained. While the book is focused on a legal trial and

therefore uses many legal terms, it is easy to understand and helps the reader understand the

procedures of the trial. The book’s tackling of ethics and racism in trials such as Carl Lee

Hailey’s shows both sides of the conflict, and the violence that erupts based on different views of

civil rights. Additionally, Grisham keeps the reader entertained by describing the intense, life-

threatening atmosphere Carl Lee faces in the courtroom. Additionally, Grisham keeps the reader

from expecting an innocent verdict by describing the challenges Brigance faces as the trial

approaches, giving the reader reason to keep reading until the end.

Despite this, some believe that the plot of the book is “patchy” and aspects of it were

“shallow” (Bendersky). Bendersky states that some leads in the story, such as the character Ellen

Roark, start in the book, and completely vanish without a true resolution. Bendersky argues that

Roark was an integral part of the plot, and her sudden disappearance is an example of the plot’s

patchiness. Bendersky also argues that the characters in the book are “shallow.” For example, he

says that Jake Brigance is “an irritable, irksome and unstable individual without any real

apparent talent.” Additionally, Yuxia Zhou argues that many aspects of the plot are not realistic to

real court situations. Carl Lee’s acquittal is unrealistic according to Zhou, as it emphasizes the

idea that Carl Lee is innocent of two murders, despite having no legal power or right to do so.

Additionally, Zhou argues that “law does not allow people to kill others according to their own

will.”

I recommend people read A Time To Kill because the issues it tackles are important in

both the legal system and society as a whole, and the way the issues are addressed entertains the

reader. Grisham’s emphasis on the issues within the judicial system, specifically regarding

racism, make the reader consider the real-life consequences of these issues and their prevalence
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in today’s world. Additionally, the plot of the novel is enthralling and keeps the reader

entertained and interested in the trial’s verdict until the end.

Term Analysis

In life, conflict between opposing groups, people, and ideas is unavoidable, but it often

leads to violence and hatred towards the opposition. These conflicts can shape relationships

between those with opposing and aligning views. Conflict is defined as the result of competing

desires or the presence of obstacles that need to be overcome (“Conflict”). It is a powerful

literary tool used to develop characters and to drive the plot of a piece of literature forward. In A

Time To Kill, John Grisham uses conflict surrounding a murder trial to show the opposing ideas

and desires that lead many groups and people to become enemies, and how these conflicts

shaped many of the issues in both the novel’s setting and modern society.

One of the most prevalent conflicts described in A Time To Kill is the rivalry between

Jake Brigance and Rufus Buckley. Brigance, Carl Lee’s lawyer, and Buckley, the state’s district

attorney, represent the opposing sides, and results, of Carl Lee’s trial (Grisham 80). Brigance,

fighting for Carl Lee’s life and freedom against the discrimination of the legal system and the

various other issues caused by the trial, despises Buckley. Brigance views Buckley as egotistical,

while Buckley views Brigance as young, arrogant and brash. On the surface, the rivalry is one

between two extremely competitive lawyers. However, a win for either lawyer represents a

different, life-changing result for Carl Lee Hailey.

Jake Brigance also has conflicts with the Ku Klux Klan, as they make several attempts to

end his life and destroy his property (Grisham 140). For example, the KKK attempts to plant a

bomb beneath Jake’s house, killing everyone inside (Grisham 272). The conflict represents the

struggle between the KKK, representing racism and white supremacy, and Jake, representing
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Carl Lee Hailey’s chance at freedom despite his murder of two white men. Brigance is threatened

and attacked several more times, showing the violence caused by racism and the conflicting

ideas of white supremacy and civil rights for African Americans. The African American citizens

of Ford County also conflict with the KKK, representing the violence and hatred between racism

and white supremacy and Carl Lee’s freedom. The African American demonstrators and the

KKK members engage in a large, violent fight (Grisham 336). This conflict shows the violence

that that results from hatred between two opposing and conflicting groups of people, and the

death and harm it brings.

Jake Brigance conflicts with himself throughout the novel. Brigance suffers from extreme

stress while trying to put together a defense for a a trial as complicated and difficult as Carl Lee’s

(Grisham 154). The complexity of the trial and Jake’s struggle to put together a defense he feels

will convince the jurors to let Carl Lee walk show the complexity and issues within the trial,

likewise the trial causes Jake many emotional and familial issues, such as his wife’s disapproval

of the trial due to the threats on their lives. These issues and struggles in assembling a defense

cause Jake stress and an inner conflict between staying with the trial, or giving up and letting

Carl Lee inevitably be found guilty.

The most important conflict in the novel is the struggle between Carl Lee Hailey and the

judicial system. Hailey’s murder of two white men turns him into the focal point of a complex,

nationally followed trial (Grisham 72). The conflict between Carl Lee’s motive and the law show

the complexity of emotions in justice and motives and the effects of racism in the courtroom.

Carl Lee struggles to be proven innocent because of the color of his skin and the nature of his

crime. The novel says many times that an innocent verdict would not be as difficult to obtain if
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Carl Lee was white. This conflict shows how racism can make the justice system unfair for

someone accused of a crime.

Conflict is important because it is one of the most important aspects of fiction. It drives

the plot forward. According to William H. Coles, conflict is crucial on all levels for delivering

information and developing characterization. Conflict supports Grisham’s purpose by showing

the hatred, violence, and issues caused by conflicts between groups with different ideals, and

how these conflicts can impact the justice system. The conflict reveals that despite the many

inner conflicts and outside influences Brigance faces, he is able to thrive in the trial’s pressure

and win the trial for Carl Lee. After the trial, Carl Lee invites Brigance to his house for a party,

showing that Carl Lee is thankful for his help in proving him innocent. The conflict shows that

standing for justice means taking risks and remaining strong in beliefs despite internal and

external influences.
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Works Cited

Bendersky, Eli. “Book Review: ‘A Time To Kill’ by John Grisham.” Eli Bendersky’s Website, 15

May 2010, https://eli.thegreenplace.net/2010/05/15/book-review-time-to-kill-by-john-

grisham, Accessed on 22 October 2018.

Coles, William. “Conflict in Literary Fiction.” Story In Literary Fiction, 2018,

https://www.storyinliteraryfiction.com/essays-on-writing/conflict-in-literary-fiction/,

Accessed on 16 October 2018.

“Conflict.” Literary Devices, http://www.literarydevices.com/conflict/ . Accessed on 31 October

2018.

Grisham, John. A Time To Kill. 1989. Island Books, 1992.

Hatcher, Laura J. “A Time To Kill Review.” Law And Politics Book Review, APSA Law And

Courts Section, http://www.lpbr.net/2008/04/time-to-kill.html. Accessed on 16 October

2018.

“John Grisham.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 2018, https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-

Grisham. Accessed on 16 Oct. 2018.

“John Grisham Biography.” Academy Of Achievement, 22 March 2018,

http://www.achievement.org/achiever/john-grisham/. Accessed on 16 October 2018

Katie. “A Time To Kill By John Grisham.” It’s Time To Read, 11 November 2015,

http://bookreviews.me.uk/a-time-to-kill-by-john-grisham/ Accessed on 22 October 2018.

Zhou, Yuxia. “How Justice fails to be fully promoted in A Time To Kill.” Feeling Good, 27

September 2016, http://blogs.rochester.edu/feelinggood2/2016/09/27/how-empathy-fails-

to-be-promoted-in-a-time-to-kill/, accessed on 22 October 2018.