72 pages • 2 hours read
A Time For Mercy
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Background
Literary Context: A Time to Kill
A Time to Kill (1989), John Grisham’s debut novel, became a bestseller and was adapted into a film and a stage production. Grisham worked as a lawyer for 10 years before becoming a novelist, and he based A Time to Kill on some of his prior work. The novel takes place in Clanton, Ford County, a fictional town and county in rural north Mississippi. Grisham uses this fictional setting in six other books, including A Time for Mercy. Some characters appear in both novels, including Jake Brigance, Sheriff Ozzie Walls, Lucien Wilbanks, Harry Rex Vonner, and Judge Omar Noose.
In A Time to Kill, Jake Brigance, an ambitious small-town lawyer, defends Carl Lee Hailey, who is accused of killing the two men who abduct, rape, and attempt to kill his 10-year-old daughter, Tonya. Sheriff Ozzie Walls arrests the two men when they brag about their misdeeds in a bar; Hailey then shoots both men with an M-16 as they leave the courtroom. Jake agrees to defend Hailey and works with Lucien Wilbanks and Harry Rex Vonner to build a case that will get Hailey acquitted. Because of Mississippi’s racial tension during the 1980s, Jake and his family immediately receive threatening phone calls. The KKK establish a new chapter in Clanton to intimidate those working for Hailey’s defense. One night, members of the KKK place dynamite beneath Jake’s window, but Ozzie manages to warn Jake in time, preventing any injuries. As Hailey’s trial begins, Jake enters a plea of insanity. It takes the jury several days to deliver a verdict, but they ultimately find Hailey not guilty.
Like A Time for Mercy, A Time to Kill centers on an unpopular defendant Jake grows to appreciate and respect. Both novels establish Jake as the hero who uses unexpected legal strategies to win against impossible odds while focusing on themes such as racism and justice. Carl Lee Hailey also plays a role in A Time for Mercy. He offers to help Jake after two men attack him in a grocery store parking lot, and he tells Jake about Stuart’s darker side based on a family member’s experience working with him. These examples show that Jake and Carl Lee have a powerful relationship rooted in their experience from A Time to Kill and establish a notable connection between the two novels.
Genre Context: Legal Thrillers
Legal thrillers are a subgenre of crime fiction often written by experienced lawyers. John Grisham is a notable author with many examples of legal thrillers in his repertoire. Lawyers-turned-writers add depth and realism to their writing because of their experience in the legal field. Authors in this genre also focus on a criminal investigation, emphasizing courtroom events and the characters’ personal lives. They also use legal terms and language to add a sense of realism to the investigations and trials. They often raise themes like social injustice, racial injustice, the death penalty, and other social issues. Harper Lee’s award-winning To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) demonstrates how legal thrillers can impact culture for good based on courtroom proceedings. Scott Turow’s Presumed Innocent (1987) was one of the first novels to incorporate legal trials into this genre.
Protagonists in this genre are often lawyers who fit the hero archetype by fighting for innocence over justice. This is true in the case of A Time for Mercy, as Jake Brigance overcomes incredible odds, including severe physical injury, to persevere and win his case. Authors also depict lawyers as being both good and bad. For example, Jake does his best to defend Drew, but he does so after insisting Noose find another lawyer and emphasizing to his friends that he was assigned to the case and did not volunteer for it. Likewise, characters like Lucien Wilbanks, who was disbarred for his unethical legal strategies, often appear corrupt but are successful lawyers because they have a unique perspective that allows them to see evidence in a way no one else can.
Finally, writers often use the third-person perspective in this genre, which allows them to develop more aspects of the plot and characters. Authors also seek to incorporate a sense of mystery and suspense into the plot, especially the scenes related to the trial or courtroom. Grisham writes A Time for Mercy in the third person, providing valuable insight into many colorful and memorable characters. Likewise, he establishes tension, conflict, and suspense in the plot, especially regarding Kiera’s pregnancy. Jake uses the situation to ambush the prosecution and convince the jury that Drew was justified in shooting Stuart out of protection for himself and his family.
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By John Grisham
