Main Themes in "The Green Mile"

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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 free citizen is uncertain about the time of their death, some people never even think about it, like they’re going to live forever. But when the day of reckoning comes, both prisoner and free citizen face the same fate. Life is uncertain -anything can happen in life - but death however, is not. One must live a righteous life, so one can die a righteous death. Nobody wants to have the same fate as a prisoner at E-Block, and live the life of regret, misery, and despair. Another theme in “The Green Mile” is the death penalty, and the controversy that comes along with it. Paul displayed his confusion with the line “I've done some things in my life I'm not proud of, but this is the first time I've ever felt in real danger of hell.”(Pg 457) At this point in the book, Paul, Harry, and Brutal all knew John was innocent. He had cured Paul’s urinary tract infection, revived Mr. Jingles, and healed Melinda of her brain tumor. Paul also discovered that Bill Wharton committed the crime, not John. Th... ... middle of paper ... ...w, agonizing death. Percy is a formidable antagonist for one reason: his political connections. He’s related to the governor of state, enabling him to do as he pleases without repercussions. Paul could have dealt with him after the brutal execution of Del out of impulse and rage, but he somehow restrained himself. Perhaps he knew more than the reader, perhaps he knew Percy would face karma eventually. If he would have acted on it, he could have had Percy fired. There was many witnesses at the execution, enough to be on Paul’s side. If Paul had gotten rid of Percy before Del’s execution, life would have gone a lot smoother. Del wouldn’t have suffered as much, and the witnesses wouldn’t be disturbed. Paul and the other guards should have took the initiative and dealt with Percy in the long run before he got out of control. Works Cited green mile

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