A TIME TO KILL

A Time to Kill is a courtroom drama written in 1989. It is the first novel by John
Grisham. The author was himself a lawyer in the state of Mississippi for a period of
ten years. It is perhaps, because of this, that he paints an extremely realistic picture
of the judicial system in the American Deep South. In 1964, Grisham witnessed the
testimony of a twelve year old rape victim which affected him deeply. This got him
thinking about what would have happened if the girls father decided to seek justice
himself instead of depending on the courts. This incident served as the inspiration
for the novel. He also states Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird as an influence. *add
a few more sentences on author*
The book is set in the small town of Clanton in rural Mississippi, which has also since
then then appeared in other Grisham novels. The premise of the novel is a very
fascinating one- a young black girl, Tonya Hailey is beaten, raped and left for dead
by two white men. The men are drunk and drugged and are both petty criminals.
The girl is soon found and the perpetrators are apprehended in a pub, boasting of
what they had done. During the court proceedings, we are introduced to Jake
Brigance, a white attorney who has previously helped the Hailey family out. He is
shown to be a brash, vain and hardworking young family man who Grisham says he
modeled after himself. The girls father, Carl Lee Hailey, during the transport of the
two rapists from the court to the jail, shoots and kills them. In the process he also
gravely injures a police officer. He turns to Jake Brigance to help him get acquitted.
We now see the efforts of Brigance to come up with a valid defense for Carl Lee
while battling various issues. The struggles with himself, his family, both the black
and white community, the judges, and his friends. He battles his temptation to bend
the laws because he considers himself to be an ethical lawyer. Even still, he turns a
blind eye to the many unlawful things, such as jury tampering, done for him by his
friends. His wife is opposed to him taking the case due to the danger it poses to the
family. The black community clamor for Carl Lees release and the white community
does not want to stand for a black man being released for a vigilante justice crime
against white men. The judges, the DA and police are all seen to be corrupt to
varying degrees.
As Jake fights for the life of his client, things take a turn for the worse as the white
supremacy and extremist group the Ku Klux Klan enter the scene. Jake now fights
for not only Carl Lees life but also that of himself and his family. The clan sets fire to
crosses in front of peoples houses as a warning and to intimidate the jury. They also
set fire to Jakes house and almost kill him as they attempt to assassinate him by
shooting at him. As the situation gets worse he finds unexpected help in a young
woman who accepts to act as legal clerk pro-bono. With the help of his small band
of, often drunk, friends and helpers, he puts together an insanity defense.

After many few setbacks in the early stages of the trial, he manages to win the jury
back with a few well-placed questions to the state psychiatrist and a heart-felt
closing speech. After a long deliberation the jury returns with a not guilty verdict by
reason of insanity. The scene closes with both Carl Lee and Jake Brigance reuniting
with their families. *elaborate little more on the trial*
A Time to Kill, at its core, asks both the characters in the book and the reader a few
questions- was Carl Lee justified in killing the two men who brutally raped his
daughter? It challenges the justice system and poses the question when is the right
Time to Kill? Isnt it true that if the two men had been convicted, they faced a life
sentence? Does the law have a problem with the killing itself or the person who
performed the killing? These are all questions that have no black and white answers
and they reflect what is at the core of a jury system of justice. A jury is always going
to be biased and their verdicts will never reflect what is strictly the word of the
law. This is exactly what Jake Brigance uses to make sure the jury acquits Carl Lee.
Brigance embodies the emotional, the human side of the argument while the DA
represents the rational mind and the logical side of the argument. Grisham makes
very clear his own thoughts throughout the book. It is seen in every sentence and in
every dialogue that he is in favor of what Carl Lee did. By his own admission, he
modeled Jake Brigance after him and there is no doubt in the readers mind that he
not only supports the act but also would have done the same thing in his place.
Every protagonist is shown to be sympathetic to the defendant. Grisham goes to the
extent of even having the police officer injured in the cross fire praise Carl Lees act.
Grishams opinions of what is right and wrong come through very clearly through
the lips of various different characters in the book.
While these questions are complicated in themselves at an intellectual level,
Grisham introduces the aspect of racism and prejudice of the time, especially in that
area of the United States. This aspect of the book is reminiscent of Harper Lees To
Kill a Mockingbird. How fair is an all-white jury against a black man accused to
murdering two white men? Racism plays a central role in the book. We are
constantly asked to imagine the situation with the races reversed and it is quite
obvious that in case of a white defendant, the man might not have even been
indicted. Even though it is the 1980s, we see rampant casual racism. Derogatory
words for black people are common, there are different coffee houses for blacks and
whites, and poverty is widespread amongst the black community. But what is most
disturbing about the scene being described is the casual nature of racism and how
so much of the racism is not only accepted by the black people but expected. To
counteract this bleak image are a few characters peppered through the pages, a
black sheriff, sympathetic white jurors, etc. who behave in a way that is not
expected of their race.
Another issue of note, though a little obscure, is the sexism. Grisham explores this
aspect in a very covert manner. It is covered up beneath the bigger themes of
racism and legal morality, beneath humor even, but it is present as an undercurrent

constantly. We are told Jake fell in love with his wife only once he thinks she will be
an obedient stay-at-home mother and not the radical bra-burning types. We see
how the last minute legal clerk, Ellen Roark, is treated. We are told that the judge
does not want to see female lawyers around, that it will offend the (mostly women)
jurors to see Roark sitting at the bench. We see that Roark accepts this treatment,
even if it is not fully willingly, without question. We are constantly told throughout
the book that wives are to listen to their husbands, that they are helpless. Whether
this dialogue is intentionally meant to subtly incense the reader or was a reflection
of how Grisham himself felt is unclear.
The author in writing this book is trying to tackle various issues that plagued the
Deep South at that period of time; racism, sexism, ethics in the justice system,
corruption in politics, court and the church. How does a man get justice in a system
that is so prejudiced? But by acquitting Carl Lee, Grisham tries to convey to the
reader that although the system is flawed, it is not completely without hope. The
theme throughout the book is that of morality- how far does the law affect the
natural moral compass of a man? Is the law too inflexible considering humans are a
jumble of emotions, a million shades of grey, non-binary and non-linear beings?
Grisham comes across very clearly on most of the controversial topics he addresses.
It is clear to any reader that he supports the defendant, is against racism and that
he has a questionable view on ethics. His writing style comes across as a little long
winded and the story line is a little repetitive and slow. However, his picturisation of
the setting is very impressive. The setting is realistic and full of minor details which
make it believable. The characterization is also very well thought of. There are
numerous complex, well imagined characters. All characters are portrayed as
having multi-faceted personalities. And, In spite of the dark nature of the book,
there is subtle, well placed humor. We see Jake Brigance as having his own selfish
agenda and not just acting out of the kindness of his heart which is refreshing. Carl
Lee is also not painted as a saint who did no wrong. The hysteria and terror that
surrounded the Ku Klux Klan and the effect they could have on people, especially on
black people, is well depicted. Grisham shows the reader how they could induce
violence amongst the most well-meaning and peaceful gatherings.
On the positive side of the book, the fictional town is very well painted, the
characters are complex and deep and many in number. Grisham also does a good
job posing many tangled questions that linger with the reader long after reading the
book. On the negative side, the pacing of the novel could have been improved
vastly. There were many instances where scenes and dialogues seemed repetitive
and redundant. The beginning of the book could have been pared down
considerably while the trial could have been drawn out a lot. The book was overall a
mediocre read in terms of literary skills (which is to be expected in most first books),
but a thought provoking one nevertheless.