The author Bryan Stevenson teaches his audience about criminal and racial discrimination in judicial systems using his own firsthand knowledge of devastating occurrences, and references in the nonfiction novel Just Mercy. The stories that Stevenson tells are all examples of how the legal system has been corrupted. Firstly, Stevenson uses ethos throughout his prose to provide an individual's perspective on America's racial injustices. Stevenson is a civil rights lawyer who shares personal experiences with injustice.. When Stevenson states, "I've represented abused and neglected children who were prosecuted as adults,"(9) he establishes his reliability and educates the readers about the ongoing issue of prosecuting minors as grownups. Youth who have grown up in abusive or negligent families have experienced years of trauma. Stevenson tells stories of young people who are imprisoned as adults and face even greater hardship in the prison system. …show more content…
The entire work helps the reader feel empathy and distress. Stevenson uses the reader's emotions to promote a greater understanding of social injustice in the United States legal system. Grabbing the attention of his audience, Stevenson introduces Walter, who was undoubtedly wrongfully convicted, as well as anecdotes about children convicted/sentenced to death leaving the readers sad and mixed with emotions. Every case Stevenson writes about helps the reader realize the unfairness of the criminal