Just Mercy Analysis

In Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson concludes “the opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice,” and by this he means that when there is no justice, most people will live in poverty, despair, and fear. Despair is the complete loss of all hope, and each of these characters felt that feeling. Bryan Stevenson was stopped and searched by the police, and he was full of fear because one officer had pulled a gun on him. Fear, Police rely on fear to break the law and do as they wish, because they know a majority of people are scared to go against the police. In chapter 3, Walter McMillian was in jail awaiting his trial and eventual execution, this alone drove him into a pit of despair. Walter didn 't get justice, and in prison

In chapter 3, “Trials and Tribulation,” you read about Walter’s, arrest, his alibi, his trial and verdict, but what I find interesting is that Walter was so hopeful at the beginning, but went into anguish and fear. He went from thinking that he will be free soon, to doubting he will never be free from prison. During his time in prison, he heard from other prisoners about how the electric chair malfunctioned before, which made things worse for Walter and his emotional health. Stevenson explains, the end of the second paragraph, it says “Now he had found himself staring at the bleak walls of death row. Fear and anguish unlike anything he’d ever experienced settled on Walter” (56). Walter McMillian went from hope to fear and anguish. This also shows that Walter went to despair because he lost all hope to be released from prison. Walter didn’t receive justice, and in so his life went into poverty because his reputation was ruined, he was found guilty and faced death

Stevenson concludes, “the opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice.” While reading chapters one through four, I was able to conclude that Stevenson meant, when there is no justice, most people will live in poverty, despair, and fear. Despair, Walter McMillian faced despair while he was in prison, because while he was in prison, the prisoners kept talking about how the electric chair failed to kill the last man that was on death row. Even if Walter was found innocent, he would of lived in poverty because his reputation was ruined and there was a possibility he would of been lynched by the white people who heard about what he has done. Stevenson felt the fear of death, when an officer was pointing his gun at Stevenson. Bryan Stevenson never knew what could happen and he was full of fear of the possibility of jail time or death. Herbert Richardson was a mentally ill person who didn’t get the help he needed, and due to that, he killed little girl and was executed. During that time, the mentally ill lost most of its funding, and because of that, those who needed help couldn’t get it. Richardson and other mentally ill people didn’t have much money and lived in poverty. Without justice, the world would become nothing but poverty, despair and fear, and the only ones who wouldn’t be affected are the