Book By: John Grisham
Blog By: Corey Trinetti
Mark Sway
“Mark was eleven and had been smoking off and on for two years, never trying to quit but being careful not to get hooked. He preferred Kools, his ex-father's brand, but his mother smoked Virginia Slims at the rate of two packs a day, and could in an average week pilfer ten or twelve from her.”
This excerpt is the first time that Mark reveals that he has an issue with how old he is. Throughout the book, and particularly in this quotation, Mark has consistently felt as if he was an adult and, therefore, that he should do as adults do, and smoke. This belief has resulted in Mark trying to act more mature by smoking.
The quote also reveals that Mark has lost or been detached from his father in some way, due to his father being referred to as his “ex-father”. Mark refers to his father this way throughout the novel and we later learn that Mark’s mother separated from Mark’s father because of constant beatings.
Jerome “Romey” Clifford
“You had to be a cute ass and stick your dirty little nose in my business, didn't you? So I think we should die together. Okay? Just you and me, pal. Off to La La Land. Off to see the wizard. Sweet dreams, kid.”
The quote above reveals a little bit about Jerome Romey Clifford for the short time that he was in the novel. This quotation shows Romey’s eagerness to die. He has gotten into a bad situation, being the lawyer for mafia hit man Barry "the Blade" Muldanno, because he knows where the body of US Senator Boyd Boyette was buried, a man Barry killed. During this quote, Romey has grabbed Mark and brought him into the car and decided that since Mark was eavesdropping on his business, that he should die as well. This reveals that Romey’s state of mind at the time is not right because he is drugged up on prescription drugs and alcohol. Normally, he would be a decent man and let Mark go, but with all the stress and substance abuse, he cannot think clearly.
Dianne Sway
“He asked God for a family in which everyone could sleep without fear of abuse.”
Although this quote was not directed to Dianne Sway, it reveals a little bit about her past. Conceiving Mark at such a young age, Dianne felt stuck with her husband and newly born son. As time went by, she conceived a second child, Ricky. Throughout this time, Dianne’s husband was an alcoholic and inevitably he tormented his family with physical and emotional abuse for years. This quote is a small hint towards the abuse they all had received in the past and how they hoped that everything would change for the better. Fortunately, Dianne was able to find the courage to divorce him.
Reggie Love
“As the secret and confidential information unfolded, it became obvious to Reggie that Mark knew where the body was allegedly buried, and she skillfully and fearfully danced around this information.”
This quotation reveals Reggie’s intelligence as a lawyer because she was able to realize that the subject of where the body was buried was a touchy issue for Mark to talk about. She knew that persisting any further would only upset Mark and get them nowhere. This quotation also reveals Reggie’s inexperience at being a lawyer, as demonstrated by the word “fearfully”, because she does not know whether handling the situation in the manner she is, is going to work for Mark. Finally, this quotation demonstrates that Reggie cares about Mark’s feelings, since they have developed a strong mutual bond throughout the novel. Reggie’s ability to listen, and to not give up with Mark, is the root of this bond.
"Reverend" Roy Foltrigg
“It's amazing how lies grow. You start with a small one that seems easy to cover, then you get boxed in and tell another one. Then another. People believe you at first and they act upon your lies, and you catch yourself wishing you'd simply told the truth.”
This excerpt shows Roy’s swift and skillful tactics as a lawyer to try and intimidate Mark into giving him information without the presence of his mother. Roy uses his high status and his credibility to try and intimidate Mark, but this also reveals that Roy will use his intimidation methods later in the novel, which he does frequently in the courtroom and with discussions with Reggie. Roy also tries to tell Mark that he is “lying”, in order to guilt Mark and make him think he is doing something wrong. This reveals how Roy may be on the good side of the law, but even he does not always follow it. This is further demonstrated when Roy fails to tell Mark his rights, and tries to prosecute him without a guardian. Roy’s attempt at outsmarting Mark fails because of the quick thinking of Mark’s lawyer, Reggie Love.
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