“Sister I won’t ask for forgiveness, my sins are all I have,” sings Bruce Springsteen in the end of the film, giving voices to Matthew Poncelet, a convicted killer of two teenage lovers based on a true story (Americancatholic.org, 2016). The 1995 film, Dead Man Walking, directed by Tim Robbins (IMDb, 2016), brings a complete perspective to one of the most controversial issues in the world—death penalty. Through the eyes of Sister Helen Prejean, the film examines both sides of the coin, from the families of the victims, to the families of the death row inmates. Tim Robbins also involves elements such as prison officials, religious counsellor, legal system and discrimination to create a film without bias that draws viewer’s attention to issues …show more content…
The isolation and desperation in his words make her decided to visit him, in rural Louisiana. After the discovery of the unequal access of lawyer support, the outspoken Sister Helen becomes Matt’s spiritual advisor and is willing to help this cold-blooded killer, as the rest of the world views him.
In her role as a spiritual leader to enable Matthew to take responsibility for his actions to achieve redemption, Sister Helen initiates into the harshness of the unfamiliar prison system. By using camera techniques such as framing and close up, the film establishes an impression of isolation and highlights the coldness of the prison cell.
Gradually, as they begin to know each other, the visual layers separating them in the prison visiting room are peeled away. When it is time for execution, Helen holds and kisses Matt’s shoulder, and the barrier between them no longer exists. The visual effects used in indicating the relationship between Helen and Matthew is
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A great testament to Penn’s acting is that he does not try to win sympathy for his character. I myself don’t sympathize him until the last scene of the film. Penn simply plays Poncelet as it is, he makes Poncelet alive.
For her soul-stirring and outstanding portrayal of Sister Helen Prejean, Susan Sarandon deserved won the Oscar for Best Actress. Her performance is incredibly touching and real. The character she plays conveys the natural vulnerability as a female, in which Sarandon combines it with bravery, because her character knows the difficulties lie ahead and toughness that she needs to carry on. Sarandon makes Sister Helen a real person.
The final moments of the film hit me the most. As I watch Matthew taking innocent lives in such a brutal way, I feel angry; meanwhile I start to sympathize this man as I watch his life been taken from him in a ‘humane’ way. I am not commenting on justice, but I fully agree with Poncelet’s final words that killing is wrong no matter who is doing
Ruth Fowler is Matt’s wife of many years and the mother of their three children: Steve, Cathleen and the now murdered Frank. Ruth cannot come to terms with Frank’s death and is haunted at all times of the day, whether at home or out in the town running errands, “She was at Sunnyhurst today getting cigarettes and aspirin, and there he was. She can’t even go out for cigarettes and aspirin. It’s killing her” (108). This quote is a symbolism of her mental state. The anguish of just seeing her son’s killer on the streets with freedom is more than Ruth can mentally comprehend. Ruth continually applies emotional pressure to her husband with comments and allusions to why the killer is still able to roam freely while their son cannot, “And at nights in bed she would hold Matt and cry, or sometimes she was silent and Matt would touch her tightening arm, her clinched fist” (112).
In George Orwell’s essay, “A Hanging,” and Michael Lake’s article, “Michael Lake Describes What The Executioner Actually Faces,” a hardened truth about capital punishment is exposed through influence drawn from both authors’ firsthand encounters with government- supported execution. After witnessing the execution of Walter James Bolton, Lake describes leaving with a lingering, “sense of loss and corruption that [he has] never quite shed” (Lake. Paragraph 16). Lake’s use of this line as a conclusion to his article solidifies the article’s tone regarding the mental turmoil that capital execution can have on those involved. Likewise, Orwell describes a disturbed state of mind present even in the moments leading up to the execution, where the thought, “oh, kill him quickly, get it over, stop that abominable noise!” crossed his mind (Orwell.
Through her emotional breakdowns and extensive grief, Ruth Fowler provokes her husband into committing homicide in order to appease her. During the weeks after the death of their son, Matt Fowler sees the pain and torment his wife goes through dealing with the fact that their son’s killer still walked the streets not persecuted for his crime. When talking to his friend Willis Trottier about his family after a night of poker, Matt Fowlers affirms, “She can’t even go out for cigarettes and aspirin. It’s killing her. […] Every day since he got out. I didn’t think about bail. I thought I wouldn’t have to worry about him for years. She sees him all the time. It makes her cry” (Dubus 2). In Matt Fowler’s recount, he describes his wife as being perpetually afflicted by the presence of their son’s killer, and he even goes further to claim that Richard Strout’s existence is resulting in the deterioration of Ruth Fowler’s health and wellbeing. Although it is too late for Matt Fowler to protect his own son, he feels obligated to guard his wife from the suffering inflicted by presence of their son’s murderer. Because of this marital responsibility brought about by Ruth Fowler’s teary performances, Matt Fowler kills Richard Strout in an effort to end his wife’s emo...
... of an abusive parent or significant other is it right to take their life to prevent danger of losing your life? I don’t understand why Linda stuck around. Doyle doesn’t provide anything for her family. All he does is endanger Frank mentally and physically. It shouldn’t have taken a “retard” to get rid of Doyle. She should have gotten rid of him in a calmer fashion. That way Karl would be a free man enjoying life on the outside with Frank. The scene that affected me the most emotionally was where Karl and the little boy tell each other “I love you” and than hugged their goodbyes. I was also touched by the way Karl protected Frank and Linda. He made sure they were safe before he killed Doyle.
As this occurs, the story takes on a comedic aspect from the view of the reader, and we lose our sympathy for Sister. Sister lives in China Grove, Mississippi, presumably a very small town with only a few occupants. She lives with her mother, grandfather and uncle in their home, being the center of attention for the duration of the time until her younger sister, Stella-Rondo returns home. The return of Stella-Rondo sparks a conflict with Sister immediately because Sister is obviously envious of her and has been even before she came back to China Grove. The reader gets clear evidence of Sister’s jealousy toward Stella-Rondo when Sister says “She’s always had anything in the world she wanted and then she’d throw it away.
Times become even harder when a paralytic stroke severely incapacitates Ella. Richard's grandmother brings Ella, Richard, and Alan to her home in Jackson, Mississippi. Ella's numerous siblings convene in Jackson to decide how to care for their ailing sister and her two boys.
Unlike Calixta, Louise Mallard is a fragile woman afflicted with heart trouble. It comes to her attention through a trustworthy friend that her husband, Brently Mallard has been killed in a railroad disaster. She is overcome with intense grief and instantly weeps o...
“Picking up the pieces of their shattered lives was very, very difficult, but most survivors found a way to begin again.” Once again, Helen was faced with the struggle of living life day-to-day, trying not to continue feeling the pain of her past.
The theme of this story is that one’s determination and courage can defy the impossible. Elizabeth’s recovery and revival have been dedicated to her faith and her remembrance of family. Smart stated she would pray to God in times of need. Her faith kept her alive during these harsh nine months. At her weakest moments, she would recognize the need to survive by acknowledging her family and friends. Smart’s astounding willpower dictated her situation, and it helped her realize that one day she would be no longer under her captor’s imprisonment. When a police officer finally recognized her, she stated, “For a moment, my world seemed to absolutely stop. I looked at him. He looked at me. I felt calm. I felt assured. Months of fear and pain seemed to melt before the sun. I felt a sweet assurance” (Smart 275). Due to her remarkable resilience against her captors, after nine cruel months, Smart was able to be returned to her
Looking back on the death of Larissa’s son, Zebedee Breeze, Lorraine examines Larissa’s response to the passing of her child. Lorraine says, “I never saw her cry that day or any other. She never mentioned her sons.” (Senior 311). This statement from Lorraine shows how even though Larissa was devastated by the news of her son’s passing, she had to keep going. Women in Larissa’s position did not have the luxury of stopping everything to grieve. While someone in Lorraine’s position could take time to grieve and recover from the loss of a loved one, Larissa was expected to keep working despite the grief she felt. One of the saddest things about Zebedee’s passing, was that Larissa had to leave him and was not able to stay with her family because she had to take care of other families. Not only did Larissa have the strength to move on and keep working after her son’s passing, Larissa and other women like her also had no choice but to leave their families in order to find a way to support them. As a child, Lorraine did not understand the strength Larissa must have had to leave her family to take care of someone else’s
The story begins with and is enveloped by Walton’s letters to his sister. His sister is very close to him; as can be seen by the affection terms used for her and the comfort level that Walton has with her; terms such as “dear sister” and “my sister”. This relationship that Walton has with his sister is placed on the reader through his expressions and use of language.
Ruth Fowler is Matt’s wife of many years and the mother of Matt’s three children: Steve, Cathleen and the now murdered Frank. Ruth can’t come to terms with Frank’s death and is haunted at all times of the day, whether at home or out in the town shopping and running errands, “She was at Sunnyhurst today getting cigarettes and aspirin, and there he was. She can’t even go out for cigarettes and aspirin. It’s killing her” (108). This quote is a symbolism of her mental state. The anguish of just seeing her son’s killer on the streets with freedom is more than Ruth can mentally comprehend. Ruth continually applies emotional pressure to her husband with comments and allusions to why the killer is sti...
After reading The “Most Dangerous Game” we, as a class, were asked whether or not it is considered correct to kill someone but, like a ballot, there were mixed results. This can branch out into a wide variety of topics ranging from abortion to downright murder. “Most Dangerous game” is a short story about a man named Rainsford who gets saved after a boat crash. The man who saved him, General Zaroff, is a hunter. A trait both share in common. However, Zaroff kills humans rather than animals in that the hunt is more thrilling. Of course, there is a disagreement on the subject matter to further the plot. Rainsford is completely opposed to the idea of killing his own kind. We also analyzed the film, “The Hunger Games”. Katniss Everdeen was forced into an arena where the only way to stay alive was to kill others. Both pieces of literature are a survival of the fittest test. Both had justifiable reasons for killing and it made reputable, however morbid, sense.
After casually meeting the rape victim, Teena Maguire, and then being called to her crime scene, John Dromoor goes on a hero’s journey, starting with the hearing in September 1996. When madness ensues in Judge Schpiro’s courtroom, “Dromoor had seen the derailment. Sick in the gut, had to escape” (Oates 75). It is just a month after that Dromoor begins to take matters into his own hands in order to protect Teena and her daughter. By shooting James DeLucca with deadly force, an act that can be considered by some one of a madman, Dromoor asserts himself as the family’s protector and ‘hitman’. In his further actions, seeking out and likely being the killer of the Vick brothers and Fritz Haaber, Dromoor does what he knows the Maguires are desiring: to feel safe. Dromoor has a serial killer gene in his body, using his victim’s weaknesses to lure them to their death (i.e. Fritz Haaber’s affection towards young girls), but the reader knows that he is so meticulous because he wants the best for the Maguires. When the young daughter of the victim feels sad, Bethel Maguire calls the man that she knows can protect her, John Dromoor, and says, “Help us please help us John Dromoor we are so afraid” (Oates 120). Then, after seeing the convict that scared her the most, Fritz Haaber at the mall, Bethie confides in her grandmother to make her aware of Haaber’s presence at the mall purely because she knows that her
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...