The Brethren: Critical Analysis

I. Basic Situation

The Brethren is an entertaining book with a suspenseful plot and intentionally misleading details that add to its overall feeling of tense excitement and engaging uncertainty. It has captivating details that keep the reader continually predicting what will happen next. Furthermore, The Brethren is a compelling book because of its overall story line, which involves three felons at a minimum-security federal prison and their attempts at extorting money from rich men who inadvertently fueled their corrupt scheme by responding to a personals ad in the back of a gay magazine.

The story’s setting is at Trumble Federal Prison where ex-judges Joy Roy Spicer (a former Justice of Peace in Mississippi), Finn Yarber (a former Chief Justice in the California Supreme Court), and Hatlee Beech (a former federal judge in East Texas), were serving time for embezzlement of Bingo profits at a nursing home, tax evasion, and vehicular manslaughter through drunken driving, respectively. Trumble, as considered by the inmates there, was a camp of sorts because it had “no fences around the grounds, no razor wire, no watchtowers, and no guards with rifles waiting to nail escapees.” The prisoners who were fortunate enough to be sent to Trumble enjoyed ample amounts of free time. As a result of this lack of excitement, Spicer, Yarber, and Beech formed the Brethren, a prison judicial system of sorts that tried and settled petty arguments between the prisoners. As time passed however, and as the desire for earning money for when the Brethren was released increased, they devised an immorally brilliant plan in which they would place a personals ad reading “SWM in 20’s seeking older gentleman in 40’s or 50’s to pen pal with,” in the back of a discreet gay magazine. About 20 innocent and unsuspecting men responded to this simple ad.

As the plot progresses, the Brethren begin to initiate romantic contact with these men, using the names of either Ricky or Percy. After the correspondence with particular men became serious enough and the soon-to-be extortionists had discovered the proper details (if they had a wife and money), the Brethren sent a letter stating their true identities and demanding $100,000 in “hush” money so that the prominent figure’s hidden homosexuality would remain a secret. This scam became thoroughly successful and they continued to collect 100’s of tho...

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...prise, and after it, the end of the story could be somewhat conclusively predicted.

VII. Opinion

The Brethren was an extremely entertaining and thought provoking story. It was both enter- taining and thought provoking because of its extensive use of suspense. It is definitely a recom-mendable book because of the addiction it causes among its readers. The Brethren exudes a strong and serious tone, it retains a since of cheer even in its most serious situations, it induces its readers to search for the answers through foreshadowing, and, most importantly, it keeps the reader reading because of its unwavering suspense.

VIII. Mood

The Brethren’s mood is significantly related to its tone. The mood, like the tone, can be interpreted as consequentially strong and undeviatingly solemn. However, it is not discounted as being too somber or grave because of the occasional sarcastic ironical phrases that are introduced to the story line at critical points, relieving any stresses or misgivings. The mood, as do the other literary elements of The Brethren, contributes to its overall success and effectiveness of illus-trating the theme of the story at its fullest potential to the reader.