The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll, And The Brown

The opinions we form about others are highly influenced by their outward physical appearance. Although everyone is told not to judge a book by its cover, our minds make snap judgements as part of human nature. That being said, what we assume about someone’s appearance has been influenced by years of racial stereotyping and persecution. Because of this prejudice people of color are often treated differently than whites. The novel Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson and the song “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” by Bob Dylan discuss the inequality of the law based on the color of one’s skin. Stevenson argues that people of color and poverty often receive harsher treatment than white people for the same crime,

Mr. McMillian was accused of shooting and killing a woman, who happened to be white, one afternoon in the dry cleaners. Walter was charged with first degree murder and sentenced to die. “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” by Bob Dylan is about a very similar murder that occurred with the only main difference being that a white male, William Zanzinger, murdered an older black woman. Instead of receiving the harsh sentence given to McMillian, the affluent and successful William Zanzinger only received a sentence of six months. This inequality in sentencing is based on the world’s racial bias. On paper the two crimes are the same. Both are cases of first degree murder and both involve a woman being killed by a man, so it was the addition of race that changed the outcomes. That same implicit association that makes it hard for most of us to punish a rich white man for murder, made it easy to sentence a black man, even a successful black man, to

Unfortunately, it tends to play a big role in the American judicial system. Simply changing the color of someone’s skin, a minor variable, can completely change the outcome of a lot of court cases. On a straight road of justice those looked as “lesser” curve to the right towards harsher treatment while those who are affluent and white, curve left towards increased leniency. Bryan Stevenson discusses how the color of one’s skin and financial status can truly affect how the world perceives someone. The idea of the poor or pigmented being looked down on is perfectly summarized in the introduction of Just Mercy when Stevenson says, “the opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice,” (Stevenson 18). Stevenson isn’t making the claim that people in poverty cannot ever receive justice, but he is pointing out how much harder attaining justice would be. In the case of William Zanzinger, his wealth made it so easy for him to be released on bail after committing a murder. On the other hand, Walter McMillian, who came from a poor background, lacked the resources he needed in order to adequately fight for himself. It is very easy to see that the lawyer assigned to McMillian by the state does not compare the excellent lawyer that Zanzinger’s money was able to buy. The issue of finances and the type of lawyer someone is able to afford sets up the system so that some people are at the disadvantage. As we see