full title Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of
the Death Penalty in the United States
author Helen Prejean, C.S.J.
type of work Nonfiction
genre Memoir; current affairs
language English
time and place written 1993, Louisiana
date of first publication 1993
publisher Random House.
narrator Helen Prejean
point of view First-person, subjective narration from Prejean’s perspective
tone Compassionate, outraged
tense Past, present, and future
setting (time) 1982–1991
setting (place) New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana
protagonist Helen Prejean
major conflict Prejean struggles to save Patrick’s life as his execution
date draws near
rising action Millard Farmer decides to assist Prejean with Patrick’s
defense
climax Patrick’s last few hours of life, from his final meal
to his last words
falling action Prejean returns home and, after six months, realizes
she must continue to fight against capital punishment
themes The redemptive power of love; the linked symptoms of
social injustice; the importance of personal responsibility; the
moral cost of executions
motifs Supreme Court decisions; grief; the role of government
symbols C. Paul Phelps; the death house; the work of Albert
Camus
