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What crime is McMillan convicted of?
Despite a strong, corroborated alibi, Myers’s false testimony leads the jury to convict McMillan of capital murder for the death of Ronda Morrison, a young white woman. The prosecution readily depicts Walter as a dangerous man, and the recent exposure of his extramarital affair with Karen Kelly further influences the jury’s suspicion of him. Sheriff Tate, who frequently expresses racist sentiments, also manipulates the case through intimidation tactics and seems determined to have McMillan sentenced to death.
How does To Kill a Mockingbird emerge as an ironic symbol?
In Chapter 1, Stevenson comments on the prominence of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird in McMillan’s hometown of Monroeville, Alabama. The city celebrates the success of the literary masterpiece, although Stevenson quickly emphasizes the superficial nature of this reverence. He argues that, since Atticus’s defense of Tom Robinson fails, the novel calls attention to the racism that pervades Monroeville. As McMillan’s case makes clear, this sentiment is still painfully present and continues to bring suffering to Black communities in the South.
How does Stevenson respond to the emotionally taxing nature of his work?
As the novel progresses, Stevenson reflects on the mounting emotional toll that his work defending death row inmates and children sentenced to life in prison has on him. He gains support from the growing staff at Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), but on the night that the State executes Jimmy Dill, he reaches a breaking point. Stevenson feels completely defeated and almost convinces himself to walk away from his work. He realizes, however, that everyone is broken in their own way, and this thought of mankind’s shared humanity inspires him to continue.
Does McMillan die?
Walter, saved from execution by Stevenson’s ability to prove him innocent, dies at 71 years of age after developing trauma-induced dementia. The time he spent on death row took a significant toll on his physical and mental health, leading him to struggle in his later years. Stevenson mourns Walter’s death, but, in the end, he emphasizes the important lessons that McMillan taught him about the power that mercy has to bring justice to the world.
Who does Stevenson argue is the most deserving of mercy?
In the novel’s Epilogue, Stevenson ultimately argues that the most undeserving people are the ones that mercy can most meaningfully impact. He emphasizes that showing compassion to those who are not seeking it has the power to change their lives for the better. McMillan, for example, is able to forgive his accusers because people like Stevenson treated him with mercy first. Ending the novel on this note allows Stevenson to offer a cautiously optimistic sense of hope for the future.
