A Time to Kill
Popular modern commercial fiction contains mind, body, and spirit
characters, as well as classic literature. A Time to Kill, by John Grisham is one very clear sample of mind, body, and spirit characters in modern commercial fiction.
Jake enters the scene early one morning to a screaming alarm clock. Grisham uses two pages to describe his morning rituals, including the adoration he has for his wife and his daughter. His actions are based on habit and on emotion.
Jake is a 'proud street lawyer,' who takes cases on principle, even when his clients have little or no money. When he takes Carl Lee Hailey's case, he agrees to do it for $7,500. When Carl Lee asks how much Jake would charge someone else, Jake tells him $50,000. Money is not an issue, but the case is.
The case could be made that the primary body character is not Lucien Wilbanks, but Harry Rex Vonner, especially those who have only seen the film version. I believe, however, that Lucien plays a more vital role in the book and is a stronger influence to the story and to Jake.
Lucien is a drunk. According to his introduction, he plays the stock market and drinks Jack Daniels 'recklessly.' He has a maid/nurse who serves him drinks all afternoon while he spends is time rocking away the hours. He is rarely seen in town, and when he is, it is at the package store.
When Lucien sees Jake, he congratulates him on getting the Hailey case. Lucien says it will mean publicity and exposure. He says that's the 'name of the game' for lawyers. The client's innocence or guilt doesn't matter to Lucien. It's how many TV interviews or mention in the newspaper that matter.
Ellen Roark (Row-Ark) is clearly the mind character. Jake asks her to prepare research, and this is what she produced:
The Spirit Character: Jake Brigance
Jake enters the scene early one morning to a screaming alarm clock. Grisham uses two pages to describe his morning rituals, including the adoration he has for his wife and his daughter. His actions are based on habit and on emotion.
Jake is a 'proud street lawyer,' who takes cases on principle, even when his clients have little or no money. When he takes Carl Lee Hailey's case, he agrees to do it for $7,500. When Carl Lee asks how much Jake would charge someone else, Jake tells him $50,000. Money is not an issue, but the case is.
The Body Character: Lucien Wilbanks
The case could be made that the primary body character is not Lucien Wilbanks, but Harry Rex Vonner, especially those who have only seen the film version. I believe, however, that Lucien plays a more vital role in the book and is a stronger influence to the story and to Jake.
Lucien is a drunk. According to his introduction, he plays the stock market and drinks Jack Daniels 'recklessly.' He has a maid/nurse who serves him drinks all afternoon while he spends is time rocking away the hours. He is rarely seen in town, and when he is, it is at the package store.
When Lucien sees Jake, he congratulates him on getting the Hailey case. Lucien says it will mean publicity and exposure. He says that's the 'name of the game' for lawyers. The client's innocence or guilt doesn't matter to Lucien. It's how many TV interviews or mention in the newspaper that matter.
The Mind Character: Ellen Roark
Ellen Roark (Row-Ark) is clearly the mind character. Jake asks her to prepare research, and this is what she produced:
- 75 pages, perfectly typed, on McNaughten as the rule applies to Mississippi. Her research started in 1800's England and concluded with the application to the case of Carl Lee Hailey. Her research was described as 'painstaking and detailed.' (Jake had asked for no more than 20 pages)
- 14 pages concluding that inflammatory evidence could be admitted and there was nothing they could do about it.
- 31 pages on justifiable homicide. 'Jake had not asked for this brief and was irritated that so much energy had been spent on it.'
- 25 pages of questions and answers for the psychologist.
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