Christ on the Green Mile

 Christ on the Green Mile

        Do you want to possess the supernatural ability like Christ? You can cure all kinds of diseases by holding or sucking and other simple acts; you are empathic and sensitive to the thoughts and feelings of others around you, just like what Christ was and did in two thousand years ago. You may argue that is an illusion and Christ is a belief living in Bible. However, in Stephen King’s 592page magical realism fiction The Green Mile first published in 1996 by Penguin Signet, there is a Christ-like man called John Coffey. King has a talent in contemporary horror, supernatural fiction and most of his books have been adapted into featured films. It’s said that The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption are twin sister, but unlike the hope-filling and inspiring atmosphere in The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile is more like a dour movie with a purpose to earn your tears.

The story happens within the walls of Cold Mountain Penitentiary, which is inspired by Louisiana State Penitentiary. By depicting a scene of life in the prison when the economy was being revitalized from the Great Depression by Roosevelt’s economic policies, the book embodies the principal subject matter: humanity, a redemption from sin as well as reverence for human life and death. In this 592page book, King also forces us a think about that the world, the law might be wrong sometimes, as a kind man might be sentenced, and under this condition what’s our choice? Will us stop helping others but only fight for our own corners?

        The Green Mile, knowing as a death row, is a nickname for the color of the floor’s linoleum. The book is written in flashbacks about the memories of Paul Edgecombe, one of the main characters, when he was the head guard of the green mile. This year 1932 marks the arrival of John Coffey, the other main character, a powerfully built black man who has been convicted of raping and murdering two small white girls with horrendous way. He is mild and docile, sentimental and afraid of darkness, which is really inconsistent with his shocking crime. During his time on the Mile, John interacts with fellow prisoners Del, a arsonist, rapist, and murderer, and William Wharton (“Wild Bill” to the guard), a dangerous murderer who decided to do as many crimes as he can before he is executed and also live an extremely sinister way in the Mile. And a mouse called Mr. Jingles, whom Del teaches various tricks.

There are also four other guards work with Paul—his best friend, Brutus Howell; the handsome and somewhat impetuous Dean Stanton; the veteran Harry Terwilleger; and the newcomer, a sadist and coward named Percy. As the story unfolded, Percy and Bill are two annoying people in the Mile. Percy flaunts the fact that his aunt is the wife of the state governor, therefore indulges himself in torturing the prisoners. Bill always teases guards for fun. One day, Paul is trying to calm down the noisy Bill, while his urinary infection hitting him. It is the first time that John displays his supernatural ability—he sucks the disease by holding Paul’s wrist. Conquering by astonishment, Paul comes to realize that John is an unusual man with special gift and doubt the reality of his crime.