Death
Death pervades The Green Mile: from the murders the inmates commit, to the executions to punish them, to Paul at the end of his life waiting to die. Sometimes, death comes unexpectedly, such as Janice’s accident or the many murders in the novel. For others, death comes slowly, as they wait for their execution, waste away from illness, or slowly age. King spends a lot of time exploring how people face their own death. As the condemned walk the Green Mile toward their execution, some meet their death stoically while others commit futile attempts to escape their fate. One of the principal concerns of the guards on E Block is preventing inmates from going insane as they face their impending death. The manner in which people die on death row, in a painful and public execution, terrifies even those like Coffey who are ready to die. On E Block, death is not just an abstraction but a brutal, visceral reality. King assures that the reader feels this by detailing the technical process of death by electric chair and describing the executions with vivid imagery. All their deaths are violent, but Delacroix burning alive is especially harrowing. Both Mr. Jingles and Melinda escape their deaths. Coffey is able to heal them, bringing them back from the edge of death. He offers them another chance at life. At the end of his life, Paul has a different take on death. He finally understands what Coffey shares with him: that death is not always the worst outcome, but can provide relief from the loneliness and suffering of life. Having outlived everyone in his life, Paul awaits death, hoping his time will come soon.
The Supernatural
King infuses supernatural elements into The Green Mile, most notably through John Coffey’s character. Coffey is an enigma: his accent is hard to place, his past is a mystery, and he passes the time in his cell weeping silently. As the novel progresses, Paul comes to understand that Coffey has supernatural powers. During his time on E Block, Coffey heals Paul’s urinary infection, resurrects Mr. Jingles, and cures Melinda’s brain tumor. The power he channels, specifically in Melinda’s healing, is immense. It knocks over furniture and breaks glass. Many of the characters believe that God is working miracles through Coffey. This idea is reinforced by Coffey's pure nature and his desire to help others. Yet these gifts are also a burden to him. Coffey feels acutely the cruelty that humans inflict on others; he takes in all this pain and is only able to heal some of it. After finding their bodies, Coffey tries to heal the Detterick girls but is too late. The grief and sorrow he feels at his own helplessness are misunderstood as the remorse of a murderer. Wharton’s murder showcases that Coffey’s power can also be dangerous. When Coffey passes Melinda’s sickness into Percy, Percy’s mind is incapable of bearing such suffering. He goes insane and shoots Wharton. Coffey’s gifts have a lasting effect on Paul and Mr. Jingles; the two of them live exceptionally long lives. Mr. Jingles dies 64 years after his time in prison and Paul, now 104 years old, wonders how much longer he will live.
Morality and Judgment
The inmates of Cold Mountain have been condemned by the law and society for their crimes. Incarcerated and sentenced to death, the inmates await their fate. As their death approaches, many inmates also begin to fear the judgment of God. Some ask Paul if he believes they can get into heaven if they sincerely repent for their sins. To placate them, Paul lies; but Paul is a religious man who believes murderers go to hell. Toot-Toot’s snack cart enforces this idea of religious judgment. His chart is decorated with Bible quotes such as, “Repent for the Lord shall judge his people.” The religious narrative is clear: the good are rewarded and the bad punished.
King twists this simplified narrative of morality over the course of the novel. Is Delacroix’s death justified because of the murders he committed? Should one murder be repaid with another? The guards of E Block are faced with a moral dilemma that thrusts the question of morality into sharp focus. Society deems Coffey’s death just and necessary, yet they know the truth. Doing their job, and following state-sanctioned justice, forces them to do something they all find morally reprehensible: kill an innocent man. Their participation brings in their own fears of judgment day. Brutal worries he’ll go to hell for helping execute Coffey who, is not only innocent, but a “gift from God.” For Paul, the events of 1932 haunt him for the rest of his life. His decision to write down the story is an effort to unburden himself at the end of his life.
Human Nature
In many ways, Paul sees the worst of human nature through his job on E Block. The inmates on E Block are guilty of some of the most heinous crimes a person can commit. Through these men, and the guards who watch them, King is able to explore the complexity of human nature. For example, how can a man like Delacroix seem to feel no remorse for killing seven people, but can show a deep level of love and concern for a lowly mouse? Other characters are more straightforward. Wharton, Percy, and to some degree Dolan take pleasure out of causing others suffering. Through them, King depicts the cruelty and weakness of human nature. Being able to read people’s thoughts, Coffey has a deeper insight into human nature than most. Coffey explains to Paul that Wharton “kill[ed] [the Detterick girls] with they love…that’s how it is every day, all over the worl.’” Each of the Detterick girls risked their life in an attempt to save their sister, and Wharton exploited that knowledge to his advantage. Coffey is the inverse of Wharton. The world has been cruel to him and yet he still goes out of his way to help others. He’s compassionate, empathetic, and selfless. Despite all the brutality Coffey has witnessed in his life, he maintains a child-like innocence. Wharton and Coffey work as two opposing forces: one trying to cause as much chaos and destruction as possible and the other trying to repair it.
Racism
Racism is deeply rooted in the Jim Crow South in which The Green Mile is set. John Coffey is the only Black character in the novel and his life and death are shaped by racism. The idea of a Black man violating and murdering two innocent white girls plays into racist ideas and fears of the time. People are prone to see Coffey, a huge Black man, as dangerous, despite the fact that he’s anything but. The reporter Hammersmith is a prime example of how society views Black people. Although Hammersmith claims to be enlightened, he compares Black people to dogs, implying they are inhuman. He believes that Black people are indiscriminately violent and lazy. Hammersmith claims he does not want slavery to come back, but still refers to Black people with the possessive “your.” Through him, King illustrates how centuries of slavery and viewing Black people as property created deep-set prejudices that still shape American society. Within a context like this, Coffey has no chance of getting a fair trial. Deputy McGee states plainly that the county does not offer retrials for Black convicts. McGee has his doubts about Coffey’s guilt. However, Paul realizes that McGee will easily be able to rationalize an innocent man being executed because, after all, he’s only Black. Here lies the tragedy of Coffey’s character. Coffey is a pure and compassionate soul, but society is blinded by their racism and very few people are willing to see the gifts he has to share.
The Criminal Justice System
Given that The Green Mile is set in a prison, the criminal justice system is a prominent theme in the novel. King exposes the flaws in the system, especially as they intersect with race. The inmates on E Block have all been found guilty and condemned to death for their crimes. Paul believes in the system to dispatch justice, but the arrival of Coffey causes Paul to have a crisis of faith. He witnesses an innocent man denied a fair trial and murdered by a system unwilling to admit its mistakes. The facts of the Detterick twins’ murders seem clear cut: Coffey is found holding the dead girls’ bodies. No one even attempts to provide him with a sound defense. Upon hearing the case, the jury only takes 45 minutes to condemn Coffey to death. Paul looks further into the case and finds substantial flaws in the prosecution and strong evidence that Wharton is the murderer. Yet no one is willing to admit they’re wrong or try to save an innocent Black man’s life. Coffey is not the only inmate who the system disadvantages. Both The President and Bitterbuck are found guilty of murder. Bitterbuck, a member of the Cherokee Nation, is executed but The President, a white man, has his sentence commuted to life in prison. Their crimes are the same, but they receive unequal punishments due to their race. The flaws in the system reflect the flaws in society. American society views people of color as inferior and dangerous and their treatment in the system echoes that. Through Percy, King also explores how the prison system enables those in positions of power to enact cruelties in the name of justice.
The Dignity of Inmates
Even if the inmates on E Block have done horrible things, Paul still portrays them as complex humans who need to be treated as such. Indeed, most of the guards on E Block treat the inmates with respect and dignity because they know that they are under immense psychological stress at the idea of facing their death. Whenever possible, the guards try to make life easier for inmates and even allow Delacroix to keep the mouse Mr. Jingles as a pet. Paul tries to instill in the other guards that everyone’s death should be treated with dignity, no matter their crimes. This is why he reprimands Toot-Toot and the other guards for joking around during a rehearsal for an execution. However, Percy fails to understand this. The casual disrespect with which Percy slaps Bitterbuck’s cheek after his execution demonstrates this. Percy’s sole purpose on E Block seems to be the satisfaction of his sadistic needs. He threatens the inmates, tortures them psychologically and physically, and enjoys the power he has over them. Percy’s treatment of them reveals much more about his character than the inmates themselves.
