The Green Mile

In the novel, racism plays out in various ways that doom John Coffey. Discuss at least five instances in which racial bias and structural racism obstruct Coffey from being proven innocent.

The Green Mile is a physical corridor that condemned men walk on their way to their deaths. It is also a metaphor for the blurry relationship between life and death. What are the various manifestations of The Green Mile in the novel? What are its physical, social, and religious connotations? 

As the chief antagonists of The Green Mile, Percy Wetmore and William Wharton suffer the same fate at the hands of John Coffey. They represent abuses of power worthy of punishment in Coffey’s eyes. Compare and contrast the two antagonists in the ways they approach power.

The final line of the novel reads, “We each owe a death, there are no exceptions, I know that, but sometimes, oh God, the Green Mile is so long” (535). This line refers to life as a debt that must be paid. Discuss the notion of life as debt throughout the novel. How does The Green Mile treat the idea of life and death as natural or divine balance? What are the rules of this order?

In 1932, Paul benefits from Janice as his confidante, and gains similar support from his later companion, Elaine, at Georgia Pines. Discuss the roles both women play in Paul’s attempt to reconcile the events leading to John Coffey’s death.

Paul considers the “bad death” of Delacroix as the catalyst for the ensuing tragedies at the prison. What makes Delacroix’s death particularly ominous for the guards and other inmates? What does his death signify in the greater scheme of the novel?  

Discuss the character of Mr. Jingles. What is his primary role in the novel? What do his appearances signify? 

In Paul’s recollections of John Coffey, Coffey often appears as a Christ-like figure. What instances throughout the novel substantiate Coffey’s divine presence?