A Time to Kill

Serena Özabrahamyan

Graded Reader Report 3

PP1

MS. Clerc

08,12,2016

A Time to Kill

         This book contains an incredible court theme and a book that connects you with the subsequent events. The book A Time to Kill was written by John Grishman in 1999.A few of the main characters, Billy Ray Cobb and Pete Willard, the white bad boys, who rapist the Tonya Hailey, who an African American girl. Through analysis of the book’s plot and characters, it is clear that A Time to Kill is a fascinating book about racial discrimination.

        Firstly, we should understand A Time to Kill’s setting, characters, and plot. The book takes places in Lake Chatvlla and Ford County. The main characters are; Billy Ray Cobb, Pete Willard, Tonya Hailey, Carl Lee Hailey, Jack Brigance, Ellen Roark, Lucien Wilbanks and Harry Rex Vonner. Billy Ray Cobb and Pete Willard raped to Tonya Hailey. Carl Lee Hailey, who is Tonya Hailey's father, shocked by news of rape and he planned to murder his daughter’s rapists. He shot and killed them. As soon as, Carl Lee arrested and after than charged with murdering of his daughter’s rapists. Carl Lee wanted a help from his friend, who named Jake Brigance, who is an ambitious young lawyer. Jake thought that the case will make him and his family famous and rich, and he accepted it. When he thinking how can he acquit Carl Lee, he found a method about it which is how to claim insanity and save Carl Lee. Jake lived some troubles with Ku Klux Klan. To give an example, The Klan putted a bomb on Jake’s home but the criminals are caught by the Sheriff Ozzie Walls-only black sheriff in Mississippi-. In the end, during the court witnesses and defendant told their defence to the jury and they acquit Carl Lee due to insanity.

        After I reflected on the book’s characters and plot, I found several reasons why this book is so fascinating. Firstly, the plot is very attractive, that’s what I mean the plot draw in audience. Most exciting part is, the man who broke the other man’s ankle and pour out of gasoline to him legs for take a confession about location of Ozzie. Every chapter contains action and when I started a new chapter, I thought that “What can happen now?”. The book makes you say these things. Secondly, I excited reading political situations about racism because I am living this differentiating too. As I see it, it’s a codswallop. Also, the story and characters is very realistic. At abroad when like this situation come true, If they act like that. I can't imagine If the same situation happens in Turkey, how can they act. I expected that this book genre of horror but it’s not a horror book. And with this book I learned that I can enjoy with other books besides horror books.