Part 1: the Two Dead Girls

The Green Mile

Chapter summaries and highlights

Part 1: The Two Dead Girls

Ch. 1: Setting October (fall) of 1932/State Penitentiary at Cold Mountain on E block (death

Nicknames for the electric chair- Old Sparky and Big Juicy

Introduced to narrator (Paul Edgecombe-block superintendent, has a UTI) Ch. 2: more characters who were regular guards on the mile~ Dean Stanton, Harry

Terwilliger, Brutus (Brutal) Howell, Percy Wetmore (truly the brutal one and has govt.

connections)

John Coffey- prisoner, seems “lost,” giant black man

Tension introduced between Percy and the rest of the guards

Eduard Delacroix (another prisoner, short Cajun man who has Mr. Jingles/Steamboat Willy

(nickname for Mickey Mouse) as a pet) Ch.3 silent: Foreshadowing Percy causing problems/ Paul mentions Detterick twins whom

Coffey was accused of murdering

Ch. 4 silent: Introduced to the Detterick family (Klaus and Marjorie (parents), Howard

(12) and the twins Cora and Kathe—prosperous farming family in Trapingus County.

Coffey was caught literally red-handed and howling. He mentioned that he “ ‘tried to take it

back, but it was too late’” (43).

Ch. 5: Paul’s UTI again… Ch. 6 silent: Warden Hal Moores (straightforward, best of the wardens, his wife Melinda is

ill with cancer) wants to see Paul about Percy’s treatment. Paul receives notice about new

inmate William Wharton nicknamed Billy the Kid. Moores writes to Paul and underlines

“’This man just doesn’t care’” (49; ch. 6). Moores advises Paul to “stick with it” because

Percy wants to transfer to Briar (another state institution with better pay and easier job).

Paul concedes to put Percy “out” for Delacroix’s execution to help get rid of him.

Ch. 7: More inmates introduced The Chief (Arlen Bitterbuck and Indian who will be put to

death in the chair shortly) and The President (who will be sentenced to life and not death)/ Toot-Toot is in charge of the “holy-rolling” food wagon. Mouse introduced and the guards

feed it and joke around that it’s a new “screw” (employee). Brutal makes note of it in the

log book (someone will later erase it to not get into trouble). Mouse hides out in the

restraint room and is very human-like.

Ch. 8: Fast-forward to winter and Brutal and Paul find the mouse’s hiding spot in the

rafters of the restraint room where the mouse has kept peppermints and part of a colored

spool for thread (you’ll find out later why). Reader also discovers that John Coffey is the

last execution that either Brutal or Paul took part in. Part 2: The Mouse on the Mile

Ch. 1: Fast forward to Paul in a nursing home with an orderly (Bill) who reminds him of

Ch. 2 silent: Bill Dodge (a sub guard) is introduced. Percy tries to throw his billy club at it,

but the mouse ducks! Men join forces against Percy and try to teach him how a good guard

should act, but he doesn’t care or listen.

Ch. 3: Paul has an interesting discussion about heaven with the Chief. Another scene with

feeding the supernatural mouse. Ch. 4 silent: Bitterbuck’s (the Chief’s) execution. The guards practice with Toot Toot. The

mouse observed.

Ch. 5 silent: Execution of Bitterbuck takes place. They have to shock him a second time

because his heart was beating disorganized. Percy slaps Bitterbuck after he is dead. Point

is made that we all look the same dead no matter guilty or innocent.

Ch. 6 silent: Paul talks about writing a letter to his wife before they were married. Paul

admits that Coffey “felt sorrow for the whole world…something too big to ever be completely eased” (119). Paul also admits that “talking” was the biggest part of the job and

that he tried to comfort Coffey.

Ch. 7 silent: The Pres later is murdered in prison. Eduard Delacroix (speaks in a dialect

that is a mixture of French and English) is beaten severely by Percy with his baton. Brutal

and Paul admit that they hate Percy.

Ch. 8: Delacroix tames Mr. Jingles who whispers to Delacroix what he wanted to be called.

Delacroix requests a cigar box to keep the mouse in, and Percy is frighteningly nice to

Delacroix, just waiting for the right moment to pounce. Paul discovers later that Moores actually told Percy that he could be out front for Delacroix’s execution when Percy

threatened to have Paul reassigned.

Part 2 cont.

Ch. 9: They get the box from Toot, and Percy even supplies the cotton from the infirmary.

Delacroix gets peppermints from his aunt, and he shares them with Mr. Jingles, whom he

also teaches to roll an empty spool across the floor. Ch. 10 (silent): Introduced to William Wharton (Billy the Kid) a bit more. Warden Moores

tells Paul that Melinda, his wife, has a brain tumor.

Ch. 11: Dean Stanton is injured by Wharton during the transfer from the hospital to the

Green Mile. Wharton tries to suffocate Dean by wrapping his chain from handcuffs around

Dean’s throat. Wharton pretended to be drugged and just bided his time. Percy just stood

there, and Paul pulled his gun.