The Green Mile

Notes Part 6

Ch. 1 silent: Paul mistakenly calls Brad Percy, and Elaine threatens Brad because she is the grandmother of the Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives (similar to Percy pulling strings with the governor)

Ch. 2 silent: John resembles Melinda in physical features. Paul has killed 77 and admits that he was a “killer.” Paul slapped Percy. John grabs Percy and puts the bad stuff in him. Percy, in an unresponsive state, is able to walk to Wharton’s cell and unload his gun, killing Wharton in his sleep. Percy does go to Briar Ridge but as a patient. Percy coughs up the bad stuff but is still in a catatonic state.

Ch. 3 silent: Warden Moores has been healed too—restored to his old strong self. Paul tells Janice what really happened that night.

Ch. 4 silent: Paul compares the aftermath of the drama of Percy’s killing to a three-ring circus. Paul references the mad March Hare in Alice in Wonderland http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/42400.html where Jabberwocky occurred referring to Percy. They do get away with it! Paul talks to McGee (a sheriff but not head sheriff like Homer Cribus) in Trapingus County about the Detterick twins’ murder after Paul gets the DOE for John. King/Paul leaves out what McGee found out after asking Klaus Detterick more questions so that Paul wouldn’t drive out and ask him. Reference to Pandora’s Box http://www.pantheon.org/articles/p/pandora.html

. Paul knows now that Wharton killed the girls and tells Janice.

Ch. 5 silent: John knew Wharton did it because of the way he looked at Wharton when Wharton reached through the bars to grab John. He was shocked. Paul finds out that Wharton had gotten caught with a young girl when he just turned 18 and was warned by the deputies beating him badly. Detterick had hired a man to paint the barn roof. Shortly after, there was a robbery in a nearby town. Wharton was charged with the robbery. Sheriff Cribus won’t reopen the case because Coffey is black. Janice is very upset that the guards and Paul are just giving up so easily, and she throws everything off of the table and calls them cowards and murderers. (482)

Ch. 6: Paul admits that Janice was in a bus accident.

Ch. 7: Paul stood in for Coffey during their practice run-through of the execution. Then, he had to get out of the chair quickly because he couldn’t take it. Brutal’s apprehensions about killing John are soul- searching (488).

Ch. 8: John “hypnotizes” Paul again and John tells Paul that Wharton killed them with their love when he explains how Wharton was able to persuade the girls not to scream. Paul can hear a train whistle 10 miles away and Brutal’s thoughts about spelling the word “receive.” Paul has been given some sort of gift of supernatural insight from John. John tells Paul that he is doing John a favor by killing him. John talks on (491). Paul/ St. Paul (scroll down to atonement) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_the_Apostle

St. Paul was also originally a centurion (guard /soldier)!

Ch. 9: November 20 is the DOE for John. http://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/history-of-john-the- disciple-of-jesus-faq.htm John of Patmos wrote the book of Revelations…John Coffey’s initials? Warden questions top of p.499. Paul admits to hating Moores just a little bit. Paul takes off the medal. John tells them about his dream (Mr. Jingles and the twins are at Mouseville laughing). John says an extra prayer (502) and has to help Paul up.

Ch. 10: Mrs. Detterick keeps shouting. John is scared and people’s hatred hurts him. Harry is crying. Paul starts telling the future of the characters’ deaths. John’s last words (507). Paul allows John to not be masked (frightened of the dark). Paul has to call roll on two because Brutal can’t. Very symbolic of Christ’s execution.

Ch. 11: Paul is very upset and cries.

Ch. 12 silent: Paul is 104 years old! He continues to foretell deaths of characters. Mr. Jingles is still alive, and Paul shows Elaine (that’s who/what he’s been keeping in the shed). Mr. Jingles dies when Brad comes in and catches them in the shed.

Ch. 13: Paul recounts Janice’s death in his arms. He sees John in the rain. Paul says, “I learned a terrible thing: sometimes there is absolutely no difference at all between salvation and damnation” (533). Paul says that John electrocuted Paul with life. Paul rarely got ill. Paul lets reader know that Elaine has died. Last sentence of the book, “We each owe a death, there are no exceptions, I know that, but sometimes, oh God, the Green Mile is so long” (536)…what do you think about that quote?

Interview with director of the movie (scroll down to Darabont talks about some of the themes…) http://thegreenmile.warnerbros.com/cmp/darabont-fr.html

Interviews with the cast of the movie and Stephen King http://thegreenmile.warnerbros.com/cmp/video-fr.html