Bryan Stevenson's Just Mercy

Bryan Stevenson’s novel, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, focuses on the narrative of one of his first cases as a young lawyer. He shares the story of Walter McMillian, a young man sentenced to death for a murder that he did not commit. Stevenson’s primary objective with this novel is to draw attention to broken criminal justice system. The utilization of a primarily logos argument can only be justified if their is equality within the given system. However, when issues such as systemic inequities in punishment are being discussed, pathos is an important additional strategy. In the South, where Stevenson practices there is significant inequities observed by race which are reflected in the criminal justice system. Stevenson …show more content…
This ordeal is a good persuasive topic for Stevenson because this case is so outrageous. By presenting the personal background story of McMillian, the reader begins to support the successful outcome of his case. Stevenson uses McMillian’s case to illustrate his commitment to his clients and the need for reform of the criminal justice system. He is able to detail McMillian’s story so that the reader can better connect and empathize with McMillian’s situation. Stevenson is facing an uphill battle in fighting for his clients because there is not only institutional but overt racism as well in the system. The more success Stevenson gains while fighting McMillian’s unpromising case, the more support he is able to gain. However, it is arguable the the strongest appeal to emotions is not connected to the story of Walter McMillian but actually of the author himself. In addition to writing about Walter McMillian, Stevenson is also embedding his own personal story in the novel. The reader spends the majority of the novel with a respectable and credible view of the author. His credential are not only …show more content…
Therefore, the logos appeal is embedded throughout the novel. Stevenson cites numerous cases of racial prejudice within the criminal justice system, such as the Attica Prison Riots, Supreme Court Cases, as well as citing the amount the United States spends to incarcerate an individual. He uses this to develop his argument of social injustice which is embedded in the corrections system. However, his most rational argument is developed when he files a complaint after his encounter in which he is harassed by local police. In his complaint Stevenson refuses to use his credential to give him legitimacy, instead he cites the statistics such as the Bureau of Justice Statistics reporting that black men were eight times more likely to be killed police than white. Additionally, he cites laws that support his argument. Stevenson choice to omit the fact that he is a lawyer, amplifies his disagreement with preferential treatment toward the educated within the criminal justice system. This is one case in which Stevenson feels that a purely logos argument is necessary to recognize the abuse of power in the criminal justice system. However, this argument proves to be ineffective ,when the police department illustrates a lack of