Introduction
This essay discusses the book ‘Dead man walking’. This is a non-fiction work that is written by Sister Helen Prejean. In her book she gives eyewitness accounts of the last days of several Louisiana death row convicts. These men are waiting for their day of execution. She shows the remorse and other range of emotions that the convicts exhibit. She argues against the death penalty. This essay will examine the characteristics of her narration and the appeals it gives to the audience. It will attempt to examine how she characterizes the people she meets. I will also examine the impact of her writing on my opinion. (Prejean, 14)
Discussion
Dead man walking has the ethos or ethical appeal. This is because the author is a respected figure in the Christian community. She was a nun for several years before she wrote the book. This contributes to her credibility. The ethical appeal is further strengthened by the fact that she considers several angles in her writing. She takes into account the angle of the bereaved families. She narrates the emotions that they hold concerning the impending execution. She realizes that they also have doubts about the morality of state executions. She talks to the prison guards and reveals the isolation that they feel. Prejean also speaks to the various authorities involved in the justice process. She learns that none of them feel that they hold any personal responsibility for a man’s execution. She quotes that D.A.’s often say that lawbreakers, “put themselves in the chair.”(Prejean, 101)
Dead man walking exhibits a strong pathos or emotional appeal. Sister Helen Preajan refers to a man facing the death penalty as “a thing waiting to be handled.”(Prejean, 74) By doing so she evokes the human feeling in her audience. She portrays the people facing the death penalty as powerless. These are people who know that their fate has been sealed. She also reveals that these death row inmates are very terrified. Perhaps even more frightened than they were once regarded. (Prejean, 76)
This book is rich in the logos appeal. The book is full of evidence and eye witness accounts that fight against the sanctity of the death conviction. The book’s message is also consistent. Preajan uses logic to show that the death penalty works against individual responsibility and remorse. One death row convict tells her that “when somebody’s after your hide, it kind of tends to occupy your mind.” (Prejean, 147) This makes it even harder for a convict to feel guilty for his crimes. It thus disorients the structure and purpose of justice. Justice is supposed to compensate all parties accordingly. This compensation should be both physical and psychological.
Sister Helen Preajan gives vivid and touching characterizations of the people she meets. She shows how Patrick Sonnier, a death row convict, was a lonely person who never knew love. “I have never known real love….It’s a shame a man has to come to prison to find love.”(Prejean, 82) She shows that the families of crime victims go through “great loneliness”. (Prejean, 231)
Conclusion
Helen Prejean has made an outstanding contribution to the death penalty debate. Her book has influenced my opinion on the death penalty. It has made me appreciate that the death penalty does not repel crime. It has also made me realize that the death penalty stops convicts from expressing remorse. In spite of all this my opinion has mostly remained unchanged. I think that the death penalty should only be used in extreme cases. (Prejean, 201)
Reference
Prejean, Sister Helen. Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States. New York: Vintage, 1993.