The Green Mile: Duty To Law Or Personal Morals

A person’s duty to the law of their country is often seen as the end-all be-all, if something is illegal then you cannot do it, and if you are obliged to do another thing, you follow through. This form of government has spanned the generations, whether or not it’s outcomes are ‘good’ or ‘evil.’ That is not to say, however, that in specific cases throughout history this “duty to law” hasn’t cost innocent people their lives, their families or their dignity. “The Green Mile” tells the story of Paul Edgecomb and his management of E block -death row- during the Great Depression. The plot thickens with the arrival of a new guard, an intelligent mouse and the innocent John Coffey, who has an amazing gift of healing. The guards’ duty to law dictates that criminals must be punished and on the Green Mile (named fittingly because of its green tiles), that punishment is capital. The ethical standing of characters’ actions and their analysis through the Christian and immediate perspectives makes a person’s obligation to the law or individual morality an ethical issue.

Often when “the law” is referred to in Christianity it alludes to the Old Testament. Many devout Christians follow the Bible to the letter, calling on it for many of life’s biggest questions. As such, it can be seen that a Christian’s first port of call is that of their religious “law.” Whilst this is not possible within the constraints of a multi-faith society when commanded to respect opposing “laws,” a member of any religion may be torn. The Book of Exodus brings to light the origin of the Ten Commandments, a set of basic laws for Christians to follow. These laws are considered to be held higher than the subjective law of one’s country, so the Catholic church is inclined to approve of ones personal or religious morals rather than legislation. A prime example of this is the issue of abortion, whilst Catholics do not support the act it is protected by the law of most first-world countries. According to Catholic teaching each human person is by nature a subject of rights and duties. In this respect, the Catholic Church endorses the statement that all human beings are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. From this it follows that no ruler or society may arbitrarily deprive its citizens, or anyone else, of life, liberty, or property. In contemporary society, Catholics vouch for their own indoctrinated morals rather than that of the country.

Paul Edgecomb is one of the characters faced with impossible moral decisions throughout the film, mostly involving his abidance with the law of his country and what he knows to be true. Paul takes his job very seriously, believing that all prisoners should be treated with compassion and respect so that their final moments of life might be tolerable. He has an acute sense of responsibility, as his desire to atone for Delacroix’s horrific execution leads him to risk his job and freedom. Throughout the film he constantly shows leniency towards his personal morals, a teleological way of thinking. His actions break the law, considered as wrong, but the consequences of his wrong-doing lead to the healing of the terminally ill Melinda Moores. He believes in the value of companionship, trusting that love and friendship are capable of defeating the evil forces of the world. As such, Paul favours his personal morals over the law of his country, but is forced to go his against his beliefs and kill a man he knows to be innocent. This is the perspective compelled by a person’s moral obligation to do what they believe is right, and the adverse effects on a person’s wellbeing and mental coping when forced to do otherwise.

Brutus “Brutal” Howell also shows a different perspective to the issue. Brutus is a sensitive, thoughtful guard who assists Paul in his most challenging tasks on E-block. His moral code refuses to use violence as a last resort and thus only uses force when it is absolutely necessary. Brutal believes strongly in the ideas of justice and retribution, for he feels that God will send him to hell for murdering John Coffey, who is a gift of God. His moral and spiritual qualms about the electric chair are sufficient to make him transfer out of E block after Coffey’s execution. Brutus’ reluctance to use his power from the law is evident through his almost pacifist approach to prisoners, which can be seen in the introduction scene of “Wild Bill” who holds another guard hostage. Also following the thought concept of teleology, Brutus sees a solution that breaks the law but will save someone’s life, so he does a “bad” thing to get a good result. His obligations are to his faith and personal morals, and when not following them is causes him immense emotional grief.

These character’s present and their spiritual and personal morals suggest different perspectives on the issue of duty to law or personal morals. The perspectives conveyed show a preference towards a personal moral perspective rather than a person’s obligation to the law of the country. The Catholic perspective seems to coincide with that of the characters perhaps due to the immense population of Christians in America during the time. Many of society’s laws and policies are put in place from foundational religious values, and as such a religious society has many of the same laws. The Green Mile conveys a range of confronting issues for the audience to consider, and the perspectives shown are some of many.

Bibliography

1. Ashley, G 2012, Christian Responsibility and Mosaic Law, The Village Church, viewed 21 November 2019, .
2. Christianity and Law – Duties and Rights n.d., AllAboutWorldview.org, viewed 21 November 2019, .
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5. Teleological ethics | philosophy n.d., Encyclopedia Britannica, viewed 21 November 2019, .
6. The Green Mile Character Analysis n.d., Course Hero, viewed 21 November 2019, .