The Ethical Narrative as Judicial Intervention: The Role of the Narrative of Mercy in John Grisham's A Time for Mercy in Critiquing U.S. Legal Realities

Melisa Yulianty, Idha Nurhamidah

Abstract


This article analyzes John Grisham's A Time for Mercy not merely as literary critique, but as a robust narrative intervention designed to influence ethical perspectives within the real-world judiciary. Employing the frameworks of Law and Literature (White, 1985) and American Legal Realism (Llewellyn, 1930), the study argues that the Narrative of Mercy championed by lawyer Jake Brigance functions as an explicit Counter-Discourse against procedural legal rigidity. Textual analysis reveals a stark discrepancy between the formal Rule of Law and the Law in Action, where the death penalty case of Drew Gamble is systematically distorted by extra-legal factors, including social bias, classism, and local prejudice in Clanton, Mississippi. The findings indicate that Grisham strategically uses fiction to underscore the judiciary's failure to incorporate fundamental humanity and empathy, thereby actively advocating for a moral revision of contemporary judicial practice. This research solidifies the position of popular legal fiction as a powerful, academically justifiable tool for ethical critique and judicial reform advocacy.

Keywords: Legal Realism, Law and Literature, Ethical Narrative, Judicial Intervention, Capital Punishment, Counter-Discourse


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References


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