Chapters 13-16 Summary
The following day Adam returns to see Sam. He arrives at 9:30 in the morning. This is unfortunate because it coincides with Sam's exercise hour—the only time he spends outside of his isolation cell every twenty-four hours. The single hour of recreational time is prized by the inmates. The rarely see a soul and never see each other, with the exception of their hands, which can be seen dangling out through the bars on the front of their cells. Like the others, Sam looks forward to his hour out, as it was known, but he agrees to meet with Adam and hopes that the prison guard will allow him to make up the outside time later. At their meeting, Sam presents Adam with his own rendition of their legal agreement. Sam wants to make changes to the standard Kravitz and Bane agreement that Adam had proposed. He had therefore typed his own document the previous evening from inside his cell. He had become quite adept at creating similar court documents from his time representing himself.
It doesn't take long for the press to discover Adam's presence and his relationship to Sam. It is public knowledge that the supreme court had lifted the stay on Sam's case, meaning that nothing remains in the way of his being executed. He is a legend of sorts and the media follows his case closely. Sam agrees to meet one of the reporters, Todd Marks, off the record. Adam answers only the questions that can be corroborated elsewhere. Adam refuses to comment on many of the questions out of respect for the contract Sam had designed—it forbade Adam from talking to the press. Sam had acquired much knowledge about the law from his multiple trials and all of the paperwork each required. The result is a legal agreement of good quality. Although Sam can't see his comrades, they pass notes back and forth along the corridor. Sam is the unofficial lawyerly consult on death row and the younger inmates look to him for guidance.
Chapters 13-16 Analysis
It is easy to recall the crimes for which inmates are convicted and assume that prison is a violent place. When one's assumptions of violence, terror, and general poor behavior are projected against the background of Parchman, the reader discovers that the two do not agree. Sam enjoys a sort of make-shift camaraderie on death row. He developed friendships of an unlikely sort. As the oldest prisoner on death row, he is admired by the other inmates. He also possesses a bright mind and helps the other inmates with their defense cases, which further adds to his popularity. When he occasionally encounters other inmates, Sam is happy to engage in a game of checkers. He rarely loses and it helps to keep his mind sharp. The inmates' favorite part of the day is the one hour during which they are allowed outside in the fresh air. To ensure that the outdoor privilege is not curtailed, good behavior is kept. The exception to the rule is if a prisoner is manhandled or otherwise treated poorly, at which point the other prisoners would not hesitate to make rude jokes and comments to the guards in their neighbor's defense. At times like these, frustration is vented against the men who enforce the prison rules, but rarely is there discord between inmates. The idea of Sam's impending execution further subdues the crowd.
Chapters 13-16 SummaryThe following day Adam returns to see Sam. He arrives at 9:30 in the morning. This is unfortunate because it coincides with Sam's exercise hour—the only time he spends outside of his isolation cell every twenty-four hours. The single hour of recreational time is prized by the inmates. The rarely see a soul and never see each other, with the exception of their hands, which can be seen dangling out through the bars on the front of their cells. Like the others, Sam looks forward to his hour out, as it was known, but he agrees to meet with Adam and hopes that the prison guard will allow him to make up the outside time later. At their meeting, Sam presents Adam with his own rendition of their legal agreement. Sam wants to make changes to the standard Kravitz and Bane agreement that Adam had proposed. He had therefore typed his own document the previous evening from inside his cell. He had become quite adept at creating similar court documents from his time representing himself.It doesn't take long for the press to discover Adam's presence and his relationship to Sam. It is public knowledge that the supreme court had lifted the stay on Sam's case, meaning that nothing remains in the way of his being executed. He is a legend of sorts and the media follows his case closely. Sam agrees to meet one of the reporters, Todd Marks, off the record. Adam answers only the questions that can be corroborated elsewhere. Adam refuses to comment on many of the questions out of respect for the contract Sam had designed—it forbade Adam from talking to the press. Sam had acquired much knowledge about the law from his multiple trials and all of the paperwork each required. The result is a legal agreement of good quality. Although Sam can't see his comrades, they pass notes back and forth along the corridor. Sam is the unofficial lawyerly consult on death row and the younger inmates look to him for guidance.Chapters 13-16 AnalysisIt is easy to recall the crimes for which inmates are convicted and assume that prison is a violent place. When one's assumptions of violence, terror, and general poor behavior are projected against the background of Parchman, the reader discovers that the two do not agree. Sam enjoys a sort of make-shift camaraderie on death row. He developed friendships of an unlikely sort. As the oldest prisoner on death row, he is admired by the other inmates. He also possesses a bright mind and helps the other inmates with their defense cases, which further adds to his popularity. When he occasionally encounters other inmates, Sam is happy to engage in a game of checkers. He rarely loses and it helps to keep his mind sharp. The inmates' favorite part of the day is the one hour during which they are allowed outside in the fresh air. To ensure that the outdoor privilege is not curtailed, good behavior is kept. The exception to the rule is if a prisoner is manhandled or otherwise treated poorly, at which point the other prisoners would not hesitate to make rude jokes and comments to the guards in their neighbor's defense. At times like these, frustration is vented against the men who enforce the prison rules, but rarely is there discord between inmates. The idea of Sam's impending execution further subdues the crowd.
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