61 pages • 2 hours read
John GrishamSycamore Row
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2013A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
How does the novel’s setting contribute to its themes? What does Grisham gain by setting his story in this specific time and place?
Compare and contrast the different views on race and inequality held by the book’s major characters. What factors contribute to these differences and similarities, and how do these perspectives help shape Grisham’s theme of Inequality and Entrenched Racism in the American South?
Identify two to three stereotypes or prejudices expressed by characters in the book or reinforced by the narrative. In what ways does the story challenge or reify those stereotypes? Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.
How does public opinion influence the outcome of the jury trial in Sycamore Row (and its predecessor, A Time to Kill)? In what ways does the impact of public opinion contribute to the novel’s thematic exploration of Unethical Practices in Trial Law?
Compare and contrast Sycamore Row with A Time to Kill. How do the two books differ? In what ways are they similar? Consider writing style, point of view, and conflict in addition to plot, setting, character, and themes.
Why does the author devote so much emphasis to the aftermath of the Hailey trial and its effects on Jake and his family? In what ways does it contribute to Jake’s character development? How does it make Sycamore Row more or less effective as a sequel to A Time to Kill? Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.
As a literary genre, the legal procedural typically represents a character’s navigation of the justice system, often emphasizing the jury trial. Procedural fiction in general places emphasis on technical detail. How does Sycamore Row align with or deviate from these genre definitions?
How does Grisham’s use of deep, omniscient third-person point of view effect how the story is told? What does it allow the narrator to reveal that a first-person or limited third-person point of view wouldn’t? Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.
Judge Atlee fears that the verdict will be overturned on appeal because he introduced evidence—Lanier’s surprise witness and Ancil’s deposition video—that violated discovery rules. What message about trial ethics does his decision support?
Consider the novel’s thematic interest in Rectifying Historical Injustice and Healing Generational Trauma. What aspects of Lettie’s life point to trauma resulting from multigenerational oppression of Black Americans? Explain the causal relationship, giving consideration to social structures, access to resources, and forms of transmission.
Related Titles
By John Grisham
