The Racketeer

Analyze and discuss the role of the anti-hero in establishing or restoring balance in a corrupt system. If possible, compare and contrast Malcolm with examples of other fictional anti-heroes.

Discuss whether or when vigilante justice is justified. Is Malcolm justified in his actions, especially considered that he allowed the judge and his mistress to die? Use examples from the text to support your opinion.

In the 1760s, jurist William Blackstone said it was better for ten guilty men to go free than for one innocent person to suffer. Do you agree? Discuss the pros and cons of this principle, using examples from the text.

Grisham demonstrates a sympathy for the young men serving long sentences in prison for nonviolent crimes, especially for the drug trade, which some fall into because they see no better options. Analyze the pros and cons of the idea and determine whether there might be better options than prolonged and costly incarceration.

In The Racketeer, the FBI and federal prosecutor bend or manipulate the law in their obligation to catch criminals. To what extent are they justified? What is the harm or benefit of having some flexibility in the law? What is the potential cost to society?

Grisham describes the financial costs to taxpayers of the prison system. Discuss whether those costs are a reasonable price to pay for a peaceful society.

Discuss whether the prison system as Malcolm describes it effectively reduces crime. Consider the evidence of Nathan Cooley’s description of the economic conditions that lead people into the drug trade.

In other novels, Grisham has dealt extensively with questions of racism. In The Racketeer, however, Malcolm does not emphasize the issue of race. Examine the question of race through Martin Luther King’s lens of color-blindness and consider how the race of the author might influence his depiction of Malcolm.