The Green Mile

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1996

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Part 3, Chapters 6-10Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 3: Coffey’s Hands

Chapter 6 Summary

Paul goes with Janice to visit Warden Moores’ ailing wife, Melinda, after her brain tumor diagnosis. Janice greets Melinda warmly while Moores takes Paul aside to reveal his helplessness and grief. When Moores asks about Percy and Wharton, Paul’s thoughts drift to Coffey, and how Coffey managed to heal Paul with his touch. When Paul and Janice return home, his wife suggests that if his urinary tract infection is cured, they should have sex. As they are having sex, Paul keeps thinking about Coffey’s healing power and Coffey’s words, “I helped it, didn’t I?” (222). Later, when Paul drives to the prison, he thinks about how they will have to prepare for Delacroix’s execution soon. He looks forward to the execution being the last time Paul may have to see Percy.

Chapter 7 Summary

The guards tell Delacroix that there is an audience for him and Mr. Jingles. While skeptical at first, Brutal explains that since Warden Moores is out due to his wife’s sickness, Mr. Curtis Anderson is in charge and wants to see Delacroix’s performing mouse. He says that several other people are there to see Mr. Jingles, too. Excited by the audience, Delacroix happily agrees and follows Brutal out. When Delacroix is out of sight, Paul calls Toot-Toot out of his office to rehearse Delacroix’s electrocution. Paul urges them to move quickly before Delacroix returns.

Chapter 8 Summary

When Delacroix returns to his cell, he is happy that Mr. Jingles has been able to show off his talents for an audience. While he was gone, Percy enthusiastically rehearsed Delacroix’s execution, proving to be good at his job for the first time. As a result, he is in a good mood when Delacroix returns. He is instructed not to let the inmates know about the execution, especially Delacroix, since it will upset them. He overcompensates by being playful towards Delacroix when he returns and grabs at the inmate in jest. Thinking that Percy may be attacking him as he did the last time, Delacroix backs away quickly and falls over, hitting his head. Feeling a brief bout of remorse, Percy turns to check on Delacroix, but not before Wharton grabs hold of Percy from his cell and puts him in a chokehold. Wharton taunts Percy by threatening to rape him and kisses him on his ear. When the guards approach to intervene, Wharton lets go of Percy and claims he is just fooling around. Delacroix bursts out laughing and points out that Percy has urinated on himself out of fright. Humiliated, Percy threatens to get everyone fired if word gets out about what happened.

Chapter 9 Summary

The night before Delacroix’s execution, the weather is unseasonably hot, something that makes Paul wonder if it signals the end of times. He runs into Bill Dodge in the exercise yard and asks about Delacroix and Wharton. Bill relays that Delacroix does not seem to register his impending execution. Meanwhile, Wharton continues to make crass jokes that are rebuffed. Paul laughs, briefly reassured. He reveals at the end of the chapter that later that night, things would take a turn for the worse, when Percy kills Mr. Jingles.

Chapter 10 Summary

In preparation for his execution, Delacroix discusses his last meal and seems to be in good spirits about it. His biggest concern is the care of Mr. Jingles after his passing. Paul goes over different possibilities with Delacroix, which includes having the mouse live with his aunt, live with young children, or even live under the care of Paul himself. Delacroix finds all these options unsuitable. Finally, Brutal offers the fictional setting of Mouseville as an option. Both Brutal and Paul know that Mouseville is not real, but pretend that it is a circus haven for intelligent mice like Mr. Jingles. Delacroix is excited by the idea and agrees. He accidentally tosses the wooden spool too hard while playing with Mr. Jingles, sending the mouse out of the cell to chase after it. Spotting his chance for revenge, Percy stomps on Mr. Jingles and walks away smugly, much to Delacroix’s grief and horror.

Chapters 6-10 Analysis

Following the revelation of Coffey’s healing powers, Paul reflects on Coffey’s refrain of the words, “I helped it.” The words are reminiscent of what Coffey reportedly said at the moment of his capture. While the words at Coffey’s capture appear to signal his guilt, their refrain following the demonstration of his healing powers suggest his possible innocence.

Chapters 8-10 also signal Percy’s first great offense in the impending disastrous death of Delacroix. For laughing at Percy’s humiliation at the hands of Wharton, Percy directs his revenge at Delacroix, someone who is powerless to his whims. When the guards successfully assuage Delacroix’s fears about Mr. Jingles’ well-being following Delacroix’s death, Percy takes advantage of the inmate’s joy and kills Mr. Jingles. The scene illustrates Percy’s lack of compassion for life. The absence of humanity in his actions foretell greater crimes to come.

In Chapter 9, the worsening weather is a motif that signals the human devastation to come. In later chapters, the weather gathers into a terrible storm that seems to suggest biblical wrath.