QWhy were there people sitting in the room when the executions in the film happened?
AWhenever a sentence of capital punishment is carried out in the United States, the law requires people be present as witnesses to see the convict actually die. The witnesses are all volunteers. In most states, if not all, the victim's family is also given the option to attend the execution, as is the case in this movie.
QWhy does Mr Jingles live as long as Paul Edgecomb?
ABecause of the accidental "gift" John Coffey transferred to the mouse while holding the mouse during Del's execution. John says later that the mouse felt what he felt. When Paul takes John's hand and sees what John saw of the murders, John gives him the same gift, although this time purposefully. However, there is no indication that Mr Jingles will live "as long as" Paul Edgecomb, only that they both will have extended lifespans. Coffey's healing of Paul and Mr Jingles was as much a curse as it was a gift: the price that Paul pays is that he'll outlive everyone he loves, such as his wife, his son, and Elaine.
QHow could an obviously sadistic person like Percy work in such a delicate job as a death row guard?
APercy Wetmore is the nephew of the Governor of Louisiana's wife, so he had political connections. If Percy felt that he was being mistreated, he'd simply call his mother or the Governor himself and complain like a spoiled child. The other argument is that it's a different time period. In the 1930s it was much easier for an inhumane person like Percy to work at such a job. The laws hadn't been changed to, say, profile a person like Percy for his mental illness. In modern times a condition like Percy's would've been discovered either through psychoanalysis when he applied for the job or because he'd caused a tragedy to happen. In the time the film was set, it wouldn't matter if Percy had been abusive toward a prisoner like Del, people would think Del was getting his just desserts for his crimes. The sabotage of Del's execution is something that might not have gone unnoticed by the proper authorities, however, Paul, Brutal, Dean, Harry and Warden Moores are able to cover it up since their jobs are at stake as much as Percy's would be. Percy, however, might have come out clean because of his connections to the governor's office.
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