Carmen's Blog Post - Street Lawyer

Carmen Hernandez

1. Why do you suppose Michael believes Mister wasn't going to kill the lawyers?

Michael believes Mister wasn’t going to kill the lawyers because maybe he thought that Mister would give them the chance to understand or come to an agreement to help Mister not aim the gun at the lawyers. I think that would happen because if it were me in his situation, I would try to convince Mister out to not kill anyone.

2. Describe Michael and Claire's relationship.  Could this contribute to Michael's decision to leave the firm?

Michael and Claire’s relationship is not very interacting and is not going well. When Michael is being examined by doctors, he wonders why his wife Claire, whom is a doctor, hasn’t came to see him. He works a lot and let’s his hours of work come between his marriage, so she started doing the same. Michael seems to be more involved with his job than his marriage. Claire started doing the same because she doesn’t have love or enough attention from Michael. They don’t sit down and eat together or even communicate enough.

3. What two worlds are juxtaposed in the opening two chapters of this book?  How are we made to feel about each? Two worlds that are juxtaposed in the opening two chapters of this book were the life of a homeless man and the life of a wealthy lawyer.

4. We learn that Mister was a Vietnam War Veteran named DeVon Hardy.  How are the situations that the homeless face similar to that of Vietnam Vets returning home?  Does this change how you view Mister? The situation that the homeless face is similar to that of Vietnam Vets returning home because people saw them as traitors, they suffered from PTSD, and they lost their jobs to the point they ended up in poverty. Yes, this does change how I view Mister.

5. Michael sees it as almost fitting that a group of lawyers be held hostage, instead of schools and theaters.  Why do you suppose this is? I suppose this is because Michael felt empathy for Mister after all he had been through.

6. Compare and contrast Michael Brock with Mordecai Green. Michael Brock’s is more of a corporate lawyer, he works with big businesses and monopolies. Mordecai is a lawyer who helps the homeless. They both plan to work with the homeless after he sees that his job doesn’t make any sense. They both feel empathy for the homeless people and help them as much as they can.