Week Two - Quote, Explanation, and Questions

Quote:

"This is not Vietnam, Jesse. Life is not a war. 'It's not?' answered Jesse, a look of surprise on his face. Don't we live in a free-fire zone? There are seventy-five wars going on in this world right now, and only one of them matches the homicide rate in this country. Didn't Skelley call himself a soldier? Listen, doc, I can't stand the bastard, but I will do something that he and his kind could never do. I will stand up for him in a court of law, and I will do my best." (Vea, 63)

Explanation:
The passage is significant because it shows how Jesse believes the United States is in a state of war. Jesse believes this country is just like a war and not only that but one of the most deadliest. Of all the "seventy-five wars"(Vea, 63) that are going on in the world, "only one"(Vea, 63) of those has the most deaths as this country. Jesse believes we live in a "free-fire zone"(Vea,63) in which thousands of people die each year. I would have to agree with Jesse because thousands of people do die in the world every year and these murders, don't really follow any rules when they kill. The murders are actually unexpected and usually its one person against another without teams, just like a free for all. The passage is meaningful because it reveals how the war impacted Jesse mentally and changed his views of this country. It also shows Jesse's dedication as a defense lawyer, even though he hates the Bernard he is going to defend him as much as possible and to the best of his ability.

Questions:
(1) Why does get so angry at Bernard? After this conflict would you still defend a person like Bernard?

(2) Describe the two dreams Jesse encounters during his sleep? Why do you think he looks forward to having these dreams?

Week One - Quote, Explanation, and Questions

Quote: 

“Jesse looked around the table at his laughing friends. They reminded him of his fellow soldiers in Vietnam. They had to laugh now and then and it was good that they did. Criminal defense is the emergency room of the law, and the constant pressure had to be relieved somehow. Grunts of the law, he thought, field medics performing triage in the crowded jails and holding cells behind the staid courtrooms. We tend the wounded, he thought, those who were wounded by life, by testosterone, by poverty. In this business, everyone gets wounded. Every lawyer at the table had suffered for his or her clients.” (Vea, 37)

Explanation: 

This passage is significant because Jesse is describing the importance of laughter in both war. He also describes how war man are similar to being a defense attorney. Laughter is important in war because it shows that you are still human even though the soldiers have experienced traumatic events, like killing a person or seeing another soldier that they know die in front of them. It doesn't necessarily mean that they forgot about the trauma, but shows that you are still capable of enjoyment. Jesse then describes how “criminal defense is the emergency room of the law”(Vea, 37) because they help the people who have been “wounded by life.”(Vea, 37) The passage is meaningful because it expresses Jesse's thoughts about being a defense lawyer and how important he thinks it is.

Questions: 

(1) Why are all the defense attorneys sitting around the table? Which story do you think is the funniest? Explain why?

(2) What is Jesse's definition of a “life makeover”? What is your definition of a life makeover?