The Pelican Brief
`The Pelican Brief´ is a political thriller, written by John Grisham. It was published in New York in 1992. Translated into German by Christel Wiemken.
Short Biography of John Grisham:
- born in 1955 in Janesboro, Arkanas
- studied law at the University of Mississippi
- 1981 to 1991 -he was a lawyer in his own law-office
- at1983 he was a member of Parliament of his home state
- today he is only a writer, he lives with his family in Oxford, Mississippi
Setting:
The story takes place in New Orleans, New York and Washington.
Main Characters:
Darby Shaw:
- young law-student
- writes the Pelican Brief
- very clever ( has to survive many deadly traps)
Thomas Callahan:
- law-professor at the University of Tulane
- has an affair with Darby
Gray Grantham:
- is a famous reporter who works for the `Washington Post´
- helps Darby to solve the case
Fletcher Coal:
- is the personal assistant of the president
- tries to stop Darby and Gray
Denton Voyles
- FBI-president
Gavin Verheek
- lawyer, works for the FBI
- friend of Thomas Callahan
Khamel
- profi-killer
- assassinates the judges and Verheek
Victor Mattiece
- the chair man of a big oil company
Point of view:
- omniscient narrator
Conflict:
Two judges are killed and Darby wanted to solve the case and wrote a file . The murderer of the two judges got the order to kill Darby and all other persons, who knows something about this brief.
Plot:
Two famous judges named Jenson and Rosenberg are killed. The police doesn’t know anything about the murderer.
Thomas Callahan had worked for Rosenberg he is very shocked about the killings. His girlfriend Darby Shaw is very interested in the case and she decides to start a file about the two murders. She works about a week but then she gives it up because she thinks that her theory is impossible. However, Callahan believes in it and give the file to his old friend Gavin Verheek. Gavin gives it to Denton Voyles who informs the White House about it. Fletcher Coal doesn’t like Voyles’plan to solve the case because the president is also mentioned in the file. He suggests that the president should stop Voyles and so he does. At one day Thomas Callahan gets killed when his car explodes. Darby is very sad and then she knows that it has to do something with the file. She and Gavin want to meet each other but Gavin gets killed by Khamal who had also killed the judges. He wants to kill Darby but an unknown man helps her and murders Khamal.
Meanwhile Gray Grantham gets a call from a man who knows about the assassinations but he doesn’t wants to say his name. Gray gives him the name `Garcia´ and the mysterious man wants to meet Gray after a second call. At last Garcia backs out because he won’t have his family to get in danger. Gray starts to search him.
Darby doesn’t know what to do anymore and so she calls Gray. Then they meet and Darby tells him about her theory: A few years ago an oil company discovered a big oil resource in Louisiana. The company belonged to Victor Mattiece. He wanted to get a permission for his company to search for the oil. So he bribed some judges to get the permission but then a law- office tried to stop him. They told the judges that the oil-resource was in the near of a wildlife resource where the ‘brown Louisiana Pelican’ lived. So the court decided that the case should be discussed at the highest law-court in the USA. Rosenberg and Jensen always wanted to save nature and so they would have been a big problem for Mattiece. So he ordered a profi- killer to murder them. Victor Mattiece also sponsored the election campaign of the president.
Gray and Darby decide to search for Garcia in one of the law-office which works for Mattiece. It’s name was `White and Blazevich´. There Darby gets a bad message: Garcia was shot by a street robber. Gray and Darby know that this was one of Mattiece’s men. The real name of Garcia was Curtis Morgan. They visit Morgan’s wife and she gives Gray a key for a safe-deposit box in a bank. There Darby and Gray find a video cassette and a document which is signed by Curtis Morgan. This is the evidence which Darby use for her theory.
Gray and Darby write an article which proves that Victor Mattiece is responsible for the murders. Then they inform the FBI, the White House and White and Blazevich. Some hours later Fletcher Coal resigns his job. FBI-president Denton Voyles tells Darby about Khamel and the unknown man who killed him. Then he helps her to get out of USA.
Stylistic Devices:
- style: very formal, dialogs are written in slang
- language: easy sentence structure in dialogs (no dialogs-not so easy)
- in dialogs are used irony and exaggeration
- flashback: Darby dreamt about her past
Theme:
Frequently asked questions
What is "The Pelican Brief" about?
"The Pelican Brief" is a political thriller by John Grisham, published in 1992, about a young law student named Darby Shaw who uncovers a conspiracy related to the assassinations of two Supreme Court justices.
Who are the main characters in "The Pelican Brief"?
The main characters include:
- Darby Shaw: A law student who writes the "Pelican Brief."
- Thomas Callahan: Darby's law professor and lover.
- Gray Grantham: A reporter for the "Washington Post" who helps Darby.
- Fletcher Coal: The president's assistant who tries to stop Darby and Gray.
- Denton Voyles: The FBI president.
- Gavin Verheek: An FBI lawyer and friend of Callahan.
- Khamel: A professional killer.
- Victor Mattiece: The chairman of a big oil company.
What is the plot of "The Pelican Brief"?
Two judges are murdered, and Darby Shaw develops a theory connecting the assassinations to an oil company seeking to exploit a protected wildlife area. Her brief implicates powerful figures, including Victor Mattiece, the head of the oil company, and potentially the President. As Darby investigates with reporter Gray Grantham, they face danger from those trying to suppress the truth, including assassins and corrupt officials.
What is the "Pelican Brief" mentioned in the title?
The "Pelican Brief" is a legal document written by Darby Shaw outlining her theory about the murders of the two judges and implicating Victor Mattiece's oil company and its potential connection to political figures.
What is Victor Mattiece's role in the story?
Victor Mattiece is the chairman of a major oil company. He is implicated in the murders of the judges because they posed a threat to his plans to exploit oil resources in a protected area. He allegedly hired a professional killer to eliminate them.
What is Gray Grantham's role in helping Darby?
Gray Grantham is a reporter from the "Washington Post" who becomes involved after receiving information about the assassinations from a mysterious source. He helps Darby investigate, protect herself, and expose the conspiracy to the public.
What is the significance of the brown Louisiana Pelican?
The brown Louisiana Pelican is significant because the oil resource that Victor Mattiece wants to exploit is located near its habitat. Judges Rosenberg and Jensen were likely to oppose the oil exploitation to protect the wildlife, making them a target for Mattiece.
What stylistic devices are used in "The Pelican Brief"?
The story uses a formal style in the narrative but incorporates slang and colloquialisms in dialogues. It also employs irony and exaggeration in dialogues and utilizes flashbacks to reveal aspects of Darby's past.
What is the theme of "The Pelican Brief"?
John Grisham aims to highlight issues with the legal and political system in the USA, particularly corruption and the influence of powerful interests.
What happens at the end of the story?
Gray and Darby expose Victor Mattiece's involvement in the murders. Fletcher Coal resigns. The FBI helps Darby to get out of the USA.
- Quote paper
- Martin Rexhäuser (Author), 2000, Grisham, John - The Pelican Brief, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/100905
