A Time to Kill

Carl Lee is the father of Tonya Hailey, the rape victim, and he launches the novel’s narrative with his decision to take justice into his own hands and kill the rapists himself. Despite his desperate act, Carl Lee begins the novel relatively confident of his stance and the principles that led him to do what he had to do. After all, what father would not want to kill his daughter’s rapists? However, throughout the trial preparation and legal proceedings, Carl Lee is portrayed as confused, unsure, indecisive, and fearful. Given his relative ignorance of the law, Carl Lee is suggestible. Under the influence of Cat Bruster and Reverend Agee, he fires Jake, hires another lawyer, fires that lawyer, rehires Jake, and then considers hiring a third lawyer.

Carl Lee is often a pawn, used by many in the community: the black leaders who want to advance their agenda, Jake who seeks professional fame from the trial, and the Klansmen who want an excuse to stir up hatred. As Carl Lee’s incarceration lengthens, he does not regret his actions—he remains proud of them—but he grows increasingly frustrated by what he perceives as the legal system’s contradictions. Nevertheless, his loyalty to Jake and the bond the two create is solidified in the end. After his acquittal, Carl Lee gratefully returns to his family. 

With his sharp mind and encyclopedic knowledge of the law, Lucian is a loyal and indispensable advisor to Jake throughout Carl Lee’s case. On the other hand, Lucien, a former, disbarred attorney viewed by the legal profession as a disgrace, is also an alcoholic who enables Jake’s drinking. And the help he provides is sometimes suspect. He demonstrates that he is willing to act unethically to win a case, and he jeopardizes Jake’s success at trial by recommending a witness (Bass) whose credibility is questionable. Nevertheless, on balance, Lucien is a steady, positive source of help and wisdom for Jake, who helps him triumph in the end.

Lucien’s personal life is somewhat of a contradiction as well: He lives openly with a black woman, flaunting conventions unapologetically and enjoying the fact that his living situation enrages racists.