Charlie is the smart and well-behaved fourteen-year-old boy convicted of murdering his mother’s abusive boyfriend, George. He is sent to an adult jail, where he is repeatedly raped by other inmates. When Stevenson discovers Charlie’s situation, he agrees to represent him. He succeeds in having Charlie’s case moved to a juvenile court. Charlie is released years later as a young man.
Charlie Quotes in Just Mercy
The Just Mercy quotes below are all either spoken by Charlie or refer to Charlie. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 6
Quotes
We’ve been through a lot, Bryan, all of us. I know that some have been through more than others. But if we don’t expect more from each other, hope better for one another, and recover from the hurt we experience, we are surely doomed.
Related Characters:
Mr. and Mrs. Jennings (speaker), Bryan Stevenson, Charlie
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Charlie Character Timeline in Just Mercy
The timeline below shows where the character Charlie appears in Just Mercy. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2: Stand
...spent his first year and a half living on Steve Bright’s couch. When Stevenson’s friend Charlie Bliss comes to work for a legal aid group in Atlanta, the two move in...
(full context)
Returning home, Stevenson tells Charlie, who shares his outrage. The next day, Steve Bright urges Stevenson to file a police...
(full context)
Chapter 6: Surely Doomed
Stevenson receives a call from the grandmother of a fourteen-year-old boy named Charlie who has been in an Alabama jail for two nights. The grandmother is sick and...
(full context)
Stevenson writes that George, the boyfriend of Charlie’s mother, often came home drunk. George beat Charlie’s mother on several occasions to the point...
(full context)
...a highly esteemed police officer and that the prosecutor had convinced the judge to try Charlie as a dangerous adult and send him to an adult jail. Stevenson goes to the...
(full context)
Deeply angry with everyone who “allowed” it to happen, Stevenson informs a jail officer that Charlie has been raped. The officer shows little concern until Stevenson informs him of his plans...
(full context)
After telling Charlie’s story at a church meeting, Stevenson is approached by a middle-aged white couple from the...
(full context)
Postscript
...a music video featuring Muncy Prison entitled “This is Not My Home.” Stevenson writes that Charlie and Marsha Colby are “doing well,” and Henry is no longer facing the death penalty....
(full context)
