Henry is the very first inmate Stevenson meets on death row, and their encounter is transformative for Stevenson. Henry is a young black man, about Stevenson’s age, who has a wife and kids. Henry treats Stevenson with warmth and kindness when they meet, and the two become friends over the course of Bryan’s summer law internship at the SPDC.
Henry Quotes in Just Mercy
The Just Mercy quotes below are all either spoken by Henry or refer to Henry. 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:
).
Introduction
Quotes
Henry sang slowly and with great sincerity and conviction […]
Lord lift me up, and let me stand
By faith on Heaven’s tableland
A higher plane, that I have found
Lord, plant my feet on Higher Ground.
I sat down, completely stunned. Henry’s voice was filled with desire. I experienced his song as a precious gift.
Related Characters:
Bryan Stevenson (speaker), Henry (speaker)
Related Symbols:
Songs/ Hymns
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Just Mercy LitChart as a printable PDF.
Henry Character Timeline in Just Mercy
The timeline below shows where the character Henry appears in Just Mercy. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Introduction: Higher Ground
...in Georgia, a hostile guard meets Stevenson. In the visitor center, the guards bring out Henry, a young black man with his hands and ankles shackled. Henry reminds Stevenson of his...
(full context)
