Edison Character Analysis

Ruth's seventeen-year-old son. Prior to Davis's death, Edison is an honor student on the fast track to college. He attends a prestigious school and Ruth is extremely proud of him. However, around the time of Davis's death, Edison starts seeing that the world is more racist than Ruth previously let on. Feeling disillusioned, he starts to act out, especially after Ruth spends the night in jail. Edison starts skipping school and spending time with one of Adisa's sons, drinking and smoking marijuana. He gets suspended twice. Though he worries for Ruth, he has no faith in the justice system to make the right call, and he resents his teachers and classmates for either making fun of him or wanting to help. His frustration and sense of helplessness reaches a breaking point the night before closing arguments. Hoping to frame Turk and help Ruth, Edison spray-paints a swastika and a racist slur on the hospital. Odette gets Edison's case dismissed and his brush with the law, combined with Ruth's acquittal, spurs him to turn his life around. He reaffirms his commitment to school, expresses interest in becoming a lawyer, and when Turk visits Ruth's medical center six years later, Turk notices a photograph of Edison graduating from Yale.