Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Sun Does Shine, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Discrimination and the Criminal Justice System
Optimism, Faith, and Choice
The Death Penalty
Suffering, Community, and Support
The Power of Stories
Summary
Analysis
After Ray fires Alan, he feels alone once again and fears getting an execution date without representation. Ray decides to write a letter to Bryan Stevenson, thanking him for sending Alan but asking if Bryan could be his lawyer instead. He asks that Bryan read his transcript, and if Bryan can find one thing that points to Ray’s guilt, Bryan shouldn’t be his lawyer.
Ray underscores how integral community support is for him, even among his lawyers. Without Alan—or particularly a lawyer like Santha who truly tries to support him—Ray feels alone and vulnerable once more.
Themes
Ray decides to call Bryan’s foundation—the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI). Bryan answers, and Ray informs Bryan that he fired Alan. Ray asks Bryan to read the letter he just sent, and Bryan agrees. A few months later, Bryan visits the prison. Bryan is Black, bald, and slightly younger than Ray; Ray observes that the man’s face is full of compassion and thinks that he has been sent by God.
Bryan provides a major contrast with Alan. The compassion that Bryan has instantly mitigates Ray’s fear and loneliness. In addition, the support that Ray immediately feels from Bryan is akin to giving Ray hope and faith, as Ray writes that Bryan was sent by God.
Themes
Bryan apologizes that Alan asked Ray for money, and he asks Ray to tell him his story. Ray explains his whole story, saying that he’s innocent, that the state has been lying about his case for years, and that he’s been on death row for 12 years and it’s been hell. Ray can tell as he speaks that Bryan understands: Bryan has worked with many death row inmates and he’s been to executions. They talk for two hours, and Ray thinks how nice it is for someone simply to listen to him and believe him.
Bryan not only contrasts with Alan, but he contrasts even more with Sheldon Perhacs. Unlike Perhacs, Bryan immediately believes in Ray and listens to him. He is empathetic about the fact that Ray is losing valuable years of his life, and that empathy is crucial for Ray’s mental well-being.
Themes
Bryan also tells Ray that they are a team, and he wants to hear any ideas Ray has about the case. Ray says that Bryan needs to get the best ballistics expert he can find—preferably an honest, white, Southern man who believes in the death penalty, and so would be trusted by the court. Bryan agrees that that’s a good idea—he’ll review Ray’s file and the reports from the previous experts, and they say goodbye. When Ray returns to his cell, he falls to his knees and thanks God for sending Bryan. He then spends the next two hours sobbing.
Ray notes another difference between Bryan and Perhacs: Bryan supports Ray by allowing him to help on the case and by listening to his ideas. Additionally, Ray’s ideas about the case again reinforce the racism inherent in the criminal justice system. That he knows he needs to get a white, Southern ballistics expert so that the judge and prosecutor will trust what he says speaks to their own biases.
Themes
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