Analysis of The Firm Essay

Synopsis:

The Firm, a novel written by John Girsham, is a law enforcement novel that depicts a man, Mitchell McDeere, who seemed to be set up for life when he finds out his employers are not the ones that are upholding the ethical laws of our moral society of today.

Details:

The first major foundation laid was the setting. This-some what foreshadowed to the reader that this book was not going to be a typical law drama. Initially when Mitch searched for career opportunities in New York and Boston area, that is typical for one of the best graduates of Harvard Law. By quickly having larger offers from smaller firms outside the city slowly gets the wheel turning. The reputation of the firm really was the decision breaker when considering the job opportunity and its benefits. His personal life and his career seemed to be soaring to the top. Upon accepting the smaller firm's offer, the couple moved to Memphis. The house that Mitch and Abby bought just happened to be the perfect house in the perfect neighborhood. The firm that Mitch would be working in had everything that could be wanted. The firm had elevators, steam rooms, armed security, and law libraries on every single floor; this building was truly like no other. Little items such that every office had spared no expense for the furniture, and had a nice view of the river gave the impression that this firm is a little slice of heaven.

The characters played a more important role in this novel more than anything else. Toward the middle of the novel, choices made by protagonist showed that he is a dynamic character; personally I feel Mitch is the only developing character. His wife, Abby, along with all the members of the firm, were pretty much the same throughout the entire novel. The background of characters played a key role to give the reader an insight of the character's thoughts and choices. For example, the fact that Mitch was from a blue collar background and the hunger for wealth led him with blind judgment. The lawyers at the firm were such "yes men." This was a blatant observation that these men and women are almost like robots, and the reader could see that the members of the firm could be serving a higher power. I took my time paying attention to the dialogues of Avery and the other lawyers, to maybe catch a glimpse of their endgame. The situation that Ray was in prison and that his brother hated it, played a significant role. Mitch being a true brother by going to far ends to help his family showed the he had strong family values.

The reoccurring theme of good versus evil was particularly shows throughout the novel. Fortunately, this topic will never be boring; In fact, it engages the reader on a personal note because any reader of this book can relate that there is a world evil waiting to cast its shadow on everything and everybody. Such examples as terrorism by individuals (moreover large corporations folding due to mismanagement) and other illegal activities certainly put The Firm in prospective. I feel largely that the theme of this novel sparks a different creative approach to thinking in the reader's mind.

The conflicts I found were very real and interesting. Personally the internal conflict of a man conquering the monetary world hit closest to me and I would think to most others. Mitch showed such a strong drive to be the best and on top of his game. I recall him saying to himself that he would show them (the employees of the firm) that he would make partner the quickest in the firm's history. The external conflict was obvious that the firm was attempting to control Mitch's life. It took a lot of strength and careful planning to attempt his idea, let alone carry it out successfully. As for Mitch's state of mind I am not sure which is more scary, a man on route to make a dream become a reality or a man at edge to protect his family.

During Mitchs work, he went on several business trips to the Caymans Islands. The novel is a somewhat suspenseful but mysterious story of betrayal, cover ups, and lies. To Mitch, from the beginning, questioned why they offered so much and why they wanted him at their firm. Most of the symbolism was faint but truly shown in the names of the characters and the title. The Firm, just the name, is defined as something secure and solidly fixed. The firm also has a connotation that it is not weak and its grip shows ultimate strength. Names such as DeVasher, just give off a vibe that he is a gigantic man with pain and suffering on his agenda. Other names like the Morolto brothers bleed "crime syndicate," just so happens that they are.

I believe in this particular novel that the structure and plot especially go hand in hand. As the main structure goes, it was built very strong. Usually a reader can always bet that there is going to be boring parts; Grisham did an exceptional job eliminating the boring bits. I thought the book flowed well as did each chapter. The only thing that I was disappointed in was in the introduction I thought that the author could have laid more foundation on Abby to help play her character out and help to give a stronger height to their relationship, other than their were high school sweethearts. Overall length of the novel was not bad. Granted if the novel was shorter it would not have hurt, I thought some scenes were a little stretched.

The sequences of events in the novel were clear and on task so to speak. I like that Grisham uses realistic situations in his novels to feed the plot. From the time that the reader is introduced to Mitch, every thing began to flow smoothly. After all the job interviews, to picking the one of his choice, and finally onto receiving his brand new car, the reader sees Mitch having the easy life far to soon. The suspense begins to build when the protagonist finds out he is caught between one of the largest federal mafia indictments in history. Soon complications begin to arise when Mitch first meets with Special Agent Terrance with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Agent Terrance informs Mitch that he can either help the agency or go down with the firm. I think Grishman used foreshadowing when he has Mitch say that he will not risk witness protection and questioning the thought of losing the statute of being a great lawyer. It was clear that dialogue was indicating that Mitch was willing to go far lengths to solve his situation.

This ultimately just leaves the conclusion of the novel. In the beginning the reader is exposed to a young man that wants desperately to become wealthy, a brother that is in jail serving the remainder of his manslaughter sentence, the Federal Bureau of Investigation finding difficulty indicting a law firm that is laundering drug and prostitution moneys for the owners--which happen to be Chicago crime bosses. Through an amazing turn of events and skillful thinking of the protagonist, the reader views that the young Mitchell McDeere has become a man because of everything. Mitch served his country by assisting the agency, got very wealthy in the process and freed his brother from jail. As for the relationship of Mitch and Abby that was slowly deteriorating due to the long hours at the firm and a move that Abby really did not want to make; it turned for the better as they both worked as a team throughout overthrow of the firm and started looking at starting a family together. A new beginning, if you will.

In The Firm, written by John Grisham, it tells a story of a man between the law and the lawbreaker. Wanting to be on the side of the law, he helps them out, but not without a good amount of money as incentive to risk his life and reputation. From this novel I have learned that evil is everywhere and that trying to do good can be dangerous not only to yourself but to the people you love.

After reading this novel extensively, I know can appreciate the elements of literature and how each and every one relates to the story. When I look at this novel and looking at the different choices made, it becomes clear that certain opinions I had as the reader might not have been so clear if it was not for the setting or another element. When I compare this to other novels I have read I enjoyed this one the most because of the sharp twists and turns! I particularly enjoyed this novel and look forward to the future Girsham novels that we have to read for the class.