A Time To Kill was written by John Grisham and published in 1989 by Wynwood Press. A Time To Kill is set in Clanton, Mississippi, in the 1980s. This story is about a black father's revenge against two white men who committed a violent rape against his ten-year-old daughter. A white lawyer, Jake Brigance, takes on the case of Carl Lee, accused of capital murder after killing the two men who raped his daughter. Jake's involvement in the case attracts the attention of the Klu Klux Klan. The KKK wreaks havoc on everyone involved in the case and their families. The strength of Jake's closing argument secures Carl Lee's freedom by appealing to people's empathy. Carl Lee is found not guilty by reason of temporary insanity. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Jake Brigance is a thirty-two year old white man from Mississippi. Jake is the character who is generally confident. He is an intelligent, arrogant, ambitious and courageous lawyer. Jake is arrogant because, although he is young, he has won three murder trials in which the defendants were black men. When Jake takes on a case, he is committed to winning it. He spends hours and hours of his life working on the cases he takes on, "Few people face the morning like Jake Brigance." (Grisham 20). Even though Jake had all the odds stacked against him, he never gave up on his cases, such as when he defends Carl Lee. Courageously, Jake takes on cases defending black men in a city riddled with racial prejudice. Jake believes Carl Lee deserves justice. Jake tells Mr. Buckley, the lawyer prosecuting Carl Lee for capital murder, that if his daughter were ever raped, he hoped she would have had the courage to do what Carl Lee did. Jake is able to relate to Carl Lee and put himself in other people's shoes. Jake respects his mentor, Lucien Wilbanks, because Lucien is very intelligent and gives wise advice to Jake. Lucien respects Jake and wants what's best for him. He wants Jake to make good decisions in life, that's why he is always willing to give him advice. Jake doesn't get along with Rufus Buckley because Buckley prosecutes Carl Lee for the murder of the two white men who raped Carl Lee's daughter. “To hell with Buckley. Do you think he plays well? It's a snake and you hate it as much as I do.” (Grisham 307) Jake tends not to get along with people who he feels don't have the right morals. Jake is so dedicated to Carl Lee's case and wants justice that he is willing to send his wife and son away and risk his own safety. One of Jake's aspirations is to help people of color get justice. This is demonstrated by the number of black people he represents in his career. Jake is a character with many strengths and weaknesses. One of his strengths is that he is not easily intimidated. When the KKK burns down his house as a threat and warning, he still doesn't give up on the Lee case or the Hailey family. Another of his strengths is that he is very intelligent. Jake Brigance is a successful lawyer despite his young age, which is partly due to the fact that Jake is a hard worker. “He was jealous of his time… He planned his day meticulously.” One of Jake's weaknesses is his idealism. Because Jake is so sure that Carl Lee shouldn't be punished, he assumes that others would understand it as easily as he does. Another of Jake's weaknesses is arrogance. “Jake practiced alone, and had done so since 1979, the year he was disbarred. He liked it that way, especially since there was no other lawyer in Clanton.