The Executioner's Song: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Executioner's Song" offers a profound exploration of complex characters surrounding Gary Gilmore, a convicted murderer executed for his crimes. Gilmore, a rough-featured and intelligent man, demonstrates a mix of artistic sensitivity and quasi-religious beliefs, despite showing little remorse for his actions. His tumultuous relationship with Nicole Baker Barrett, a self-destructive young woman and his lover, reveals their intense bond and mutual struggles, as she inspires him to express his emotions through writing.
Brenda Nicol, Gilmore's cousin, embodies a good-hearted yet ultimately naive attempt to help him reintegrate into society, only to realize his inability to cope with life's pressures. The loving yet troubled relationship between Gilmore and his mother, Bessie, adds another layer to the narrative, showcasing her loyalty despite foreseeing his tragic fate. Additionally, Dennis Boaz, Gilmore's lawyer, navigates the ethical complexities of representing a client intent on death, while Lawrence Schiller, a photographer and producer, plays a crucial role in documenting Gilmore's story, driven by both commercial interests and a personal connection. Together, these characters create a rich tapestry that highlights the intricacies and moral dilemmas surrounding crime, punishment, and familial ties.
The Executioner's Song: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Norman Mailer
First published: 1979
Genre: Novel
Locale: Utah, Oregon, and California
Plot: New journalism
Time: April, 1976-January, 1977
Gary Gilmore, the protagonist, a convicted murderer executed at the age of thirty-five for two brutal, unprovoked murders. Gilmore is a rough-featured criminal who has spent most of his life in prison. He is highly intelligent, with an artistic bent. He also has quasi-religious convictions. A complicated person, he shows little remorse for his crimes but insists that the state of Utah execute him for the murders he committed, even though he clearly is afraid to die. Gilmore's steadfast request that his death sentence be carried out makes him the focus of enormous publicity.
Nicole Baker Barrett, Gilmore's nineteen-year-old lover. She is a beautiful woman who already has been married twice. She does not seem to know how to control her life. She is nearly as self-destructive as Gilmore and almost succeeds in killing herself after she and Gilmore make a suicide pact. Although Gilmore manipulates her in various ways, there is no question that he loves her and that they share a bond that cannot be broken by his imprisonment. Nicole becomes Gilmore's inspiration, his reason for writing more than a thousand pages explaining his feelings about her and about his life.
Brenda Nicol, Gilmore's good-hearted cousin who helps to get him released from prison shortly before the period in which he kills two men. Brenda believes that if she can provide Gilmore with a secure environment and a good job, he will not lapse into criminal behavior. She soon discovers, however, that he cannot take responsibility for his own life and that he does not know how to cope with the stresses of his job and his desires for material possessions such as a fancy truck. Eventually, she cooperates with the authorities in tracking down and apprehending him.
Bessie Gilmore, Gilmore's loving mother. She comes from solid Mormon stock and tries to rear her son properly; however, she has misgivings about him even when he is a little boy. She has a premonition, in fact, that he will be executed. Through it all, mother and son remain loyal to each other, with Gilmore rejecting the probing questions of professionals who seek to trace his criminality to his upbringing. At the end of the novel, Bessie wonders what will become of her and her family, and whether her son's execution portends the fatal decline of the Gilmores.
Dennis Boaz, Gilmore's doggedly loyal lawyer. He is intent on providing Gilmore with precisely the representation he requests—even if that means that his client will die.
Lawrence Schiller, a photographer and producer, the main instigator of the Gilmore story. Schiller works feverishly to establish his rights to materials such as Gilmore's letters to Nicole, tape recordings, and other documents from which the author will work in assembling the book. In many ways, Schiller is the most problematic character. He views Gilmore as a commercial property, yet he also feels close to the convicted murderer and to his family and friends. His motivations, to say the least, are mixed, but it is clear that without his shrewd and indefatigable efforts, the novel of Gilmore's life story could not have been assembled or narrated in such depth.