Dead Man Walking Essay

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“Dead Man Walking” Dead Man Walking is a movie about a convicted murderer on death row and it shows the viewer about the issues of capital punishment as well as how the courts react to it and is based on a true story that occurred between the real Sister Helen Prejean and other prisoners on death row. Matthew Poncelet is the convicted murderer for murdering two teenagers who were together as a couple, but he really wants to overturn his death sentence ad claims to be innocent even though he admitted to being at the crime scene. He writes to Sister Helen Prejean. Sister Helen Prejean is a nun and works in New Orleans. She becomes extremely moved by his request to her and tries to overturn his sentence as well. As the movie continues we get to see how Poncelet acts, how Sister Prejean reacts, and also how the two teenager’s parents feel. They want Poncelet to pay for his crime by his death since they in so much pain and anger. The courts refuse to overturn his sentence and he will be executed by lethal injection. We learn that Sister Prejean isn’t there just because Poncelet asked and she is a good person, but because she sees that he is a human being and no one should take away his life even though he may resemble a monster for the crimes he committed. Sister Helen Prejean doesn’t show him disgust as other people do, which shocks many others. Sister Prejean shows Poncelet a sense of love and forgiveness and mirrors what Jesus did to other sinners. At the end of the movie when it comes to his execution, Sister Helen Prejean sits with the parents of the victims and she mouths “I love you” to Poncelet. This movie was really intense to watch and made me wonder how I really stand on the issue of capital punishment. I know that it occurs in the United States, but I question if it should. The movie does not only question if Poncelet deserves to die or not because of the crimes he committed, but rather it brings to note if the courts should allow the death penalty to exist and if
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