The Boys from Biloxi

John Grisham

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2022

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Chapters 1-6

Part 1, Chapters 7-13

Part 2, Chapters 14-21

Part 2, Chapters 22-27

Part 2, Chapters 28-34

Part 3, Chapters 35-42

Part 3, Chapters 43-50

Part 4, Chapters 51-59

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

Baseball

A recurring motif, symbolizing purity and an “All American” type of simplicity, is baseball. At the beginning of the book, when “the boys” are young, it’s one of the things that binds Keith and Hugh together. The boys play in the same league and are both above-average players, making their parents proud. Baseball has been called “America’s National Pastime” and has generally been associated, especially in the past, with American ideals of wholesomeness and purity. The fact that two sons from immigrant families embrace the sport speaks to their efforts to integrate into their new homeland (something that’s evident even in the way their family names are adapted, from “Malokovic” to “Malco” and “Rudic” to “Rudy”).

Later, as the boys grow up, they leave their love of baseball behind. Keith seems to drop the sport as he focuses on his academic endeavors. Hugh gives up baseball and picks up boxing, which is far more violent, reflecting his increasing participation in the violence of the criminal underworld. The boys’ dropping baseball parallels their transition to adulthood: Their lives become less wholesome and more complex, and they deal with issues like family identity, paternal loyalty, and murder and vengeance. The book’s last passages recall the boys’ wholesome beginnings: In the media hubbub leading up to Hugh’s execution, “The Gulf Coast Register re-ran the old team photo of Keith and Hugh as Little League all-stars, and the background proved irresistible. Stories flourished about their childhood on the Point. Former coaches, teachers, friends, and teammates were tracked down and interviewed” (443). It’s a sad reminder of the boys’ simple lives as kids as well as the fact that they used to play, literally, on the same team.

The Insurance Companies

One major subplot in the second part of the book, “The Crusader,” is Jesse's battle against the insurance companies following Hurricane Camille. The insurers are the ultimate symbol of corrupt capitalist greed, using a technicality to avoid paying everyday people the money they're owed to rebuild their businesses and their homes. By taking on the insurance companies, Jesse casts himself as David in a David-versus-Goliath type of battle: the smaller good guy against the behemoth of evil. However, Jesse's actions aren't totally selfless. He knows that this will help him win favor with the locals, improving his odds of a future DA race win.

Still, the corruption of the insurance companies is paramount. While they don't help regular people, they do help Lance and the other crime bosses get back on their feet—thanks to Lance's clout, connections, and cash. After a disaster like Camille, the age-old adage “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer” seems to hold true. Although Jesse ultimately helps people get their payouts, it's a momentous effort, requiring multiple trials and appeals before people see their money. The insurers are yet another example of the deep corruption at every level of society.

The Media

Furthering the exploration of corruption, the book depicts the use of media to distort public opinion. The most obvious example of media use for personal gain is the smear campaign Jesse engages in when running for DA. He uses mailings to attack the club owners, while his opponents use mailings to portray Jesse as being “soft on crime”—not a desirable trait in a DA. The direct mailings become such a mud-slinging mess that a judge rules against them to stop them. In addition to the direct mailings, which are privately created media, the public media even supports a sort of corruption. For example, when Lance is indicted, Keith personally contacts the Gulf Coast Register to inform them. It’s important to Keith and Jesse that the public recognizes their “win.” Later, when Lance takes the plea, the Gulf Coast Register reports: “MALCO PLEADS GUILTY—ORDERED TO PRISON” (287). Jesse is undoubtedly happy to have his “win” widely reported for all to hear about.

These instances highlight the undeniable role of media in the interplay of politics, crime, the legal system, and public opinion. Ideally, newspapers report facts honestly and accurately, without bias. However, this isn't the reality portrayed in the book. Jesse and Keith in particular are adept at using the media to their advantage. Even Jesse's death is portrayed in sensationalist terms, with headlines like “JESSE RUDY KILLED IN COURTHOUSE EXPLOSION,” “MOB STRIKES BACK—PROSECUTOR DEAD,” and “CRUSADING DA KILLED IN BILOXI” (320). Keith uses the media to his advantage when the men behind Jesse's murder are captured, holding a press conference to announce it: “The indictment charges that on August 20 of last year, 1976, Nevin, and Henry Taylor did conspire to commit and did indeed commit the murder of Jesse Rudy. Nevin paid a large sum of money to Henry Taylor to carry out the contract killing” (364).

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The media further distorts reality by embracing the hero/villain, good-guy/bad-guy, DA/mob dichotomy. The narrative reveals more about the characters—in particular, some of Jesse’s less morally upstanding moments—so this dichotomy isn’t as “black-and-white.” Still, as the portrayal of Jesse as a hero in death illustrates, the media insists on sensational headlines and stories—even until the bitter end, when it picks up on the old friendship between Keith and Hugh:

The Gulf Coast Register re-ran the old team photo of Keith and Hugh as Little League all-stars, and the background proved irresistible. Stories flourished about their childhood on the Point. Former coaches, teachers, friends, and teammates were tracked down and interviewed (443).