The+Green+Mile


 * The Green Mile Book Reviews ||
 * The Green Mile Grammar ||
 * The Green Mile Comprehension Questions**



The Green Mile, Pt. 1, Ch. 1

1. When does the story take place?

2. What was Old Sparky? Who gave it this nickname? Why?

3. How does the narrator describe the convicted criminals’ reaction to their death penalty?

4. What was Death Row called at the prison? Why?

5. Who was Beverly McCall and what happened to her? Why do you think her story is significant?

6. Describe the Green Mile. Describe what was found at the left turn and then at the right.

7. Describe Old Sparky.

The Green Mile, Pt. 1, Ch. 2

1. What did Percy Wetmore call the big prisoners? Why? How did he feel about big prisoners in general? Why?

2. What is Delacroix’s accent? Where does he come from?

3. What is Delacroix’s pet mouse’s name?

4. Why was Delacroix in prison? What does Edgecomb say about Delacroix’s character?

5. How does Edgecomb describe the way Coffey spoke?

6. How does Coffey always introduce his name to people?

7. What ‘privileges’ do the prisoners have?

8. What does Coffey say about his lawyer?

9. What comment does Edgecomb make about African-American prisoners in the justice system at that time?

10. What was the most important question that Coffey asked Edgecomb and what effect did it have on Edgecomb?

11. What did Edgecomb do with Coffey that he had never done before?

The Green Mile, Pt. 1, Ch. 3

1. What does Stanton warn Edgecomb about?

2. What was the pun that Stanton made at the bottom of p. 22?

3. Who is Edgecomb worried about more than Percy?

4. How does Edgecomb describe the library and infirmary building?

5. What does he go to the library to do?

6. What more do we find out about the crime that Coffey is supposed to have committed?

The Green Mile, Pt. 1, Ch. 4

1. Describe what happened to the Detterick girls.

2. What had happened to Bowser, the dog? How was this used in the case against John Coffey?

3. What did Klaus Deterick and his son Howie do?

4. How was Sheriff Homer Cribus a hypocrite, according to Edgecomb?

5. Why does Deterrick need help in tracking the girls?

6. Who does the mother finally call to help? What are they going to bring in to help?

7. How did the hunt go? What happened with the dogs?

8. What did the men on the hunt begin to hear as they got closer to the girls?

9. What did they find at the end of their search?

10. What was Coffey doing?

11. What was Klaus’ reaction?

12. What did Coffey tell the search party when they found him with the girls?

The Green Mile, Pt. 1, Ch. 5

1. What keeps Paul up that evening? Does he tell his wife Janice? Why?

2. How does she try to get him to come to bed?

3. What is wrong with Paul? What does his wife recommend that he do the next day? What does he reply?

4. What does he dream about?

The Green Mile, Pt. 1, Ch. 6

1. What was waiting for Paul at work the next day? What do you think it was about?

2. What does Paul start to do the first thing?

3. What had happened the evening before?

4. What was ‘getting the talk started’? Why was this so important?

5. What was going to happen soon?

6. How was Wharton described?

7. Describe Hal Moores. What did Paul think of him?

8. How does Paul start the conversation in Moores’ office?

9. What is wrong with Melinda Moores?

10. What does Hal talk to Paul about?

11. How does Hal urge Paul to handle the situation?

12. Why is Paul unlikely to quit?

13. What secret does Hal let Paul in on?

14. Why do they think that Percy is staying around Cold Mountain when he could have any job he wanted?

The Green Mile, Pt. 1, Ch. 7

1. What were Edgecomb and Brutal doing when they first saw Delacroix’s mouse?

2. Who saw the mouse and what was the mouse doing? What did Edgecomb compare the mouse to?

3. What was unusual about the mouse’s behavior?

4. What did Edgecomb imagine about the mouse?

5. What was Dean going to do to the mouse? When Edgecomb stopped him, what did Brutal do?

6. How did the mouse approach the sandwich?

7. Where did the mouse run off to? What was in that room?

8. After the mouse disappeared what did Brutal do? What name did Brutal give the mouse? Why?

9. Where did they search for the mouse the next day? Why?

10. Did they find the mouse?

11. What happened three days later? Who chased the mouse?

The Green Mile, Pt. 1, Ch. 8

1. What did Brutal discover about the origins of the mouse later that winter?

2. When Paul is on the ladder looking into the hole in the wall and gets a whiff of peppermint, what does he remember?

3. What did Paul and Brutal find in the hole? What were these pieces a part of? What did they think the mouse had done?

4. What was the promise that Paul and Brutal made to each other that day?

The Green Mile, Part 2, Ch.1

1. Where is Paul Edgecomb at the beginning of this part of the book?

2. So when is he narrating this story? At what time in his own life?

3. Who came to E Block in the summer of 32? Who were the prisoners?

The Green Mile, Part 2, Ch. 2

1. When did the mouse come back?

2. What happened to the President? Who was he?

3. When the mouse came back, what did he do? What did Brutal and the other guards give him? What did they think about the mouse? What was Percy’s impression of the mouse?

4. As the mouse was nibbling at the food, what did Percy do?

5. Who actually probably saved the mouse’s life at that time? How?

The Green Mile, Part 2, Ch. 3

1. Why did Paul want to talk to the Chief?

2. What did Bitterbuck tell Paul about?

3. What did Bitterbuck ask Paul’s opinion about? What did Paul reply? What did he really think? What does this tell us about Paul’s perspective? What does he think about the criminal justice system?

4. After the chat with Bitterbuck, who showed up on the Green Mile that evening?

5. What did Steamboat Willy do?

6. What happened when Toot Toot tried to feed the mouse? What happened when the others gave him food? What does this imply?

The Green Mile, Pt. 2, Ch. 4

1. Who was being executed? What was his crime?

2. What special treatment would the Chief get before the DOE?

3. Where would Percy be stationed for this execution?

4. What was right outside the window of the switch room? What was it to be used for?

5. Who played the role of the condemned man in the rehearsal for the execution?

6. What did Paul Edgecomb think of Old Toot-Toot?

7. What were the steps in the execution as they rehearsed it?

8. What were the most vulnerable times for the guards during an execution? Why?

9. Why would Bitterbuck’s left calf be shaved?

10. What did Paul Edgecomb think when he heard Percy ask what ‘Roll on one’ meant?

11. What did Toot say during rehearsal when Edgecomb asked if there was anything he wanted to say before dying? What was the reaction of all the guards? How did Paul react? Why?

12. When the final step in the rehearsal for the execution had been completed, who did they discover had been watching?

Vocabulary p. 108-9

pulled it snug tuck perched muffled mesh-covered buck and flail

The Green Mile, Pt. 2, Ch. 5

1. How did Bitterbuck’s execution go?

2. What was Bitterbuck’s reaction?

3. At what point did Bitterbuck falter? Why?

4. How did Bitterbuck die?

5. What did Edgecomb really hate about the execution room? What effect did that association have on him later in life?

6. When the first volts of electricity had finished what did the doctor find upon examination? What did the guards do?

7. What did Edgecomb and the others, including Percy, feel sick about?

8. What did Percy do to the dead man’s body?

Vocabulary matching: p. 114-115

meatwagon ___damp__ __chilly__ _hospital bed dank ___prison deep under the ground__ __dungeon__ _refrigerated car to carry meat gurney ___cold/cool__ __cocky__ _arrogant

The Green Mile, Pt. 2, Ch. 6

1. Why does Paul tell us the story of going to his uncle’s funeral in Chicago? What is the significance of that experience?

2. What does he say about the value of writing?

3. What has been his experience in writing about John Coffey?

4. What comment did Paul say about Coffey’s suffering? What did he mean by that?

The Green Mile, Pt. 2, Ch. 7

1. What happened to the Pres? How was justice served in his case?

2. When Paul was sitting on Delacroix’s bunk, who came in and what happened?

3. Why did Percy beat Delacroix? What did Paul do about the situation? Why does he respond in this way?

4. What does Brutal later tell Paul about Delacroix ‘copping Percy’s joint’? What happened? What does Percy’s reaction tell us about him?

The Green Mile Pt. 2, Ch. 8

1. How does Paul handle Percy’s hate for Delacroix?

2. What does Brutal discover that Delacroix has found and done with his friend?

3. As Paul and Brutal are watching Delacroix with the mouse, who comes along and what is his reaction?

4. How does Percy surprise everyone?

5. What did Paul later find out about the change in Percy’s attitude? What had Percy done? Who had promised him something? What was the promise?

The Green Mile Pt. 2, Chapter 9

1. How did Edgecomb describe the worth of the cigar box?

2. How did the staff convince Toot to sell the box for $.04?

3. What did Delacroix do with the box?

4. What did Delacroix give Mr. Jingles to eat? What was so amusing about this to Paul and the others?

5. What did Delacroix train Mr. Jingles to do?

6. How did Delacroix get the idea of getting the spool?

7. What thought made Delacroix as happy as he had ever been?

The Green Mile Pt. 2, Chapter 10

1. What two major events happened around the same time in October? Why were they unexpected?

2. What had been Wharton’s defense?

3. What was wrong with Edgecomb on the day Wharton arrived?

4. Why didn’t Edgecomb call in sick?

5. When Edgecomb arrived at work at 6 am, how did he find Hall Moores? What was the problem?

6. What does Moores do when Edgecomb is in his office?

7. Why does this make Paul feel uncomfortable?

The Green Mile Pt. 2, Chapter 11

1. At the beginning of the chapter, how does Dean explain their experience with Wharton?

2. Who went to transport Wharton to Cold Mountain?

3. When the staff goes to get Wharton in Indianola, how do they find him? What assumption do they make about this?

4. How does Edgecomb describe his personality?

5. What did Dean and the others have to do with Wharton before they left with him?

6. What made Dean, Harry and Percy feel that there would be no problem with Wharton?

7. As Dean was unlocking the cell door, what did Wharton do?

8. How was Wharton didfferent from the prisoner they thought they had been escorting?

9. What was Percy’s reaction?

10. How did Edgecomb react?

The Green Mile, Pt. 3, Ch. 1

1. Where is Paul Edgecomb now?

2. How does he feel about Georgia Pines?

3. Who is his good friend? What is she like? What does he appreciate in her?

4. When Elaine comes in one morning and finds Paul in the television room, what is wrong? What does he begin to tell her?

5. What has reminded him of Wharton?

6. When Elaine is listening to Paul and sees how distraught he is, what is her advice to him?

The Green Mile, Pt. 3, Ch. 2

1. Where has the story shifted to?

2. What was happening? What was Percy doing?

3. What was Wharton doing to Dean? What did Paul try to do? What stopped him?

4. Who saved the day? How?

5. What was the conversation between Paul and Wharton when Wharton regained consciousness?

The Green Mile, Pt. 3, Ch. 3

1. After the incident with Wharton what does Paul ask Percy to do?

2. What is Percy reaction? What does this tell us about his character?

3. After Percy left, where did Paul go immediately?

4. When Paul goes to check on John who had been very quiet during the whole scene, what does John say to him? How does Paul react? Why is this unusual?

5. How does Paul speak of his reaction? How did he say he felt?

6. When Paul is standing in the cell what does John Coffey do?

7. After Coffey takes the urinary infection out of Paul’s body, what happens to John?

8. What is Del doing during this encounter?

9. When Paul asks John what he did, what does John reply? What is Paul thinking about spontaneously?

10. Paul thinks about “an enigma wrapped in a mystery” when he thinks of John. What does that mean?

11. Del calls John a ‘gris gris man.’ a ‘hoo doo’ man. Why?

12. When Paul goes back to his desk, what does he imagine he writes on the report? Does he actually do it?

13. How does he explain what just happened?

14. How does he test the results of this miracle?

15. How does he explain what happened?

16. What kept running through Paul’s head? Why do you think this was important?

17. Who does Paul attribute this event to? Why does he think this happened?

The Green Mile, Pt. 3, Ch. 4

1. The day after Coffey cured Paul’s urinary infection, where did Paul go?

2. Who was Burt Hammersmith?

3. When Paul came to the Hammersmith home, what were his first impressions as he looked around?

4. What did Paul notice about the Hammersmith couple? What did he think about this as he drove home late?

5. What is Hammersmith’s reaction when Paul tells him why he came?

6. After he has told Paul the story, what does Hammersmith ask Paul Edgecomb?

7. What did Paul wonder about Coffey?

8. How did Hammersmith respond to that? What had his research shown? How does he explain finding no information about Coffey?

9. What comment does Hammersmith make about the scars on Coffey?

10. When Paul insists that he himself knows violent men and that Coffey does not seem to be a violent person, what is Hammersmith’s reaction?

Vocabulary pp.196-7

bull-goose screw ___search party__ __local rag__ _head guard abductor ___town newspaper__ __posse__ _kidnapper wailing ___fight playfully__ __squabble__ _crying loudly

The Green Mile, Pt. 3, Ch. 5

1. After Wharton spent the night in the restraining room the first time, what did he do to Harry?

2. How did Paul and his staff teach Wharton a lesson?

3. What did they put on Wharton to restrain him?

4. What did Paul Edgecomb call Wharton? Why did Wharton get so angry about that?

5. How does Wharton threaten the prison staff?

6. What is Brutal’s reply to Wharton’s threats?

7. When he realizes they are going to put him in the restraining room, what does Wharton try to do?

8. What was Coffey doing all this time the guards were struggling with Wharton?

9. When they took Wharton out of the restraining room how did he act?

10. What did Wharton do later the next day?

The Green Mile, Pt. 3, Ch. 6

1. When Melinda Moore’s came home, what was the doctors’ diagnosis? What was the treatment?

2. How did Melinda look? What was Paul’s reaction? What was Jan’s reaction?

3. As Melinda is telling them about her hand and crying what pops into Paul’s mind?

4. When Paul and Jan leave the Moores’ what does Jan suggest? What does Paul keep thinking about the entire time?

The Green Mile, Pt. 3, Ch. 7

1. Why does Brutal get Delacroix ready to go out?

2. Who has requested a show presented by Delacroix and his mouse?

3. When Delacroix finds out that the prison officials want to see Mr. Jingles, what is his reaction? What does Coffey say to Delacroix as he goes out?

4. As Delacroix is performing with Mr. Jingles, what do the prison guards do?

The Green Mile, Pt. 3, Ch. 8

1. As they rehearsed Delacroix’s execution, what role did Percy play?

2. How did Percy perform? What was Paul’s reaction?

3. How did the guards respond to Percy’s performance?

4. What interrupted their discussion?

5. When Delacroix came back onto the block, what did Percy do?

6. As Brutal as helping Delacroix back to his cell, what did Percy do that was careless? What opportunity did Wharton seize?

7. What did Wharton do to Percy?

8. What was Percy’s reaction?

The Green Mile, Pt. 3, ch. 9

1. What was ominous the night before Delacroix’s execution?

2. How was Delacroix taking the idea of his own execution?

3. What did the bad weather portend?

The Green Mile, Pt. 3, Ch. 10

1. What was Delacroix requesting before his execution?

2. What was the biggest problem that Delacroix was concerned about before his execution?

3. As Paul was talking to Delacroix about Mr. Jingles, what began to get on Paul’s nerves? What did he finally want to say to Delacroix? Who stopped him from speaking?

4. What suggestions did Paul make about Mr. Jingles’ future? What was Del’s response?

5. Who finally came up with the idea that Delacroix liked? What was it?

6. How do Paul and Brutal describe Mouseville?

7. Who is overhearing this entire conversation?

8. What happens when Delacroix throws the spool a little too hard against the wall?

The Green Mile, Pt. 4, Ch. 1

1. Where is Paul?

2. What happens to people when they go to a nursing home, according to Paul?

3. How does Paul resist that same fate? In what 2 ways?

4. What does he do every day before breakfast?

5. As Paul is returning, who grabs his wrist? What does Paul think about this man? Who does he remind Paul of?

6. How does he compare Brad to Percy?

7. What does Brad do to torture Paul?

8. Why does Brad seem to feel so strongly toward Paul?

9. When Brad is twisting Paul’s wrist, Paul finally says, “Let go of me.” Why does he use a low voice? Who is Paul reminded of?

10. What does he say about Hammersmith?

11. When Paul is back in his room, who visits him Why does she come? What does she warn Paul about? What does Paul ask of her?

12. What is another way that Brad is like Percy?

The Green Mile, Pt. 4, Ch. 2

1. Where does the story shift to?

2. What did Percy do to Mr. Jingles as he ran out of the cell to get the spool?

3. What was the reaction of Percy? of Wharton? of Delacroix? of Coffey?

4. What did Coffey do to Mr. Jingles?

5. After Mr. Jingles comes back to life, what happens to Coffey?

The Green Mile, Pt. 4, Ch.3

1. What did Paul and Brutal find Percy doing? Why did that seem normal to them? How does it seem to you?

2. What does Paul compare meanness to?

3. As Paul and Brutal are talking with Percy, what are his reactions at first?

4. When they tell him that Mr. Jingles is alive, how does Percy respond?

5. When Paul and Brutal are speaking with Percy, what purpose become clear?

6. How does Paul get Percy to agree to leave the Green Mile?

The Green Mile, Pt.4. , Ch. 4

1. How was the weather on the day of Del’s execution?

2. How was Del doing that day? How was he coping?

3. Who attended the execution?

4. What was a common reaction of everyone once an execution got started?

5. What does Delacroix do with Mr. Jingles when he has to walk the Green Mile?

6. What happens when Del meets with the minister? Does Del seem to be truly sorry for what he has done? How are his last minutes with the minister and then alone praying affecting Paul?

7. When Del comes into the execution room and sees Percy, what is his reaction? Why is this such a horrible, horrible situation?

8. What is the final injustice that Percy delivers to Del before he orders the execution? Why is this the ultimate injustice?

9. What does Percy do to distract Paul from the procedure? How does Percy deviate from the procedure?

10. Why doesn’t Paul order the electricity to be shut off? What happens to Del in the chair?

The Green Mile, Pt. 4, Ch. 5

1. As Paul and Brutal are taking Del’s body away, what does Brutal try to do? Why does Paul stop him?

2. What excuse does Percy give?

3. What does Harry threaten Percy with if he doesn’t apply for the transfer?

4. When Curtis Anderson comes downstairs and asks Paul and his staff what happened, how does Brutal respond?

5. Who does Paul blame for the error? Why does Percy not object in any way?

6. What does Curtis demand that they do the next day?

The Green Mile, Pt. 4, Ch. 6

1. After the execution what did Paul go to do?

2. What was Coffey’s reaction? What was Wharton’s reaction? What did Paul observe about Wharton?

3. What happened to Mr. Jingles? Did he ever come back?

4. What did Paul do when he finished talking to John Coffey? Why do you think he did that?

The Green Mile, Pt. 4, Ch. 7

1. When Paul got home, what happened?

2. Who did John Coffey remind Paul of?

3. What does Paul dream? What does he finally understand as a result of the dream?

The Green Mile, Pt. 4, Ch. 8

1. Who calls Paul thenext morning? What is the news? Is Paul happy or not? Why?

2. When Paul inquires about Melinda, what is Hal’s response?

3. After the phone converation what does Melinda hint that Paul might be up to?

The Green Mile, Pt. 4, Ch. 9

1. Why does Paul call Brutal, Harry and Dean?

2. What does Paul tell them about John Coffey?

3. What does Paul probably propose to his staff?

4. Why does Paul feel compelled to take the chance to get Coffey to heal Melinda?

5. What is their concern about Percy in this plan? How does Paul reassure them about Percy?

6. How does Paul reassure the others that John Coffey is not a threat? How does he know?

The Green Mile, Pt. 5, Ch. 1

1. What happens when the story shifts back to thenursing home?

The Green Mile, Pt. 5, Ch. 2

2. How did Paul figure out that Coffey was innocent? What was the test? What did that prove?

3. What was the key that led Paul to figuring this out?

4. How does Paul explain what Coffey said about the girls? What is the staff’s reaction?

5. WHat is the other reason that Paul gives for believing Coffey’s innocence?

6. Why do they finally agree? Who is to stay behind?

The Green Mile, Pt. 5 Ch. 3 1. What does Melinda ask Paul after the meeting with his staff?

2. What does she think about the idea?

The Green Mile, Pt. 5 Ch. 4

4. How did the night of the healing start out?

5. What did Paul ask Percy to do?

6. Who did Wharton admire? What did Paul think of him?

7. As Paul and Brutal are preparing to execute their plan, what unusual remark does Coffey make?

The Green Mile, Pt. 5 Ch. 5

1. What is the atmosphere on the E-Block before the night journey?

2. How does John Coffey act at this time?

3. How and why does Paul make Wharton sleep?

4. How does Wharton react after being doped?

5. What are the guards planning to do with Percy?

6. What does Percy do when the guards appear in Paul’s office? What does he think and how does he respond to them? Why was he so terrified at the thought?

7. When Percy is trying to fight the guards, what does he realize?

8. What does Percy predict the guards are going to do with him? Why does this disgust Paul?

9. What did they finally do with Percy? What is Percy’s reaction?

10. What was the planned script in case someone came to the Mile while they were gone?

11. What did the phrase “over in the laundry, washing their clothes” mean?

12. What was Coffey’s reaction when Wharton grabbed his arm?

13. When they ask Coffey if he knows where they are going what does he reply?

The Green Mile, Pt. 5, Ch. 6

1. What was Coffey’s reaction to “Old Sparky”?

2. What did Paul think about it?

3. How did Paul take Coffey down the tunnel?

4. What was Coffey’s reaction when they walked outside? What did Paul realize about Coffey in the dark?

The Green Mile, Pt. 5, Ch. 7

1. How does Paul feel riding in the back of the truck with Coffey?

2. Why was there a doubt in Paul’s mind?

3. Who stopped Paul from telling Harry to go back?

4. What was Hal Moores’ reaction when he realized someone was at his front door?

5. How does Paul explain being able to get past Hal ?

6. What more than anything else distracted Hal?

The Green Mile, Pt. 5, Ch. 8

1. What was Melly Moores’ reaction when she saw John Coffey in her bedroom?

2. What explanation for Melinda’s illness has Paul never discounted?

3. How did Coffey take away the tumor from Melly’s head?

4. How did she look after Coffey cured her?

5. What does she remember about her illness?

6. How is Coffey’s reaction different after he performs this healing than after the others?

7. What did she do when she saw Coffey?

8. What does she give Coffey as he’s leaving?

The Green Mile, Pt. 5, Ch. 9

1. What did Paul realize when they walked back to the truck?

2. What was Coffey’s situation when they got back to E-block?

The Green Mile, Pt. 6, Ch. 1 Wiseman

1. Where does the story occur in this chapter?

2. What happened to Paul?

3. Who comes to his rescue?

The Green Mile, Pt. 6, Ch. 2

1. What was Percy’s situation when they took him out of the restraint room?

2. How did Paul and Brutal convince Percy to stay quiet about what happened?

3. What did John Coffey do to Percy?

4. What did Percy do as a result of that?

The Green Mile, Pt. 6, Ch. 3

1. What was Percy’s situation and why was it better for Paul and the others?

2. What was Moores afraid of? What did Paul tell him about it?

The Green Mile, Pt. 6, Ch. 4

1. What did Paul find on his desk?

2. Where did Paul go and why?

3. What did he find out?

The Green Mile, Pt. 6, Ch. 5

1. Who was meeting in Paul’s kitchen again and what was different from last time?

2. What were they talking about?

3. What did Janice say to them at the end and what was her reaction?

The Green Mile, Pt. 6, Ch. 6

1. What happened between Janice and Paul?

2. What did she tell him to do at the end?

The Green Mile, Pt. 6, Ch. 7

1. Who was taking Old Toot toot’s place in the rehearsal?

2. What did Brutal and Paul talk about when they got back to the block?

The Green Mile, Pt. 6, Ch. 8 Wiseman

1. What did John Coffey ask Paul to do for him the night of the execution?

2. What was John doing to Paul when they were sitting in his cell?

3. How did Paul feel afterwards?

The Green Mile, Pt. 6, Ch. 9

1. Who didn’t show up for the execution?

2. What was Coffey’s dream about?

3. What did Coffey’s prayer remind Paul of?

The Green Mile, Pt. 6, Ch. 10

1. What was Marjorie Detterick’s reaction to John Coffey?

2. What did Paul and Brutal do differently in John Coffey’s execution?

The Green Mile, Pt. 6, Ch. 12 Wiseman

1. What was Elaine Connelly’s reaction to the story she had read?

2. Where did Paul take her after she finished reading? What did they see there?

3. Who interrupted them?

4. What happened to Mr. Jingles?

The Green Mile, Pt. 6, Ch. 13

1. What did Paul tell us in this chapter?

2. What is the conclusion of the book?