The Green Mile: Part 2: Chapter 6  Summary & Analysis

Paul recounts that, at the age of nineteen, he wrote a passionate, four-page love letter to the woman who would become his wife. At the time, he thought he would never write anything longer, but he has now found that he can write this long story. Writing, he explains, unlocks his memory, allowing him to understand certain events with greater clarity—such as the fact that, from its very first appearance on the Green Mile, Mr. Jingles had been looking for Delacroix.

Paul realizes that his decision to write about John Coffey has led him much farther back in his memory than he would have thought, but he nevertheless asks the reader to focus on John. He describes Coffey’s sobs for the reader, explaining that they felt like an unceasing, profound sorrow, as though Coffey were crying for all the suffering in the world. Even though Paul often tried to comfort him, part of him also felt that Coffey deserved to suffer for what he did. Nevertheless, he asks the reader to keep John Coffey’s ceaseless stream of tears in mind throughout this narrative.