So far, I'm liking this more than The Color of Water. The story holds my attention better. For one thing, there's a definite goal, a point the story is working towards. I love how even though Ron was sentenced to prison twice, once in the original trial and once when he was charged with the second rape, he never gave up hope that he would get out and the truth would be revealed.
Death or escape were not my only options. I still had a chance at an appeal, and I believed that the Lord had his reasons for me being in this situation. Sometimes, all I had to cling to was the personal knowledge that I was innocent, and even if no one else knew that, God did. It made me feel more connected to him.
Not that I'm trying to make this a religious thing, but religion was a large part of Ronald Cotton's life, and I find it very meaningful that he continued to believe that, even though he was serving a life sentence in prison, he still believed that there was a reason for all of this to happen- that something good would happen through him being here. He says a little later in the chapter, "I knew my innocence would not matter if I gave in to the violence all around me." If he allowed himself to become like the men he was surrounded by, he would be a criminal just like them, and belong in prison, despite having not committed the crime he was actually sentenced for.
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