1. "There are two situations that make interesting stories: when an extraordinary person is plunged into the commonplace, and when an ordinary person gets involved in extraordinary events." Dead Man Walking, written by Sister Helen Prejean, is a novel which challenges the ethics of the death penalty, and more specifically tells story of one young nun, Sister Helen, who is a crusader against the death penalty. Because she is the narrator, the reader gets to see all sides of the conflict, and learn with Prejean about the system of capital punishment. The reader is able to see a unique side of the capital punishment issue; rarely is it possible for the general public to gain access to the lives and stories of those on death row. Sister Helen, through her involvement in the lives and deaths of several convicted murderers, their families, the families of their victims, is able to share her views on capital punishment from a true Christian's perspective. Specifically, Sister Helen is assigned to two death row inmates. Sister Helen believed that through educating the public about the truth of executions; the death penalty will be abolished. She writes, "...we must persuade the American people that government killings are too costly for us, not only financially, but- more importantly- morally." (197) Sister Helen, from the very beginning of her book, depicts herself as an honest and open person who is very straightforward. She had a blessed and humble childhood, and felt from a very young age that she was called to become a sister. She had no contact with men on death row until she was assigned the job to correspond with a man who was especially troubled, Pat Sonnier, who was charged with the murder of two young adults. It was Sister Helen's job to try and comfort this man, Pat Sonnier, and to try and help him to ask God for forgiveness.
             Sister Helen is unlike many other sisters, because she has the...