Burt Hammersmith Character Analysis in The Green Mile

The man who reported on the case of the Detterick twins. Hammersmith believes that there is no doubt John Coffey is guilty of raping and killing the two nine-year-old girls, whatever his past history of crime may be. His underlying racism becomes apparent when he compares Coffey to a mongrel dog, explaining that some people are simply beholden animal instincts. He also refers to black people as “your Negroes” as though they are property (as they were during slavery). Paul considers Hammersmith’s attitude of white supremacy typical of the American South at that time.

Burt Hammersmith Quotes in The Green Mile

The The Green Mile quotes below are all either spoken by Burt Hammersmith or refer to Burt Hammersmith. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

).

Everyone—black as well as white—thinks it's going to be better over the next jump of land. It's the American damn way. Even a giant like Coffey doesn't get noticed everywhere he goes . . . until, that is, he decides to kill a couple of little girls. Little white girls.

Related Characters: Burt Hammersmith (speaker), Paul Edgecombe, John Coffey

Page Number and Citation: 189

Explanation and Analysis:

Hammersmith who had told me that mongrel dogs and Negroes were about the same, that either might take a chomp out of you suddenly, and for no reason. Except he kept calling them your Negroes, as if they were still property . . . but not his property. No, not his. Never his. And at that time, the South was full of Hammersmiths.

Related Characters: Paul Edgecombe (speaker), John Coffey, Burt Hammersmith

Page Number and Citation: 335

Explanation and Analysis:

Burt Hammersmith Quotes in The Green Mile

The The Green Mile quotes below are all either spoken by Burt Hammersmith or refer to Burt Hammersmith. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

).

Everyone—black as well as white—thinks it's going to be better over the next jump of land. It's the American damn way. Even a giant like Coffey doesn't get noticed everywhere he goes . . . until, that is, he decides to kill a couple of little girls. Little white girls.

Related Characters: Burt Hammersmith (speaker), Paul Edgecombe, John Coffey

Page Number and Citation: 189

Explanation and Analysis:

Hammersmith who had told me that mongrel dogs and Negroes were about the same, that either might take a chomp out of you suddenly, and for no reason. Except he kept calling them your Negroes, as if they were still property . . . but not his property. No, not his. Never his. And at that time, the South was full of Hammersmiths.

Related Characters: Paul Edgecombe (speaker), John Coffey, Burt Hammersmith

Page Number and Citation: 335

Explanation and Analysis: