A Time For Mercy

One of the novel’s motifs is politics and how the issue of politics affects some of the characters’ actions and behaviors. One character who is greatly affected by politics is Sheriff Ozzie Walls. Ozzie is very aware of his public appearance because he is Black in a predominantly white area of the rural south. Ozzie was elected sheriff seven years ago, and at that time, he was “the only black sheriff in Mississippi and the first ever from a predominantly white county” (16). Because of his race, Ozzie is constantly aware of how the public views him and how his decisions might impact his re-election next year. He is so aware of public opinion that he reminds his deputies that he won his first election with 68% of the vote. He also knows only 30% of a 95% white precinct in his jurisdiction voted for him, making him cautious before entering the diner Deputy Tatum recommends in that area. Ozzie’s preoccupation with next year’s election is also affected by the fact that two incident reports, which state the details of Josie’s 911 calls about Stuart hitting her, are missing in the office,. The sheriff doesn’t want to be associated with a police coverup in such a publicized trial.