The Guardians

Post’s clerical collar reminds the reader of the character’s religious background and speaks to the deep empathy he has for his clients. It symbolizes religious compassion and is a sign of shining purity, which becomes especially poignant in the context of the highly corrupt criminal justice system. Even in prisons, the collar demands respect. The respect the collar demands is again seen in the book’s final pages, when a police officer pulls over Frankie, Quincy, and Post for speeding, but then when he sees the collar says: “God told me to let you go” (415). Even the corrupt criminal justice system and its representatives are forced to acknowledge the collar’s symbolic weight as a beacon of justice and compassion. Finally, the collar helps to complete Post’s almost saint-like image. Post lives a meager life with little personal pleasure, devoting all his time and effort to freeing innocent people from jail. However, he also gets his “hands dirty” (119) sometimes, using questionable or illegal means to further his goals (like recording Carrie Holland Pruitt without her consent). The collar reminds the reader that Post is one of the good guys despite his sometimes questionable techniques.