Dead Man Walking Monologues

A nun, while comforting a convicted killer on death row, empathizes with both the killer and his victim's families.

Thank you. I've never been called a son of God before.

I've been called a son of a you-know-what plenty of times, but I've never been called a son of God.

Why? 'Cause you're a nun?

Thank you for loving me.

I just wanna say I think killin' is wrong, no matter who does it, whether it's me or y'all or your government.

It's quiet. Only three days left. Plenty of time to read my Bible and look for a loophole.

Yes, I do.

Mr. Delacroix, I don't wanna leave this world with any hate in my heart. I ask your forgiveness for what I done. It was a terrible thing I done, taking your son away from you.

Mr. and Mrs. Percy, I hope my death gives you some relief.

I like rebels. Some blacks is ok. Martin Luther King, he led his people all the way to DC and kicked the white man's butt.

He put up a fight. He wasn't lazy.

Don't like 'em.

Hitler got things done!

I was just fucking chicken.

What he was involved with was evil. I don't condone it. I just don't see the sense of killing people to say killing people's wrong.

You know what else the Bible asks for? Death as a punishment for adultery, prostitution, homosexuality, trespass upon sacred ground, profaning the Sabbath, and contempt of parents.

You are a son of God.

I want the last face you see in this world to be the face of love, so you look at me when they do this thing. I'll be the face of love for you.

Show me some respect, Matthew.

Because I'm a person.

Look at you. Death is looking down your neck, and you're playing your little male come-on games.

Sister Celestine said, "I'm glad I never had to share my bed with a man."

I know. She's gonna be lying next to a man for all eternity.

Mr. Percy, I'm just trying to follow the example of Jesus, who said that a person is not as bad as his worst deed.

It's not faith, it's work.

The death penalty. It's nothing new; it's been with us for centuries. We've buried people alive; lopped off their heads with an axe; burned them alive at a public square… gruesome spectacles. In this century, we kept searchin' for more and more humane ways… of killing people that we didn't like. We've shot 'em with firing squads; suffocated 'em, in the gas chamber. But now… Now we have developed a device that is the most humane of all. Lethal injection. We strap the guy up. We anesthetize him with shot number one; then we give him shot number two, and that implodes his lungs, and shot number three stops… his heart. We put 'em to death just like an old horse. His face just, goes to sleep, while, inside, his organs are going through armageddon. The muscles of his face would twist, and contort, and pull, but you see, shot number one relaxes all those muscles so we don't have to see any horror show… We don't have to taste the blood of revenge on our lips, while this, human being's organs writhe, and twist, and contort… We just sit there, quietly. Nod our heads, and say: 'Justice has been done.'