You might think the truth is easy to pin down, but in Alex Cross's Trial, it means different things to different people. There's the truth that Ben knows about race—it's only skin deep. And then there's the truth the KKK members tell themselves—that they're just protecting what's rightfully theirs. This is just a sampling of the takes on truth in this book. We get a lot of different versions, and while everyone claims to support the truth, most characters actually just want their understanding of things to come out on top. In other words, the truth is a hot mess in this book.
Questions About Truth
- How does the concept of truth relate to the Bible for many of the characters? Do you think these characters would be as invested in the truth without the Bible to support their claims?
- Is there objective truth in the book? Why or why not? What does this tell you about truth in this racist society?
- Truth is brought out in the courtroom a lot as an encouragement for the jury to find a defendant one way or the other. Why do you think so many characters rely on the notion of truth? How is this flawed if both sides are doing it?
- Can the truth ever be a bad thing? Moody lies on the stand to help Ben and Jonah. Do you think she's right to do so?
Chew on This
Alex Cross's Trial shows us that truth is touted so often in the courtroom because it does not exist within the justice system. Everyone can't be right, after all.
Moody might lie for noble reasons, but she still participates in the lack of truth in the Eudora courthouse and this undermines any benefit gained from her lie.