Paul Edgecomb

Paul Edgecomb (sometimes spelled Edgecombe) is a fictional character and main protagonist from the novel Green Mile and its film adaption where he is mainly played by Tom Hanks and the older Paul played by Dabbs Greer.
Characterization
Paul has a good attitude, but hates Percy (the nephew of the governer's wife). He has a wife and his kids are grown up and in college (as said in film). He believes that John is not a killer because "God doesn't give special powers to a killer".
The Green Mile
In 1932 (1935 in film) Paul was an officer working on death row which they called the "Green Mile" (life), when someone walked the "Green Mile" that meant they had passed away or in this case, executed.
One day a prisoner John Coffey arrives. As the story/film progresses he and John understand each other after John took away he bladder infection. At the same time, he understands another prisoner called by the nickname of "Del". On the day of Del's execution he gives a mouse named "Mr. Jingles" to John (who had been stepped on by Percy earlier and John revived the mouse). Del's execution is botched because of Percy and John "gives a piece of Del to Mr. Jingles".
He later breaks John out of prison to help Hal's wife who has a brain tumer who then regargatates it into Percy and shoots Wharton to death and then Coffey says that in order to show him what had happened to the girls "he had to give him a piece of himself." He then see's what had happened and is suprised.
He later plans on letting John escape who doesn't want too because he thinks that the world is a horrible place and that "his eyes are tired". He offers to give him anything he wanted before the day of his execution. (In the film they bring him to watch the movie Top Hat because he said he never watched a flicker-show (movie) before.)
On the day of his execution he doesn't put on the occasional hood on his head because he says "His eyes are afraid of the dark." Before John's execution he shakes his hand and the execution happens.
After that he worked as a correction officer for children and never participated in an execution again.
In 1996 (1999 in film) he tells his friend, Elaine, about these events and reveals that he is 104 years old (108 years old in the film) and still in good health. He wanders how long he will live, because if Mr. Jinkles is still alive just being a mouse he wanders how long he has until his death, and says that "The Green Mile" just seem's so long".
Reception
Tom Hanks was awarded the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor in Drama for his portrayal of the character.

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See Also

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