While it's never totally clear whether Pat or Robert themselves actually ended anyone's life, they at the very last helped rape and murder people. Their criminal guilt is sort of ambiguous—but their moral guilt is real.
Even if guilt in a criminal sense is kind of beside the point in Dead Man Walking, accepting guilt and blame is a big deal. Prejean tries to get both Pat and Robert to accept that they are in fact responsible for murder—and that they need to be sorry about it if they're going to get right with God. That's part of the job of a spiritual advisor.
Another part of the job, at least as Prejean sees it, is to acknowledge when she herself has screwed up and is guilty. We mean, hey, of course she hasn't killed anyone, but still, she makes some mistakes, and she owns up to them. Guilt in the book is less about a jury of your peers throwing away the key than it is about accepting your own guilt and figuring out a way to make what restitution you can.
Questions About Guilt and Blame
- Prejean feels that those who administer the death penalty should feel guilt for doing so. Is she right? Why or why not?
- Does Prejean succeed in getting Pat or Robert to take responsibility for their crimes? Explain your answer.
- Why is it important to the story that Prejean acknowledges her own failures?
Chew on This
If Pat and Robert really accepted their guilt, they should not be working or arguing against the death penalty.
Human beings are flawed and guilty, which is why the death penalty should not be administered.