The Runaway Jury reveals several dark truths about human nature. It tells of a jury that has been corrupted from the very start by powerful people with unlimited resources.

One theme that is prevalent throughout the novel is that humans are innately greedy. Sometimes it’s alright for humans to be greedy. That’s how capitalism works- humans naturally want to better their current situation. However, greediness goes wrong when it leads to gluttony or is illegal. This is what happens to Hoppy. He simply wants to better his living condition and give his family a better life when he gets duped by two fake FBI agents. The author tells the reader that Hoppy is constantly thinking of what he’ll be able to spend the money on… until he’s caught. Then he will do almost anything, including commit suicide, to escape prison.

Another truth that Grisham illustrates is that humans are innately corrupt. Humans may talk of loving justice, but at our heart we are corrupt, broken. Fitch beautifully shows this by his drive to do anything to win. He will lie, cheat, and steal his way to a verdict for the tobacco companies. In fact, he’s consumed by his own corruption. It turns him bitter and hateful toward all his colleagues. The Mastermind of Verdicts doesn’t even care about the law or justice. All he wants is to win.

Grisham reveals another less dark truth about human nature in that humans want to worship someone who is powerful. We have an innate sense of wanting to worship something. Even atheists worship something- money, power, glory. Sometimes Christians, without thinking about it, start to worship other things that they deem as harmless little things; in reality however, it turns them away from God. The jury immediately starts to worship Easter as a sort of legal expert and advisor. He’s the only one of them who has supposedly gone to law school and so they respect him as someone who knows all the dirty tricks of law. Even though Easter is 28 years old, the Duprees seek him out for advice about the FBI sting. This shows humans will seek out and worship those who they deem as knowledgeable or powerful.