The use of Literary Nonfiction Elements in “The Innocent Man” by Pamela Collof

The use of Literary Nonfiction Elements in “The Innocent Man” by Pamela Collof

In “The Innocent Man” by Pamela Collof, plot and point of view are two main nonfiction aspects used to liven up a fascinating story about a man’s guilt and his twenty-four-year quest to prove it. Colloff impacts her story by using these component elements and bringing the reader on board. This story follows Michael Morton, wrongly imprisoned for murdering his wife and has spent his life determined to argue his innocence.

The plot of a literary nonfiction story is among the most crucial aspects since it establishes a timeline for the story. Elements of a successful plot comprise background information, an action that leads to a climax, a falling action, a climax, and finally, a conclusion. Pamela Colloff utilizes the plot in “The Innocent Man” to bring Michael Morton’s narrative to life in a powerful and uplifting way. The essay follows Michael as he meets his future wife Christine, marries her, and welcomes their son Eric into the world. His wife is killed in their bedroom, he is tried and jailed for her murder, he tries numerous appeals, and he is eventually found innocent and released after serving over twenty-four years in jail.

The first part of the story introduces the characters and sets the stage for the circumstances that contribute to his arrest and prosecution, culminating in the climax. The plot’s climax occurs when his innocence is proved. This captivates the reader’s interest and makes them want to know more. After spending 8,995 days in jail for a crime he did not do, Michael is finally released. He is finally free after everything he has been through, from appealing many times, to the loss of connection with his son, to his sentence being reversed (Colloff 115).

Point of view is described as the perspective from which an essay is told. It can be conveyed in various ways, including in the first or third person, limited, objective, or omniscient. Pamela Colloff tells her story in a combination of both the first and third person. She uses third-person more throughout the essay, especially to set the mood and with the several interviews she did. She mostly references her characters’ ideas and sentiments.

The use of “I” in the story indicates the first point of view. Pamela Colloff employs first-person narration to bring everything together at the end of the essay, giving the reader a feeling of validity to the subject because she had firsthand experience with it. Colloff was eventually capable of meeting and chatting with Eric and Maggie, two extremely crucial players in this story (Colloff 64).

The main theme of this essay is naivety, and Pamela Colloff tells Michael Morton’s story using a mix of plot and point of view. This article provides a detailed and descriptive narrative of his path to liberty. He did not give up. The reader gets a vivid picture of the hardship and agony this man faced, as well as how his life was shattered, thanks to the usage of plot and point of view. Despite everything that had happened to him, he never gave up; he was finally freed, but not before suffering.

Works Cited

Colloff, Pamela. “The Innocent Man.” The Best American Magazine Writing. New York:

Columbia University Press, 2013. Pp. 63-145.