The Sun Does Shine Character Analysis

Anthony Ray Hinton

Anthony Ray Hinton, who goes by Ray, is the author and protagonist of The Sun Does Shine. In Ray’s early life, he lives in Praco, Alabama. He loves his mom, has a strong… read analysis of Anthony Ray Hinton

Bryan Stevenson

Bryan Stevenson, a Black man, is Ray’s last (and best) lawyer and the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI). After Ray fires Perhacs, Bryan sends Santha and then Alan to help Ray… read analysis of Bryan Stevenson

Buhlar Hinton/Ray’s Mom

Ray’s mom essentially raises Ray by herself after his father experiences a severe head injury in the coal mines. Ray is the youngest of 10 children, and Ray’s mom instills in him many of… read analysis of Buhlar Hinton/Ray’s Mom

Lester

Lester is Ray’s best friend. Growing up, Lester and Ray do everything together: they walk home from school together, spend holidays together, and work in the mines together. When Ray is arrested, Lester remains… read analysis of Lester

Henry Hays

Henry is an inmate on death row with Ray. After Henry and Ray become friends, Ray learns that Henry was a member of the KKK who is on death row for lynching a young… read analysis of Henry Hays

Sheldon Perhacs

Sheldon Perhacs is Ray’s court-appointed lawyer who proves to be racist and incompetent. Throughout Ray’s first trial and the beginning of his appeals process, Ray feels completely unsupported by Perhacs. Ineed, Perhacs often complains… read analysis of Sheldon Perhacs

Prosecutor Bob McGregor

One of the antagonists of the book, Bob McGregor is the racist prosecutor for the state of Alabama in Ray’s trial. McGregor states several times that he can tell Ray is guilty just from… read analysis of Prosecutor Bob McGregor

Lieutenant Acker

Lieutenant Acker is one of the officers who reads Ray his rights when he is arrested. In the van on the way to the Birmingham jail, Acker tells Ray that he believes that Ray didn’t… read analysis of Lieutenant Acker

Sidney Smotherman

Smotherman is the assistant manager at a Quincy’s Family Steak House. A robber shoots Smotherman in the head, but Smotherman survives his wounds and identifies Ray as the attempted murderer. Later, however, Ray learns that… read analysis of Sidney Smotherman

Judge Garrett

Judge Garrett is the judge during Ray’s trial in 1986 until the judge retires in 2003. While the judge doesn’t show as much explicit bias as Prosecutor McGregor and Lieutenant Acker, he willfully… read analysis of Judge Garrett

Alan Black

Alan Black is a lawyer from EJI. After Santha Sonenberg gets a new job and stops representing Ray, Alan Black takes over. However, when Alan pursues a life in prison sentence for Ray rather… read analysis of Alan Black

Andrew Payne

Payne is Ray’s ballistics expert in his first trial—he is the only person willing to testify for $500, which is all Ray can afford to pay. In the trial, the prosecution completely dismantles his… read analysis of Andrew Payne

Brian Baldwin

Brian is one of the other death-row inmates in the book club with Ray. He and Ed are sent to death row for a crime they committed together. However, Ed explains that he committed… read analysis of Brian Baldwin

Ed Horsely

Ed is one of the other death-row inmates in the book club with Ray. He and Brian are sent to death row for a crime they committed together. However, Ed explains that he committed… read analysis of Ed Horsely

Bennie Hays

Bennie is Henry Hays’s father and a high-ranking official of the KKK in the 1980s and 1990s. Although Henry has had a major change of heart over the years and now rejects the racist… read analysis of Bennie Hays

Minor Characters

Santha Sonenberg

Santha is a lawyer from EJI. After Ray fires his incompetent court-appointed lawyer, Sheldon Perhacs, Bryan Stevenson sends Santha to help with Ray’s case. Ray appreciates Santha’s compassion and her hard work on the case. After Santha leaves for a new job, Alan Black takes over Ray’s case.

Reggie

Reggie is one of Ray’s peers in the Praco mining community. Reggie falsely testifies against Ray during his trial for $5,000; he wanted get revenge on Ray for going out with a girl Reggie liked.

John Davidson

Davidson is the assistant manager of a Birmingham restaurant. He is the victim of the first murder-robbery for which Ray is wrongly convicted.

Thomas Wayne Vason

Vason is an employee of a Captain D’s restaurant. He is the victim of the second murder-robbery for which Ray is wrongly convicted.

Sylvia

Sylvia is Ray’s girlfriend. After Ray is arrested, he breaks things off with Sylvia because he doesn’t know how long he might be caught up in his trial, though he misses her throughout the book.

Phoebe

Phoebe is Lester’s mother and Buhlar’s best friend. She frequently visits Ray with Lester and Buhlar.

Charlie Jones

Jones is the warden at Holman prison, where Ray stays on death row for almost 30 years.

Judge Laura Petro

Judge Petro takes over Ray’s case from Judge Garrett after he retires.

Sia

Sia is Lester’s wife. She frequently visits Ray with Lester.

Jesse Morrison

Jesse is one of the other death-row inmates in the book club with Ray.

Victor Kennedy

Victor is one of the other death-row inmates in the book club with Ray.

Larry Heath

Larry is one of the other death-row inmates in the book club with Ray.

Jimmy Dill

Jimmy is an inmate on death row with Ray.

The Sun Does Shine Characters