What are the comparisons between paul edgcomb and burt hammersmith?

Answer 1

Burt Hammersmith is an educated white man, who appears to be john coffey's lawyer in the film as being a reporter in the book. He compares a "negro" (in this case, john coffey) to a mongrel that he owned that went mad for no reason and attacked his kid. He has a creepy, nasty personality which makes paul edgecomb feel uncomfortable during a visit to hammersmith's house.

Paul edgemcomb is the boss of E Block in the prison Cold Mountain, which is the part of the prison where the prisoners are executed (death row). He is sympathetic and cares for his prisoners before it is time for them to be executed in the electric chair.

Hammersmith, compared to edgecomb, is tougher and appears to have a nasty, creepy personality. In the book, edgecomb calls him a "terrible man".