Power and Influence

One of the main themes running through The Runaway Jury is that of power and its corruption. Throughout the novel power is achieved through wealth and stature, which can be used to influence or pay anyone off. The reader sees this primarily through the Big Four, who, although they are actually competing companies, come together to be a strong force against the anti-tobacco legislation. They use their collective wealth to carry out elaborate schemes to influence and sway the votes of jurors and their families, and their size is used to influence government organizations or anyone who gets in their way. The idea of wealth leading to power is reinforced by this case in Biloxi, as the tobacco companies come up against a much wealthier plaintiff that poses a real threat to the Big Four.

As the plot continues, we see a marked shift in power...