The most important theme in the text is the quest for justice. Even with his limited grasp of the legal codes of the United States, Clarence Gideon senses a deep injustice. He has a guttural feeling that he should have been assigned a lawyer during his trial and makes it a point of order to appeal. From this moment, Gideon’s story becomes the narrative of a poor man who is seeking recourse for a perceived miscarriage of justice. This is not limited to one man. Gideon is well-aware of the nationwide impact of his quest. Beginning with one man in a Florida courtroom, the quest ventures all the way to the highest court in the land and—in the Epilogue—back to the Florida courtroom where it began.

The defining quality of this quest is the manner in which it positions the poor man against the system. Gideon cannot afford a lawyer and thus cannot afford an adequate legal defense. Though he tries hard and produces a commendable effort, there are certain actions and recourses that—as a layman—he simply does not know. Therefore, Gideon’s legal situation is determined by his financial and economic status. This, he believes, is an injustice and the quest to resolve this injustice becomes the narrative of the text.