The story of an innocent black man bravely defended by a white lawyer in the 1930's fascinated millions of readers, despite its uncomfortable exploration of false accusations of rape involving a white woman. Harper Lee's endearing characters, Atticus Finch and his precocious daughter, Scout, captivated readers while confronting them with some of the realities of race and justice in the south. A generation of future lawyers grew up hoping to become the courageous Atticus, who at one point arms himself to protect the defenseless black suspect from an angry mob of white men looking to lynch him.
Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, 2014
Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, 2014
I was a legal secretary for 20 years. I never once saw/worked for a lawyer who could even be Atticus Finch's big toe. They were 100% about money, gossiping, cheating and looking for the "big case" that would make them rich. Sad, but true. I left and became an accountant. Numbers can't lie.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite character was Boo Radley. He was a pure spirit.
Thank you for that.
ReplyDeleteThe dreariest book I was ever forced to read. I agree totally with the themes in it, but I found Atticus Finch insufferable.
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