Books Messageboard: I think that's a fair point. by Legolas

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I think that's a fair point. Legolas Send a noteboard - 24/05/2011 07:00:04 PM

Now look at the black characters. They are shown to be uniformly respectful, good-natured and innocent. The oppression that they faced may have played a role in making Southern black society more polite, but I suspect that Lee is also unwittingly falling into the "noble savage" motif. The blacks in the book are victims, but they are also stereotyped and consciously set aside as being different.

I've always thought it to be a shame that Calpurnia does not get more attention than she does, because she seems to be the only black character in the book who does not fit your description.

While Lee may have also written the characters this way to make a point, the end result is that the book's statement against racism is weakened for it. It would have been a far more powerful book if Atticus had defended a guilty black man at some point as well, and had to explain to Scout that people of any color can be good or bad.

I don't know about that - a stronger book as far as decrying racism goes perhaps, or at least a more nuanced one, but it might've convoluted things enough to make the result less memorable, and the book less successful.

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To Kill a Mockingbird by Nelle Harper Lee Camilla - 22/05/2011 06:28:11 PM 8311 Views

I reviewed it last year Larry - 22/05/2011 07:45:48 PM 1970 Views

Huh. I seem to have missed that. Camilla - 22/05/2011 11:17:11 PM 1878 Views

As you noted, though, it's a fuller depiction of the South than "racist people." Ghavrel - 23/05/2011 12:00:01 AM 1852 Views

It's a beautiful, incredible book. Rebekah - 22/05/2011 08:21:48 PM 1809 Views

Re: It's a beautiful, incredible book. Camilla - 22/05/2011 11:18:32 PM 1762 Views

Also Camilla - 22/05/2011 11:33:27 PM 1740 Views

Don't you think that, you know, too many people have read it already? Legolas - 23/05/2011 09:55:52 PM 1839 Views

Re: Don't you think that, you know, too many people have read it already? Camilla - 24/05/2011 12:05:11 AM 1916 Views

Does that disqualify it? Sareitha Sedai - 24/05/2011 01:49:54 PM 1779 Views

I don't know, if a lot of people want to have this book in a Book Club, I have no objections. Legolas - 24/05/2011 07:01:38 PM 1797 Views

Well, that's true. Sareitha Sedai - 25/05/2011 01:20:54 PM 1888 Views

Loved that book. Tashmere - 22/05/2011 09:07:16 PM 1784 Views

Re: Loved that book. Camilla - 22/05/2011 11:19:29 PM 1786 Views

A great book Beqi - 22/05/2011 09:13:12 PM 1831 Views

Re: A great book Camilla - 22/05/2011 11:20:02 PM 1787 Views

“Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father’s passin’.” *NM* Ghavrel - 23/05/2011 12:03:34 AM 951 Views

Indeed. *NM* Camilla - 23/05/2011 09:37:38 AM 932 Views

Bah. This seems like a lame book. It will never catch on. Cannoli - 23/05/2011 01:31:10 AM 1912 Views

LOL *NM* Rebekah - 23/05/2011 08:36:55 AM 932 Views

Hehehe. *NM* Camilla - 23/05/2011 09:38:03 AM 983 Views

Um, there's already a rfilm version of this. Panorphaeon - 23/05/2011 01:11:36 PM 1659 Views

Suspect he knows that.

*NM* Rebekah - 23/05/2011 01:15:46 PM 953 Views

Boy, that sarcastic subtext can be so hard to grasp in this virtual madness. *NM* Panorphaeon - 25/05/2011 06:49:03 AM 966 Views

I don't think I've ever met anyone who doesn't like this book. *NM* Darth_Katie - 23/05/2011 09:37:52 AM 938 Views

So it survives being taught in school? Camilla - 23/05/2011 09:39:18 AM 1776 Views

Yup. *NM* Darth_Katie - 23/05/2011 02:47:17 PM 946 Views

I've met some, but it was a casualty of middle school English. *NM* Ghavrel - 23/05/2011 07:40:27 PM 862 Views

One of my nieces didn't like it. I think it was because she was forced to read it for school. Tashmere - 24/05/2011 02:33:23 AM 2002 Views

Re: One of my nieces didn't like it. I think it was because she was forced to read it for school. Camilla - 24/05/2011 10:15:45 AM 1938 Views

I will try to keep an eye out for it. Thanks.

*NM* Tashmere - 11/06/2011 08:27:23 PM 920 Views

Thanks for the review.

Legolas - 23/05/2011 10:07:46 PM 2121 Views

Re: Thanks for the review.

Camilla - 24/05/2011 12:14:08 AM 1869 Views

Let me ask the politically incorrect questions, since no one else has. Tom - 24/05/2011 03:14:50 AM 1995 Views

I don't understand why having a guilty black man would have made it more powerful. Ghavrel - 24/05/2011 05:59:17 AM 1941 Views

Hmm Camilla - 24/05/2011 10:22:50 AM 1885 Views

I could see your argument if Tolkien were writing about feminism. Tom - 24/05/2011 02:15:42 PM 1898 Views

I think that's a fair point. Legolas - 24/05/2011 07:00:04 PM 1894 Views

Calpurnia is a stereotype too. Tom - 24/05/2011 11:54:26 PM 1814 Views

The difference, at least in my recollection, is that Calpurnia is well-educated. Legolas - 25/05/2011 08:09:58 PM 1761 Views

Re: The difference, at least in my recollection, is that Calpurnia is well-educated. Camilla - 25/05/2011 10:59:26 PM 1859 Views

Yes. This. *NM* Tom - 26/05/2011 04:56:48 AM 860 Views

I think there was at least once incident showing a racist black person ßelals Girl - 24/05/2011 07:33:09 PM 2040 Views

Almost a non-incident Tom - 24/05/2011 08:51:59 PM 1681 Views

I think it was written to accomplish a goal and it did that very well random thoughts - 25/05/2011 04:08:17 PM 1801 Views

Given your introductory portion aerocontrols - 11/06/2011 01:28:40 AM 1814 Views

It just occurred to me aerocontrols - 11/06/2011 01:30:05 AM 1766 Views

Re: It just occurred to me Camilla - 11/06/2011 11:36:21 AM 1883 Views

I have read both Camilla - 11/06/2011 11:35:11 AM 1642 Views

All of Twain's stuff is great aerocontrols - 13/06/2011 02:27:55 AM 1860 Views

Re: All of Twain's stuff is great Camilla - 13/06/2011 08:17:05 AM 1775 Views

And some poets - Tennyson and Yeats come to mind. *NM* Legolas - 13/06/2011 10:11:31 AM 852 Views

Keats? Camilla - 13/06/2011 10:14:58 AM 1870 Views

I have to say... Legolas - 13/06/2011 05:27:26 PM 1703 Views

Re: I have to say... Camilla - 13/06/2011 05:54:45 PM 1796 Views

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<quote id="209315">
<quote id="209218">Now look at the black characters.  They are shown to be uniformly respectful, good-natured and innocent.  The oppression that they faced may have played a role in making Southern black society more polite, but I suspect that Lee is also unwittingly falling into the "noble savage" motif.  The blacks in the book are victims, but they are also stereotyped and consciously set aside as being different.</quote>
I've always thought it to be a shame that Calpurnia does not get more attention than she does, because she seems to be the only black character in the book who does not fit your description. 
<quote id="209218">While Lee may have also written the characters this way to make a point, the end result is that the book's statement against racism is weakened for it.  It would have been a far more powerful book if Atticus had defended a guilty black man at some point as well, and had to explain to Scout that people of any color can be good or bad.</quote>
I don't know about that - a stronger book as far as decrying racism goes perhaps, or at least a more nuanced one, but it might've convoluted things enough to make the result less memorable, and the book less successful. 
</quote>

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