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 8471 Views

I reviewed it last year Larry - 22/05/2011 07:45:48 PM 2075 Views

Huh. I seem to have missed that. Camilla - 22/05/2011 11:17:11 PM 1980 Views

As you noted, though, it's a fuller depiction of the South than "racist people." Ghavrel - 23/05/2011 12:00:01 AM 1965 Views

It's a beautiful, incredible book. Rebekah - 22/05/2011 08:21:48 PM 1900 Views

Re: It's a beautiful, incredible book. Camilla - 22/05/2011 11:18:32 PM 1853 Views

Also Camilla - 22/05/2011 11:33:27 PM 1851 Views

Don't you think that, you know, too many people have read it already? Legolas - 23/05/2011 09:55:52 PM 1943 Views

Re: Don't you think that, you know, too many people have read it already? Camilla - 24/05/2011 12:05:11 AM 2018 Views

Does that disqualify it? Sareitha Sedai - 24/05/2011 01:49:54 PM 1871 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 1905 Views

Well, that's true. Sareitha Sedai - 25/05/2011 01:20:54 PM 2001 Views

Loved that book. Tashmere - 22/05/2011 09:07:16 PM 1877 Views

Re: Loved that book. Camilla - 22/05/2011 11:19:29 PM 1894 Views

A great book Beqi - 22/05/2011 09:13:12 PM 1932 Views

Re: A great book Camilla - 22/05/2011 11:20:02 PM 1894 Views

“Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father’s passin’.” *NM* Ghavrel - 23/05/2011 12:03:34 AM 987 Views

Indeed. *NM* Camilla - 23/05/2011 09:37:38 AM 985 Views

Bah. This seems like a lame book. It will never catch on. Cannoli - 23/05/2011 01:31:10 AM 2026 Views

LOL *NM* Rebekah - 23/05/2011 08:36:55 AM 977 Views

Hehehe. *NM* Camilla - 23/05/2011 09:38:03 AM 1028 Views

Um, there's already a rfilm version of this. Panorphaeon - 23/05/2011 01:11:36 PM 1766 Views

Suspect he knows that.

*NM* Rebekah - 23/05/2011 01:15:46 PM 1001 Views

Boy, that sarcastic subtext can be so hard to grasp in this virtual madness. *NM* Panorphaeon - 25/05/2011 06:49:03 AM 1002 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 983 Views

So it survives being taught in school? Camilla - 23/05/2011 09:39:18 AM 1874 Views

Yup. *NM* Darth_Katie - 23/05/2011 02:47:17 PM 1005 Views

I've met some, but it was a casualty of middle school English. *NM* Ghavrel - 23/05/2011 07:40:27 PM 913 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 2092 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 2054 Views

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

*NM* Tashmere - 11/06/2011 08:27:23 PM 968 Views

Thanks for the review.

Legolas - 23/05/2011 10:07:46 PM 2235 Views

Re: Thanks for the review.

Camilla - 24/05/2011 12:14:08 AM 1984 Views

Let me ask the politically incorrect questions, since no one else has. Tom - 24/05/2011 03:14:50 AM 2099 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 2049 Views

Hmm Camilla - 24/05/2011 10:22:50 AM 1993 Views

I could see your argument if Tolkien were writing about feminism. Tom - 24/05/2011 02:15:42 PM 2006 Views

I think that's a fair point. Legolas - 24/05/2011 07:00:04 PM 2008 Views

Calpurnia is a stereotype too. Tom - 24/05/2011 11:54:26 PM 1905 Views

The difference, at least in my recollection, is that Calpurnia is well-educated. Legolas - 25/05/2011 08:09:58 PM 1871 Views

Re: The difference, at least in my recollection, is that Calpurnia is well-educated. Camilla - 25/05/2011 10:59:26 PM 1969 Views

Yes. This. *NM* Tom - 26/05/2011 04:56:48 AM 905 Views

I think there was at least once incident showing a racist black person ßelals Girl - 24/05/2011 07:33:09 PM 2144 Views

Almost a non-incident Tom - 24/05/2011 08:51:59 PM 1773 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 1908 Views

Given your introductory portion aerocontrols - 11/06/2011 01:28:40 AM 1918 Views

It just occurred to me aerocontrols - 11/06/2011 01:30:05 AM 1882 Views

Re: It just occurred to me Camilla - 11/06/2011 11:36:21 AM 1953 Views

I have read both Camilla - 11/06/2011 11:35:11 AM 1754 Views

All of Twain's stuff is great aerocontrols - 13/06/2011 02:27:55 AM 1973 Views

Re: All of Twain's stuff is great Camilla - 13/06/2011 08:17:05 AM 1873 Views

And some poets - Tennyson and Yeats come to mind. *NM* Legolas - 13/06/2011 10:11:31 AM 892 Views

Keats? Camilla - 13/06/2011 10:14:58 AM 1966 Views

I have to say... Legolas - 13/06/2011 05:27:26 PM 1813 Views

Re: I have to say... Camilla - 13/06/2011 05:54:45 PM 1901 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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