Title: The courtroom as forum
First published: 1996
Description: Homicide trial scenes in An American Tragedy, Native Son, In Cold Blood, and The Executioner's Song support the assertion that certain crimes represent the era in which they occur. The social issues addressed in the forum of the courtroom become more complex as the century progresses, moving from the destructiveness of the American Dream - and the social and economic stratifications that dream implies - to issues of race, religion, sexuality, psychiatry, and media involvement in the legal process.
Subjects: American Legal stories, American fiction, Capital punishment in literature, Executions and executioners in literature, History, History and criticism, Law and literature, Legal stories, American, Murder in literature, Trials (Murder) in literature, Dreiser, theodore, 1871-1945, Wright, richard, 1908-1960, Capote, truman, 1924-1984, American fiction, history and criticism, 20th century, Mailer, norman, 1923-2007, Law in literature, Homicide in literature
People: Norman Mailer, Richard Wright (1908-1960), Theodore Dreiser (1871-1945), Truman Capote (1924-)
Time periods: 20th century
LC classification: PS374.L34 A44 1996