Verified Document

Difficult To Understand Why Stephen L. Carter's Term Paper

¶ … difficult to understand why Stephen L. Carter's The Emperor of Ocean Park has generated so much controversy since it was published at the beginning of the summer. That level of interest in his work stems from his taking on a position that is both unusual and provocative as Carter, through his protagonist, explores contemporary American political and academic life - and the nature of race, class, and power in the United States today. The novel tells the story (which resembles the works of Grisham in his conspiracy/thriller model) of a chain of events that begin with the death of a conservative African-American lawyer named Oliver Garland. Although a good provider for his family and in many ways a decent person, Oliver is also emotionally demanding and withdrawn from his family. He is far more interested in using the personal power and personal connections (and wealth) that he already has to acquire more personal power and connections and wealth than he is interested in providing emotional support to his family.

Oliver Garland's life has to some extent been ruined by the fact that he has lost a chance to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court: We see in this character a combination of Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas, both conservative judges who were opposed in their attempt to gain the highest judicial position by those who believed that their conservative activism was not in keeping with the values either of the American public or of the U.S. Constitution. Of course, Bork was kept off the bench while Thomas was confirmed, perhaps in part because those liberals who opposed him were less stalwart in their attacks on a black man than they had been on a white man like Bork.

The maneuverings over how a Supreme Court position is gained (as described...

(Or at least this appears to be the way in which Supreme Court justices are selected from the information that one gleans from the process from what one reads in newspaper accounts.)
The protagonist of the novel is not actually Oliver Gardner but his son, Talcott. After his father's death, Talcott becomes involved in investigating the circumstances surrounding his father's death (this is the Grisham-esque element of the novel). But this search for the truth about his father's death becomes for Talcott a much larger, more complicated search as he attempts to understand the nature of race, of power, of gender, and of politics in the United States.

The subjects that are debated by the characters in this novel are certainly not new ones. They ask us to consider the effect that a person's race has on him or her, the extent to which inherited wealth affects one's life, what difference feminism has or has not made in the lives of American women and how feminism (and gender) intersect with race. The importance of these issues ensures that we have all discussed them before.

What is so strikingly new about this novel for many Americans is that Tal's perspective on these issues is one that they may never have heard before. Most Americans who are at all aware of the issues and dynamics of political life in our nation are familiar with what is usually presented (by blacks as well as others) as the dominant black political view, which is one in which blacks are conscious of the ways in which their lives are circumscribed by their race and work more or less actively with other African-Americans to try to improve not only…

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Clarence Thomas
Words: 2407 Length: 7 Document Type: Term Paper

Clarence Thomas and Special Interest Groups The nomination of Clarence Thomas launched a great deal of concern among liberal interest groups. Like Robert Bork, Clarence Thomas was an unashamed conservative. During the Thomas confirmation hearings, the traditional liberal African-American special interest groups, such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), moved away from other liberal groups to support the nomination of only the second African-American to the Court

Religion Entered the 18th Century and With
Words: 8434 Length: 20 Document Type: Research Paper

religion entered the 18th Century and with it a revival. The growth of the revival was overwhelming.More people attended church than in previous centuries. Churches from all denominations popped up throughout established colonies and cities within the United States. Religious growth also spread throughout England, Wales and Scotland. This was a time referred to as "The Great Awakening" where people like Jarena Lee got her start preaching. Evangelism, the epicenter

Cross-Cultural Communication With Increased Competition Being Witnessed...
Words: 5474 Length: 19 Document Type: Essay

Cross-Cultural Communication With increased competition being witnessed in many industries, Multinational companies are setting shop to new foreign markets as a way of increasing their profitability and remaining competitive. Many countries have liberalized their markets, and present advancement in technologies has made it easy for companies to open new branches in foreign markets. However, this also comes with it challenges, particularly relating to cross-cultural communication. Effective cross-cultural communication is very important

Civil War Robert Gould Shaw's
Words: 2270 Length: 7 Document Type: Term Paper

The action was successful and gave them control over the island. The victory encouraged Gillmore to order another attack, this time on Wagner. He ordered the troops to bomb by land and sea. Robert immediately sent out pickets to complement with whites in other regiments. Early on July 16, 54th companies fought with members of 10th Connecticut. A force of Confederate attacked the picket line but the 54th persisted

Market Driven Management
Words: 25695 Length: 75 Document Type: Term Paper

Pharmaceutical industries have to operate in an environment that is highly competitive and subject to a wide variety of internal and external constraints. In recent times, there has been an increasing trend to reduce the cost of operation while competing with other companies that manufacture products that treat similar afflictions and ailments. The complexities in drug research and development and regulations have created an industry that is subject to intense

Business Ethics Case the Examination
Words: 4454 Length: 15 Document Type: Case Study

Alford reports that "for some, the earth moves when they discover that people in authority routinely lie and that those who work for them routinely cover up. Once one knows this, or rather once one feels this knowledge in one's bones, one lives in a new world. Some people remain aliens in the new world forever. Maybe they like it that way. Maybe they don't have a choice." (Alford,

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now