Research Paper on:
James McPherson's 'An Act of Prostitution'

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
the way in which it fits so effectively into the genre of courtroom stories which almost without exception take a critical or satirical view of the American judicial system. It  is notable that fiction which deals with the legal system, and especially with courtroom practices, tends to show that whilst the American public is closely focused on and fascinated by  the system, responses to it are generally negative. McPherson is firmly in the tradition of Harper Lee and others who see the system as exemplified by its flaws, rather than  its potential for ethical virtue. As does the anthology as a whole, the story  depicts a perspective on its characters which shows their refusal to fit into stereotypes, and the effectiveness with which their own worldviews are able to challenge those of society in  general. An Act of Prostitution can be seen as exemplifying what might be termed the postmodern critique of law, in the sense that it exposes the judicial system for what  it has become, rather than what those who subscribe to it would like to think it is. It takes issue with the concept that law is based on science, or  discipline, and demonstrates the ambiguities and inadequacies within the structure of the system. The idea that the law is dependent on the professionalism of those who construct and maintain it  also challenged, as the contrasting values and perspective of the characters become clear. The impression which we are left with is not of a noble and lofty edifice which has  the furtherance of justice at its centre, populated by individuals whose own ethical values and self-discipline are unshakeable.