Includes bibliographical references (pages 189-192) and index.
Summary:
"Perry Mason gave America a new conception of the trial lawyer, as someone who was always loyal to his client and always prepared to use dirty tricks such as misdirection and withholding of evidence to protect the innocent and secure the ends of Justice. The Mason of the novels is less scrupulous than the Raymond Burr Mason, and would sometimes be in danger of going to jail if the trial didn't turn out right-which it always did, largely because of Mason's cleverness. The Perry Mason icon raises many philosophical issues explored by seventeen different philosophers in this book, including: Can we defend Paul Drake's claim (The Case of the Blonde Bonanza) that Mason is 'a paragon of righteous virtue' despite his predilection for skating on thin legal ice? Can complex murder cases be solved by facts alone-or do we also need empathy? The most convincing way to give a TV episode a surprise ending is by the guilty person suddenly confessing. But in reality, is a confession necessarily so convincing? Does Perry Mason represent the Messiah? How does the Raymond Burr Perry Mason compare with the more recent TV character Saul Goodman (Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul)? Is it morally okay to mislead the police if this helps your client and your client is innocent? How does Perry Mason help us understand the distinction between natural law and positive law? Do the Perry Mason stories comply with Aristotle's recipe for a good work of fiction?" --from Amazon.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.