5 JUSTICE IS BLIND —Th About the author: OMS Woy Thomas Wolfe (1900-1938) was a notable American Novelist from 20th century. He first attended the University of North Carolina a Harvard University before moving to New York City in 1923, Wolfe and 4 lengthy novels as well as many short stories, dramatic works, and a is known for mixing highly original, poetic, thapsodic, and i las, He with autobiographical writing.! He is known for his Passionate tt that clearly conveyed the emotional side of human experience, Ana i tremendous energy, tich imagination and powerful rhetorical style "I arguably the first novelist from North Carolina to become a major voi prose American Literature. Chief Characters : Old Sir Kenelm—A purveyor of belles lettres - an essayist Lucius Page Paget—Partner of Paget and Page Law firm (eld. gentleman) Leonidas Paget Page—The younger partner - kid member of the firm Spangler—Client who has been sued by some unknown woman Justice is Blind —Thomas THERE USED TO BE - perhaps there still exists — a purveyor of lettres in the older, gentler vein who wrote a weekly essay in one of the na genteeler literary publications, under the whimsical nom de plume of O Kenelm. Old Sir Kenelm, who had quite a devoted literary folloy esteemed him as a perfect master of delightful letters, was a leisurely of the Lambsian school. He was always prowling around in out corners and turning up with something quaint and unexpected that 1 readers gasp and say, “Why, I’ve passed that place a thousand tin never dreamed of anything like that!” In the rush, the glare, the modern life many curious things, alas, get overlooked by most of us; to Old Sir Kenelm, he would always smell them out. He had a nose was a kind of enthusiastic rubber up of tarnished brasses, and 4 ferreterout of grimy cornerstones. The elevated might roar above subway underneath him, and a hurricane of machinery all about him, ' Id [122]JUSTICE IS BLIND 123 nast ident tones passed and swarmed and dinned in his ears-- post ous tumult Old Sir Kenelm rose Serene: if there was a this ae anywhere about, caked over with some fifty years of ci se gure tO find it and mo amount of paint of scaly rust could oe eye for Revolutionary brick. 160! : i fal 4s result of it was, Old Sir Kenelm wandered all ae and byways of Manhattan, Brooklyn, z ~ everywhere; moreover, as he assured his ! readers constantl : ; ly, anyon ea half an eye could do the same. Whimsical characters in the vee of pice ck simply abounded in the most unexpected places-in filling stations, stomats, and the corner stores of the United Cigar Company. a More than this, seen properly, the automat was just as delightful and aint a place as an old inn, and a corner cigar store as delightfully musty and ‘edolent of good cheer as a tavern in Cheapside. Old Sir Kenelm was at his best when describing the customs and whimsical waterfront life of Hoboken, which he immortalized in a delightful Tittle essay as “Old Hobie”; but he Teally reached the heights when he applied his talents to the noon-time rush hour at the soda counter of the corner pharmacy. His description of the quaint shop girls who foregathered at the counter, the swift repartee and the Elizabethan jesting of the soda jerkers, together with his mouth-watering descriptions of such Lucullan delicacies as steamed spaghetti and sandwiches of pimento cheese, were enough to make the ghosts of the late William Hazlitt and Charles Lamb roll over in their shrouds and weep for joy. above all battered ity dirt, he deceive his around through the and the Bronx discovering It is therefore a great pity that Old Sir Kenelm never got a chance to apply his elfin talent to a description of the celebrated partnership that bore the name of Paget and Page. Here, assuredly if ever, was grist for his mill, or in somewhat more modern phrase, here was a subject right down his alley. Since this yearning subject has somehow escaped the Master's hand, we are left to supply the lack as best we can by the exercise of our own modest talents. The offices of the celebrated firm of Paget and Page were on the thirty seventh floor of one of the loftier skyscrapers, a building that differed in no considerable respect from a hundred others unpromising enough, it would seem, for purposes of Dickensian exploration and discovery. But one who has been brought up in the hardy disciplines of Old Sir Kenelm’s school is not easily dismayed, If one can find Charles Lamb at soda fountains, why should one not find Charles Dickens on the thirty-seventh floor? One's introduction to this Celebrated firm was swift, and from an eighteenth century point of view Pethaps a bit unpromising. One entered the great marble corridor of the building from Manhattan's swarming streets, advanced through marble halls ind passed the newspaper and tobacco stand, and halted before a double row of shining elevators. As one entered and to the charioteer spoke the magic “shies “Paget and Page”, the doors slid to and one was imprisoned in a cage . hining Splendor; a lever was pulled back, there was a rushing sound,LAW & LITERATURE 124 ' and then by small clicking noises ~ the Whole th; with no sense of movement save for a sli ating wi n _ tically, and “ quite “ore no doubt, as a trip to the moon in q Projectile Pe ah ne mae th lo ed out upon the polished marble of the thj ee aT penaidared and very much alonejand ‘oa aes oe turned right along the corridor, and then left, oe a glass offices, formidable names, and the clattering cachinnations of ‘4 ; of typewriters, and almost before one knew it, there s squarely ed a very dead end of the hall, one stood before another glazed-glane fm respects identical with the others except for these words: Pagal ri Counselors at Law. 4 all-- these simple functions of the alphabet unctuated now This was in oneal arrangement~but to anyone who has ever broached that portal, what me. they convey! ; Within, the immediate signs of things to come were also unremay 4 There was an outer office, some filing cases, a safe, a desk, a smal] a abl switchboard, and two reasonably young ladies seated busily at Opening from this general vestibule were the other offices of the suite, Finto passed a rather small office with a flat desk, behind which sat a quiet r timid-looking little gentleman of some sixty years, with a white mustache, a a habit of peering shyly and quickly at each new visitor over the edges of th papers with which he was usually involved, and a general facial resemblan to the little man who has become well known in the drawings of a news cartoonist as Caspar Milquetoast. This was the senior clerk, a sort of good Friday to this celebrated firm. Beyond his cubicle a corridor led to the priv offices of the senior members of the firm. ‘As one went down this corridor in the direction of Mr. Page~for it: him that we shall be principally concerned--one passed the office of Mr. Lucius Page Paget, as he had been christened, could generally be seen his desk as one went by. He, too, was an elderly gentleman with silvery h fine white mustache, and gentle patrician features. Beyond was the Mr. Page. Leonidas Paget Page was a few years younger than his partnety appearance considerably more robust. As he was sometimes fond of Mr. Page enjoyed his little joke as well as any man, he was “the kid men the firm.” He was a man of average height and of somewhat was bald, save for a surrounding fringe of iron-gray hait, he word cropped mustache, and his features, which were round ané © freshcolored, still had son.ething of the chunky plumpness of a boy: rate, one got a very clear impression of what Mr. Page must have {oo a child. His solid, healthy-looking face, and a kind of animal d- JUSTICE IS BLIND 125 in his stocky figure, suggested th ecessiit at he was i wi 4 man who liked sports b . Upon the wall: , was true P' Is were several a Mr. Page in pursuit of his favorite fatty phi ye ae ee him, for example, in a splendid exhibit fiathed adie Orneted ene begoggled, peering somewhat roguishly over the ed, = oe a: pasket of an enormous balloon which was apparently just ati ie oun wi ‘There were other pictures showing Mr. Page in similar atte) ned "4 ad : ” mw u or “Chicago,” or “New Orleans.” There was even one hontaghien nt, Lovisy : session of an enormous silver cup: this was marked “Snodg) Tass inthe proud Po qrophy, 1916." Elsewhere on the walls, framed and hung, were various other evidences of Mr. Page’s profession and his tastes. There was his diploma from the Harvard w School, his license to practice and most interesting of all, in a small frame, a rather faded and ancientlooking photograph of a lawyer's shingle upon which, in almost indecipherable letters, was the inscription: “Paget and Page.” Page’s own small, fine handwriting informed one that this cae Below, Mr. . the original partnership, which had been formed in 1838. evidence of since then, fortunately, there had always been a Paget to carry on partnership with Page, and always a Page so to combine in legal union with Paget. The great tradition had continued in a line of unbroken succession from the time of the original Paget and the original Page, who had been great- grandfathers of the present ones. Now, for the first time in almost one hundred years, that hereditary succession was in danger of extinction; for the present Mr. Page was a bachelor, and there were no others of his name and kin who could carry on. But come!-- that prospect is a gloomy one and not to be thought of any longer here. rn life, as Spangler was to find out, certain types of There exist in mode! manifestations of dress, of identities or people who, except for contemporary domicile, or of furniture, seem to have stepped into the present straight out of the life of a vanished period. This archaism is particularly noticeable among the considerable group of people who follow the curious profession known as the practice of the law. Indeed, as Spangler was now to discover, the archaism is true of that curious profession itself. Justice, he had heard, is blind. Of this he Was unable to judge, because in all his varied doings with legal gentlemen he Never once had the opportunity of meeting the Lady. If she was related to the law, as he observed it in majestic operation, the relationship was 80 distant that no one, certainly no lawyer, ever spoke of it. In his first professional encounter with a member of this learned craft, Spangler was naive enough to Mention the Lady right away. He had just finished explaining to Mr. Leonidas Paget Page the reason for his visit, and in the heat of outraged innocence and indignation he had concluded:LAW & LITERATURE 126 ea thing like this! There’ i They at dn ae “But oa A Mr. Page. “Now you te talking about justice in eect startled pause, admitted that he was. Sp ee Crrtey said Mr. Page, pee his head Teflectiy, ‘Ah, aa d heard the word before~ “Justice. Hm, now, yes Bute, as reas gale another matter. This problem of yours,” said Mr, pao. boy, thal ter that involves justice. It is a matter of the Law.” And having qa a mal fer f these portentous words, his voice sinking to a note of unctuous himself o! sunced the holy name of Law, Mr. Page settled back in his dul ie , oe ent, as if to say: ‘There you have it in a nutshel}, Tho a makes it clear to you.’ : .. +1 it didn’t. Spangler, still persisting in his error, s| Peeps na of letters and documents he ioe bool s him and deposited on Mr. Page’s desk--the whole accumulation of the g evidence that left no doubt whatever about the character and con, dual antagonist and burst out excitedly: “But good God, Mr. Page, the whole thing’s here! As soon as | fo what was going on, I simply had to write her as I did, the letter ] about, the one that brought all this to a head.” “And quite properly,” said Mr. Page with an approving nod, properly. It was the only thing to do. I hope you kept a copy of the le added thriftily. “Yes,” said Spangler. “But see here. Do you understand this woman’s suing me!” Suing me!” The victim went on in an outra; exasperated tone of voice, as of one who could find no words to express enormity of the situation. “But of course she’s suing you,” said Mr, Page. “1 just the point. That's why you're here. That's why you've come to isn’t it?” “Yes, sir. But good God, she can’t do this!” the client cried in exasperated tone. “She’s in the wrong and she knows it! The wl here, don’t you see that, Mr. Page?” Again Spangler struck th with an impatient hand. “It’s here, I tell you, and she can’t deny sue me!” a “But she is,” said Mr, Page tranquilly. “Yes -but dammit!“in an outraged yell of indignation sue me. I've done nothing to be sued about.” : “Ah, now!" Mr. Page, who had been listening in ‘ . a tening inter imperturbable, unrevealing detachment which said pl Brant you nothing,” now straightened with a jerk and and said: “Ah, now I follow you. rl You can’t be sued, you Say, z ee eeJUSTICE IS BLIND 127 ior e first time Mr. Page allowed himself a smile, i" Fo ood humor and forgiving tolerance, as one Who is " " able t x chad * a the fond delusions of youth and immaturity, “ily desea ia, i ovel Ried, “that has nothing in the world to do with it. Oh, bea a (v His manner had changed instantly as he spoke these words: he ook gotta nd solid face quickly, grimly, with a kind of bulldog tenacity that his ie d his utterance when he stated an established fact, one that wd 10 further discussion or debate. “Absolutely nothing!” cried Mr. Pa e, alonteok his uilldog jaw again. “You say you can’t be sued unless you've ae ad ‘ag to be sued about. My dear sir!”-- here Mr. Page turned in his chair som ed grimly athis client with a kind of bulldog earnestness, pronouncing ., words Now deliberately and ‘gravely, with the emphasis of a slowly his finger a5 if he wanted to rivet every syllable and atom of his meaning 26ers client's brain and memory- “My dear sir,” said Mr. Page grimly, “you Be ori ing under a grave misapprehension if you think you have to do ate ning to be sued about. Do not delude yourself. That has nothing on earth to a smile tinged with with it! Oh, absolutely nothing!” Again he shook is bulldog jaws. “From a time on,” as he spoke, his words became more slow and positive, and he ered each word home with the emphasis of his authoritative finger- fom this time on, sir, I want you to bear this fact in mind and never to forget it foramoment, because it may save you much useless astonishment and chagrin as goon through life. Anybody, Mr. Spangler,” Mr. Page’s voice rose strong and solid “anybody- can sue anybody about anything!” He paused a full moment ad uttered these words, in order to let their full significance sink in; he hi = gid: “Now have you got that straight? Can you remember it?” The younger man stared at the attorney with a look of dazed and baffled faction. Presently he moistened his dry lips, and as if he still hoped he had not heard correctly, said: “you- you mean-even if I have not done anything?” “That has nothing on earth to do with it,” said Mr. Page as before. “Absolutely nothing.” “But suppose - suppose, then, that you do not even know the person who issuing you- that you never even heard of such a person--do you mean to tell me?” “Absolutely!” cried Mr. Page before his visitor could finish. “It doesn’t matter in the slightest whether you've heard of the person or not! That has nothing to do with it!” "Good Lord, then,” the client cried, as the enormous possibilities of legal action were revealed to him, “if what you say is true, then anybody at all--" he ¢xclaimed as the concept burst upon him in its full power, “why you could be = by a one-eyed boy in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, even if you'd neverLAW & LITERATURE 128 “Oh, absolutely!” Mr. Page responded instantly. "He eo Page paused a moment and became almost mystically neha possibilities suggested themselves to his legally fertile mind, for example, that- that, et, one of your books-- hm, NW yest absently he licked his lips with an air of relish, as if he hi becoming, professionally interested in the case-” he could claim th ; books was printed in such small type that-that— that the sisi Of ye eye had been permanently impaired!” cried Mr. Page triumphant} Of the back in his swivel chair and rocked back and forth a moment Bi el such satisfaction that it almost seemed as if he were conten, 2 Took g possibility of taking a hand in the case himself. “Yes! By al] nea Page, nodding his head in vigorous affirmation. “He might mig case against you on those grounds. While I haven’t considered carefulh merits of such a case, I can see how it might have its points. Hm, ie be cleared his throat reflectively. “It might be very interesting to see what H could do with a case like that.” For a moment the younger man could not speak. He just sat there looking the lawyer with an air of baffled incredulity. “But- but- -” he y ; presently to say - “why, there’s no Justice in the thing!” he bunt a indignantly, in his excitement making use of the discredited word again, «4 Justice,” said Mr. Page, nodding. “Yes, I see now what you mean. That's gui another matter. But we're not talking of Justice. We're talking of the which brings us to this case of yours.” And, teaching out a pudgy hand,| pulled the mass of papers toward him and began to read them. Such was ou pilgrim’s introduction to that strange, fantastic world of twist and weave, th _ labyrinthine cave at the end of which waits the Minotaur, the Law. Word Power Made Easy : 1, Purveyor—Seller, supplier, hawker 2. Belles lettres—A category of writing originally meaning fine writing 3. Vein—Style, manner d 4, Genteeler—Respectable 5. Whimsical—Unusual 6. Nom de plume—Assumed name of a writer, a pen name s 7. Lambsian School—Belonging to the kind of Charles Lamb's whose! overall carried a relaxed and informal casual voice 8. Prowling—Move stealthily, cautiously 9. Quaint—Pleasantly old fashioned 10. Overlook—Fail to notice 11. Smell them out—To discover 12, Have a nose for—Have a natural ability to find, detect Som 13. Rubber up—An object like rubber used in rubbing and polishingJUSTICE IS BLIND 129 jshed—Lose its shine ee juous—careful, attentive . ici ter—One who uncovers or brings to light ity DUTY : sstone—A pmo mcone: oF a Building, especially one with thi e : e1 cre when the building was constructed. girident Loud ed—Crowd . Fan ed—Make a loud and prolonged noise paucous—Harsh e—Calm " pattered—Beaten Caked over—Covered Falcon eye—Amazing keen eyesight : ‘Automats—Cafeteria where food and drinks were obtained from vendin; machines g . Musty —Old-fashioned , Redolent—Remindful . Tavern—Bar, pub , Cheapside—A thoroughfare in London Repartee—Witty conversation Soda jerkers—One who serves and sells soft drinks,ice cream at a soda fountain ( the dispenser) , Lucullan delicacies—Lavish food Pimento cheese—Kind of cheese . Shrouds—Burial clothes Elfin talent—Little, small . Grist for his Mill—Useful, something that can be used for a particular purpose . Dismayed—Shocked |. Charioteer—Here it refers to the elevator - operator . Formidable—Inspiring fear or respect, accomplished . Casper Milquetoast—Comic strip character . Patrician features—Aristocratic . Ballooning—A sport for recreation . Shingle—A small signboard . Indecipherable—Hard to read + Archaism—Old, old fashioned Naive—InnocentLAW & LITERATURE 130 warming us ee i v_ Insincere eamestnes? 5 ell—Very briefly 52. paming Damen’ 53; Exasper ed Irritating 54. able—calm 55. 56. i y—Calmly 57. Tranquil 5 A 58. i pprehension —Seri0u8 misunderstanding 59. Rivet 60. Chagein—Ann 61. Stupe 62. Mystically- 63. Impaired 64. 65. Incre 66. Discredited—Disp 67. Pudgy—Slightly fat 68. Labyrinthine—Maze like, twisting 69, Minotaur—A creature who was half man and half bull whee confined in a maze. 49. dulity—Disbelief roved Summary : ‘Thomas Wolfe takes us to the offices of Pas ‘ get and Page, through Old Sir Kenelm, an essayist. Sir Kenelm is cae ‘ und New York and bringing them to curious things and places in and arot all to read. Somehow the renowned and w i i ell acclaimed i Paget and Page missed his attention and Wolfe now ea unveil something that could be advantageous and useful to the readers. He enters the humon; e gous skyscraper and reaches the offi n ae bee ee of the office, he Ee aa i lerk who is a sort of Man Frid i ae > riday (a right hand man) in| u rs an “ is Be of the senior partner, aie ee oe , i . The junior partner—th i next i fe ee introduction. There is an od ES ee eir trophies won at various sporting events d by the evidence i oan a La te oa of their academic credentials award school, license to practice etc. : The next char acter is S : stor pangler, the cli me tos ry now revolves around Spangler de a forJUSTICE IS BLIND hom he has never met and f alady ¥ om et and for something h ved ye oyed and wants to know from Leonidas Basek = ieee ed it, To his utter amazement and dismay Paget, cleat hi Gn P ‘ . Y rs hi / joe ody can sue Anybody “about Anything.” This statement octas ae pny’ ¢ emphasizes his point by further stating that someon five eee and le Bethlehem could sue Spangler accusing him of Hap de. een bo) ro his eye since his books were printed in an extremely ta " a anglet simply refuses to believe Paget and demands Lg Prin . The learned counsel explains that there w. wee Justice and the Law. pel The writer ends the story metaphorically, “such was our pilgrim’ ! ction to the strange, fantastic world of twi re trod t ist and weave, the «ne cave at the end of which waits the Minotaur, the Law.” f to know why justice ‘as a huge difference points to Ponder, Reflect and Discuss : 1, This short story, Justice is Blind is an unpublished piece by Thomas Wolfe and the first and only chapter of a novel about lawyers which Wolfe began but never finished. It is a satiric snippet about law and lawyers. The crux of the BO comes only after reading a few pages of wordy prose. Old sir Kenelm is introduced as a kind of investigative journalist trying to discover places of interest in and around the city he lives in, which others fail to notice since they are always rushing. 3, The writer refers to Kenelm as someone discovering Dickens everywhere because everything about Dickensian characters is believable, genuine and true to life, just as he himself discovers similar characters in the law firm, Paget and Page. 4, Since Wolfe spent a number of years in New York City, he mentions New York City as a place where people have no time to stand and discover the city. It’s a place of speed, people racing to their offices which Wolfe terms as the ‘savagery of modern life’. This reminds us of W.H. Davies’ poem Leisure written in 1911 when he says : “What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare?” 5. The grandeur of the Law Office located on the 37th floor of a sky scraper is described by the author in detail, like glazed glass offices and impressive names, simply to introduce the readers to the appearance of respectable and celebrated law firms. A law firm per se symbolizes the profession that is as intimidating as the law itself. 6. As Spangler steps into the law office of Paget and Page, he observes that except for their dress which is modern, there was a kind of archaism, “patticularly noticeable among the considerable group of people who follow the curious profession known as the law”. The story further132 x 10. LAW & LITERATURE ‘ hat “Law is a curious profess os this truth ¢ Profession exemplifies“ shom he has never met and this to if S Spa ya im ig abet Jer, Wolfe justifies the title of the sto, Justice 18 Blind but never had the opportunity of a"Bl «tice, The Lady of Justice is th m , ic lady of justice: le statu 4 Go aaiital personification of the moral force in judiciay Uses arrying a sword and a set of seal, SYstems «! es bo} ;dfolded woman cart} etl ai 1 administration © the law, without ym| Corruptig greed, ot PN He adds that no lawyer with whom he «! {0 ever spoke of her probably because according to his telling i erg jy between a lawyer and the Lady of juste ery distant one- Spangler’s disillusionment for being sued by a aa a heard, made him uncontrollably vexed towards < never seen oF demands to know from Leonidas Page why justice was missing on is an eye opener in this story. He dins into on he was carrying was a misbelief. “Anybo a Ble thing.” This strongly worded sentence is the Y can g Spangler dumbfounded and stupefied, He : had sued him nor had he done anything to a f legal action that he had to face, now a j allowed to sue for frivolous things because ¢p is a part of Rule of Law and 7 jus Paget's clarificati head that the notic anybody about any’ the story that leaves heard of the lady who The grave dangers 0 before him. People are are open to everyone since it is Democracy: Leonidas Paget P Justice and Law. S with Law and not Justice. This draws us to the difference between Justice and Law. Law co rules; each rule is applicable not to one case alone, but to every like The wisdom of every decision must be tried by its agreement with | proper rule. When the opinion of a court does not state dire f impliedly, the rule by which the case is decided the decision 4 test by which it’s correctness can be tried, and no help to future i seeking knowledge of that branch of the law. The whole doctrine binding character of precedents, most important in law is foun theory that every decision is based on a rule which will re cases. The justice of the decision between the parties though of small consequence compared with the establishment of 23 shall clearly and wisely guide the public in the future. And’ aah have no right to any view of justice which hee or unjust to the public? This is what Leonidas ¢ age enlightens his client about the difference b pangler being sued by an unknown lady was more:JUSTICE IS BLIND 133 ice, on the other hand, is one of the most i Piccal concepts. The Oxford English ilhseerepet ae toa arson as one who typically does what is morally right” and is dis sad Per givin everyone his or her due,” offering the word “aie” ae synonym: However, philosophers want to get beyond etymology and gictionary definitions to consider, for example, the nature of justice as poth a moral virtue of character and desirable quality of political society? a8 well as how it applies to ethical and social decision makin; For Plato, justice isa \abaatl establishing rational order. For Riststte justice consists a what is lawful and fair with fairness involving equitable distributions and the corrections of what is inequitable. For ‘Augustine, the cardinal virtue of justice requires that we try to give all eople their due and for Aquinas, Justice is that rational mean between opposite sorts of injustice, involving proportional distributions and reciprocal transactions.* ql. Therefore, Justice is equated with fairness and when the likes of Spangler find that something unfair and unjust is happening to them, they get agitated and find the world of Law absolutely twisted and confusing, something which is beyond their comprehension. » 12. 13. The story ends with a metaphorical representation of law as Minotaur the monster. The monster in Greek mythology remained in a labyrinth and to seek him one had to find his/her way through a maze. Spangler was not aware of the nuances and technicalities of the legal system that was strange to a commoner like him. 14, Law to a commoner seems a complex system, which causes bewilderment, confusion and perplexity. Legalese is notoriously difficult for the general public to understand. 15. According to Peter H. Schuck, legal complexity is hard to define, much less measure. It arises in a multitude of different contexts that may have little in common, contexts in which its meanings are likely to be different and its consequences not readily traceable. Legal complexity is an ancient concern, one that has continued to obsess lawyers, policy makers, social critics and men and women in the street, who almost invariably condemn legal complexity in the most caustic terms. He further writes, “I define a legal system as complex to the extent that its rules, processes, institutions and supporting culture, possess four features: density, technicality, differentiation, and indeterminacy or uncertainty.”° 16. Someone like Spangler had the means to get advice from a lawyer but the same priviledge is not available to the commo therefore raises questions on the plight of a man with no mea: establishing how seeking legal advice is almost a privilege in today’s day and age. celebrated n man. It ns while —134 20. 21. 22. i 2 13 17. 18. 19. Questions : Trivia: LAW & LITERATURE ine system of law is so warped and Woven inthi : that « The labyrint dures, the terminologi at it a like a puzzle. pan has to surr sia ou Sound q Stn gy Latin to commoners that one ender and seep 4, °ek jal Different legal terms may have different meanings an a ct i can enlighten commoners. ma xpert ; ‘ : ‘ ae no clear explanation of why frivolous gy 5 We theless, there is widespread belief that frivolous litiga ie Noi ople cite frivolous suits as the cause a of control. Many Fe m/s most serious 1 ak ae Dae "Americans are simply too litigious, the critics Say, costs. of filing meritless suits. To quote former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India, Jagdish Khehar, “Liberal access to justice does not mean access fp aie indiscipline.” He also said that frivolous petitions wil] attra ng lakh fine.” ; Judges really don’t like frivolous lawsuits and neither do d, efendang ‘ most cases they are filed for purposes of harassing the defendant, Be; sued is extremely frustrating. Even if the case has no standing, the cae on the defendant to dole out time, energy and financial TesoUrces to have the case dismissed. e of s ills—huge case backlogs, long delays a i and all e fo A defendant in a lawsuit can turn around and sue the plaintiff malicious prosecution. A claim for malicious prosecution is a tort act; and damages include the costs of having to defend against the ba lawsuit. Meanwhile the defendant has to go through stress and umpteen visits tp the law office leaving aside all his work and all for a suit filed b someone he doesn’t even know. 7 Justify the title of the story. What was the misapprehension that Spangler was carrying ai Leonidas Page? What is the difference between Justice and Law? Why is the Law a strange, fantastic world of twist and w labyrinthine cave? After Thomas Wolfe became famous, he was forced to was! well as a great deal of his seemingly limitless energ and threats of sorts brought against him on flimsy Such things angered him to an alinost himself, he consulted various lawyers at one.Uni 3. Kent, C, (1903), The Law and Justice, The Law and Justice: Michiga! i Peter H. Schuck, Duke Law Journal Vol. 42, No. 1 (Oct. 1992), _ Duke University School of Law § Robert G. Bone, University of Pennsylvania 1997), pp. 519-605 (87 pages) Published By: JUSTICE IS BLIND ee om these encounters with a deep and abiding distrust of the | on. Lawyers advised him, for practical reasons, to settle 5 el sums, saying that it would cost him much tore to fi nt th it through the courts. Tom would have none of it. For the nip of ia “ag, he WAS fighting every time. Tom was both fascinated and outra aH y the legal mind whenever he encountered it and one result of ia encounters was that he formed the idea of someday writing a book about lawyers: This short story is only a fragment of the book8 To identify some of the weirdest lawsuits filed in recent history in the ted States, 24/7 Tempo searched online news archives of various sites, including CNN, Reuters, and NBC. Some of the cases on the list concer marketing claims that have been taken either out of context or too literally. Others are just bizarre, and most people would think they are not even real. (a) Man wants to legally change his age (2018) (b) Man sues date for being on her phone (2017) (c) Footlong sandwich is not a foot long (2016) (d) Empty space in Junior Mints boxes (2018) (e) Kidnapper sues hostages for escaping (2012) (f) Same price for a burger with and without cheese (2018) (g) Woman blames ‘scary’ poster on falling (2015) (h) Man sues Michael Jordan for looking too much like him (2006) way fr rofess! nominal (i) Man sues himself for $5 million (1995) (j) Too much ice in Starbucks drinks (2016) (k) Mom confiscates son's phone (2017 Spain) (1) Sleeping student sues teacher for waking him up (2008) References : 1. Tom Wolfe: Early Life”, January 04, 2023, Tom Wolfe - Wikipedia 2. Wolfe, Thomas, “Justice is Blind”, Complete Stories of Thomas Wolfe, ed. Francis E. Scribner Book Company, pp. 177-184. in Law Review voll, No. 5(Feb 1903) pp. 347 published by The Michigan Law Review Association. 4. “Wester Theories of Justice.” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, https://iep.utm.edu /justwest 2, Published By: Law Review Vol. 145, No. 3 Jan, The University of Pennsylvania Law