Date of Award
2006
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in English Composition
Department
English
First Advisor
Chen, Ron
Second Advisor
Costino, Kimberly
Third Advisor
Boland, Mary
Abstract
The thesis examines the O.J. Simpson murder trial and analyzes the racial narratives that affected its outcome and the way it is perceived by the American public. By examining four books about the trial written by lawyers who served on the case, the analysis focuses on how race functions within each of the reconstructed narratives, as well as within the framework of the U.S. criminal justice system. The author argues that racial narratives affect how and why people can see the same event differently, a prime example of which is the O.J. Simpson murder trial. Representations of Mark Fuhrman, his role in the O.J. Simpson trial, and how these are affected by racial narratives are also discussed. The author concludes that the O.J. Simpson murder trial presented an opportunity in which issues concerning race, race relations, and ideologies about race could be openly discussed.
Recommended Citation
Lastrapes, Martin Larry, "Black and white and read all over: An analysis of narratives in the O.J. Simpson murder trial" (2006). Theses Digitization Project. 3093.
https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/3093
