Çetin on How Jerry Became a Man: Legal Reflections on a Story by Robert A. Heinlein

Sevgi Çetin, Samsun Bar Association, has published How Did Jerry Become a Man? Legal Reflections on a Story by Robert A. Heinlein. Here is the abstract.

R. A. Heinlein is one of the leading writers of the golden age of science fiction. One of the reasons for Heinlein’s success is his ability to keep his intellectual roots deep into the past, while keeping his eyes on the horizon. Therefore, it is possible to read his works in very different layers. Human history is a history of discrimination. In her documentary ‘Meet the Romans” Mary Beard takes the viewers to the Colosseum, the centre of ancient Rome, and explains how this building reflects the social structure of the Roman Empire. The entrance floor, which is closest to the arena and the easiest to access, was reserved for the emperor and the nobles; the second floor, which must be reached by high and narrow stairs, was reserved for ordinary citizens. The top floor, which is difficult to climb and far from the arena, was reserved for women and slaves. Although the history of humanity has witnessed many kinds of discrimination; the legal and social repression of slaves and women were the most poignant and longest-lasting ones. In this study, the legal aspect of the struggle against slavery and discrimination and the role of lawyers in this movement are discussed based on Heinlein’s story “Jerry was a man”.

Download the article from SSRN at the link.