Small Great Things

The third main section of the novel, “Stage One: Transition,” begins with Kennedy being accosted at the public defender’s office by her coworker, Ed, who thinks the new hire, Howard, who’s black, was chosen in order to meet diversity quotas. Kennedy brushes him off, and the man in the cubicle next to hers ends up being Howard. He alleviates the awkwardness and introduces himself; Kennedy blunders by assuming he’s from the area, rather than the wealthy town he’s actually from.

The narrative picks up again with Kennedy at the New Haven Superior Court on arraignment day, representing one client after another “like being trapped in a rotating door” (137). Even though she represents these clients in this first step, she generally doesn’t see them again, because they usually get “plucked out of [her] grasp by someone with more seniority at the office or transfer to a private (read: paid) lawyer” (138).

When Ruth Jefferson is called, Kennedy notices the gallery is more full than usual. A woman screams “Murderer!” and a man with a swastika tattoo on his head (who Ruth will later tell Kennedy is Turk, the father) gets escorted out after spitting on Ruth (140).