English - `12 angry men essay

What are the themes?

Justice, Prejudice and bias, courage, conformity.

Define Justice

-Judgement and punishment of a party who has allegedly wronged another.

-The characteristics of being fair, truthful, reasonable and respecting to moral standards.

How is justice shown in the text? Example 1

The complexity of justice:

It shows how the jurors understanding and views of justice are influenced by their biases and experiences. Other jurors initially vote guilty based on personal experiences or prejudices. As they weigh the evidence and argue, their personal ideas, values, and prejudices are on display.

For example: Each juror has a different take on being a part of a jury: some cherish it as an American duty, some are attached to it due to personal experiences of injustice, and others just want to finish quickly and go home.

How is justice shown in the text? Example 2

Reasonable Doubt:
The concept of reasonable doubt is central to the jurors' deliberations. Juror 8 argues that there is reasonable doubt in the case, pointing out inconsistencies in the evidence and highlighting gaps in the prosecution's case.

For example, he questions the reliability of the eyewitness testimony and raises doubts about the timing of events on the night of the murder. This challenges the other jurors to reconsider their assumptions and prejudices and to carefully weigh the evidence before reaching a verdict.

How is justice shown in the text? Example 3

Fairness and Impartiality:

The play emphasizes the importance of fair and impartial judgment. Juror 8 is initially the only juror to vote "not guilty," arguing that there is reasonable doubt in the case. He insists on examining the evidence thoroughly and considers the defendant's right to a fair trial.

For example, he questions the reliability of the eyewitness testimony and raises doubts about the murder weapon.

Define prejudice and bias.

Prejudice: an adverse or hostile attitude toward a group of people based on their race, gender, age, weight, disability, sexual orientation, or religion.

Bias: a tendency to favour or disfavour something or someone, often in an unfair way.

How is prejudice and bias shown in the text? Example 1

Racial Prejudice: Juror 10 expresses blatant racial prejudice against the defendant, who is portrayed as belonging to a minority group. He makes derogatory remarks about the defendant's race, indicating his bias and predisposition to believe the defendant is guilty based on stereotypes.

How is prejudice and bias shown in the text? Example 2

•Socio-economic bias: Jurors 10 and 11 show bias based on socio-economic status, suggesting that people from the defendant's background are of a lower class and therefore less deserving of consideration or respect. He makes disparaging comments about the defendant's neighbourhood and upbringing, implying that these factors make him guilty.

How is prejudice and bias shown in the text? Example 3

Personal bias: Juror 3's bias is rooted in his strained relationship with his own son. He projects his negative feelings onto the defendant, which affects his ability to objectively evaluate the evidence. For example, he is initially adamant about the defendant's guilt, partly due to his unresolved issues with his son.

Define courage.

-To stand by your views and opinions despite opposing views and/or threats

-Exercising bravery and inner strength

-To stand up to opposition and fight for what is morally right despite the possible consequences

How is courage shown in the text? Example 1

Standing up against the majority: Juror 8 demonstrates courage by being the first to vote not guilty despite intense pressure to conform, convincing the other jurors to re-evaluate the evidence by presenting a similar knife and convincing the other jurors to change their minds about the defendant's guilt.

How is courage shown in the text? Example 2

Changing one's mind: Several jurors show courage in admitting when they are wrong and changing their vote based on new evidence or arguments. For example, Jurors 5, 6, 11: change their minds after the discussion about the glasses the witness was wearing.

How is courage shown in the text? Example 3

Confronting aggression: Juror 5, who comes from a similar background to the defendant, must confront the aggressive behaviour of other jurors and stand up for his perspective.

Define conformity.

The act of changing your behaviours in order to fit in or go along with the people around you.

How is conformity shown in the text? Example 1

The Dangers of Blind Conformity: The play highlights the dangers of blindly conforming to the majority opinion without critically evaluating the evidence.

For example: Juror 8's insistence on examining the case closely and considering reasonable doubt serves as a reminder that conformity can lead to unjust outcomes when individuals fail to think independently.

How is conformity shown in the text? Example 2

The Importance of Individual Courage:
"12 Angry Men" underscores the importance of individual courage in standing up against conformity and voicing opinions that may differ from the majority.

For example: Juror 8's willingness to challenge the group and advocate for a fair trial demonstrates the power of one person to make a difference and uphold principles of justice.

How is conformity shown in the text? Example 3

The Value of Diversity of Thought: The play also emphasizes the value of diversity of thought and perspective in decision-making. Each juror brings their own background, experiences, and biases to the deliberations. By encouraging open dialogue and considering alternative viewpoints, the jurors are able to arrive at a more just and informed decision.

For instance, Juror 5, who grew up in a similar neighbourhood as the defendant, provides valuable context about the defendant's upbringing, challenging the group's assumptions and biases.

Introduction structure

Set the scene: Introduce the text formally, include title, text type(novel) and author.

Context: Background information - Give a brief outline of the text, what is it about?

Contention: State your overarching contention (opinion), based on the essay prompt.

Points/ Arguments: Approximately three sentences that include each of your main points.

Body paragraph structure: Topic sentence

Topic sentence: The first sentence of each body paragraph.

Conformity example:

Structure: Connective (To begin/to start/initially/at the outset) + Noun (name of the text “12 Angry Men” or name of author – “Rose” + verb (illustrates/highlights/demonstrates/depicts/reveals/exposes/ emphasises) + theme (conformity/assimilation) + point of the paragraph (e.g., by emphasizing the importance of voicing your opinions).

For example:

To begin, Rose highlights conformity by emphasizing the importance of voicing your opinions).

Body paragraph structure: What: Explain specifically what happens in the text to demonstrate what is written in the topic sentence.

Conformity example:

For example: Juror 5, who grew up in a similar neighbourhood as the defendant, provides valuable context about the defendant's upbringing, challenging the group's assumptions and biases.

Body paragraph structure: How: Write an embedded quote.

Structure:
Who said the quote + What did they say + when or why did they say it.

For example:
Juror 5 exclaims, “I used to play in a backyard that was filled with garbage. Maybe it still smells on me“ when the other jurors were taking down about the defendant because he grew up in a poor neighbourhood.

Body paragraph structure: Why: Analyse the text by explaining:

-Why the quote is important?
-What is the meaning of it?

-What is the message/what does this teach the readers?

-What was the author’s purpose/reason for showing this?

Body paragraph structure: Linking sentence: Reword your topic sentence.

Structure: Linking word/phrase (therefore/thus/hence) + noun (“12 Angry Men”/Rose/name of a character) + verb + summary of the paragraph.

Foreman

Preoccupied with duties, tries to maintain order and peace in the jury room.

Juror 2

Quiet man, young, overshadowed by others, goes with what others say, finds his voice as the story goes, nervous.

Juror 3

Strongly opinionated man, stubborn, has a temper, forces his opinion on others, has problems with his son, loud, highlighted and part of the climax which is the reenactment of the stabbing.

Juror 4

Sticks to the facts, not affected by oppressive heat in the jury room, suggests the preliminary vote.

Juror 5

Young man from the slums like the defendant, takes the case seriously, first seems hesitant when passing on his right to speak the first time.

Juror 6

Honestly wants to do his best on the jury but takes time coming to a decision, listens to everyone else first, used to working with his hands not brain.

Juror 7

A loud man who has better places to be than in jury, a bit sarcastic and a bit too quick to jump to opinions and conclusions, more interested in discussing the weather than the case.

Juror 8

Thoughtful man who will not let himself be pushed around, wants to consider all the sides of the case instead of rushing to a decision, prime concern is justice being achieved.

Juror 9

Old man who knows that his time has passed, wants to be strong but lacks the strength to stand up for himself, first person to vote not guilty, gentleman, doesn’t think he has much to offer to the deliberations at first.

Juror 10

Bigoted man who isn’t shy about voicing his opinions, angry, bitter, doesn’t care about anyone but himself, racist, embodiment of bigotry and prejudice.

Juror 11

Immigrant, values the idea that America is supposed to stand for a fair and judicial system.

Juror 12

Salesman whose mind is continuously elsewhere, tries to be a good guy but oblivious, he doesn’t care about the case from the start, likes doodling on his paper while he thinks.

What are some symobols?

The knife, jury room, weather, votes, glasses, El train, basketball tickets and nameless jurors.