Twelve Angry Men ~ Themes & Motifs
Themes
* Justice
* Duty
* One against the many
* Poverty
* Compassion
* Resolution
Motifs- a recurring subject, theme, idea, etc., especially in a literary, artistic, or musical work.
* Coping with bigots
* Seeking consensus
* The triumph of reason over bias
-Dan
ReplyDeleteThe theme of one against many is portrayed at various points throughout this play. I feel it was especially important because it was the basis for the reason why the jury didn't decide the defendant was guilty. Instead one person, against the beliefs of others, questioned whether the story was as truthful as it first appeared. For that reason, the theme one against many is very important to this play. You see this theme again in the end when the 3rd juror still feels strongly that the defendant is guilty, but unlike the 8th juror, he finally submits to logic.
Jason- The themes listed do seem to fit book, but I would even go as far as to say that an additional theme is present in the play. Outside thinking. That Juror 8 always seems to be thinking outside the normal parameters, that without him the boy would have been convicted and put on death row. But it was juror 8's unique way of thinking which lead to teenager's innocence.
ReplyDeleteOlivia - I think that a theme that really fits the book, "Twelve Angry Men," is One Against the Many. One Against the Many definitely plays a role in the book. For example, Juror 8 was the only one out of the 12 jurors who thought the killer was not guilty. Juror 8 somehow persuaded all 11 men to vote for the killer not being guilty.
ReplyDeleteWhat I really like about this theme is that just one person can save a person's life. Just one person can change a whole room of people's opinions and how they think of other people. Juror 8 changed almost all 11 men's opinions of how they thought of the "slummy" teenager.
I think that a theme that really relates to this book is One Against the Many.
matt - i thin these themes represent a core part of the play "twelve angry men." the themes are the values of the 8th juror. when the juror votes not guilty, that was because of his compassion. When the juror convinces all of the other jurors that the kid was not guilty that was a combination of all of the themes.
ReplyDeleteThe Triumph of Reason Over Bias was a very apparent theme in 12 Angry Men. It is very difficult to make decisions without letting biases get in the way and distract you from logic. On p.36, the 11th Juror says, "Facts may be colored by the personalities of the people who present them," which is a very good point, but none of the other jurors took notice to his comment. In order for the jury to reach the verdict of "not guilty" they had to eliminate their own feelings towards the defendant, and move past their preconceptions, and really break down the facts. Once they were able to do that, they saw that he was clearly "not guilty." It was easier for some, like the 8th juror, to choose reason over bias, than others, like the 3rd.
ReplyDelete@J-sok
ReplyDeleteI would definitely have to agree that that additional theme is present through much of this book. Juror 8 is always examining the small details while many of the other Jurors would be quick to assume that the witness were as legitimate as they may have first appeared. That is why I would have to agree that outside thinking could be considered an additional theme. -Dan
J-sok, I totally agree with your thought on outside thinking. Outside thinking is something that really played a big part in this book, Twelve Angry Men. Juror 8 really had to think outside the box. Though there were many witnesses who already gave the jurors enough information to prove the killer guilty, he still thought outside the box and asked himself, Is this guy really guilty? Did the old man walk fast enough to his front door to see the teenager dash out? Did the woman really see the teen kill his father even though she did not have her glasses on?
ReplyDelete@ Logan Lerman
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the theme "One Against Many" was a big theme in the book, if not the biggest. I also tink this theme is important because, just like you said, it shows readers just how much one person can do, especially if they have a reason. Also, that you sould stick with your opinion and not be swayed by others choices because if juror 8 did this, the boy would be dead.
@Sophiamobayed
ReplyDeleteI agree with you sophie, that Juror 8 was not being bias in his attempts to just provide the "what if..." senario because there was a reasonable doubt and he was able to explain his motive for his reasonable doubt and as well convince others to have that doubt as well all logically with facts, not opinions or pre conceptions.
@Shpaniel/Dantastic
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. The 8th and 3rd jurors were at opposite sides of the conflict, but they both held strongly to their opinions. In the beginning, all were against the 8th, while at the end, all were against the 3rd. The only difference between the 8th and the 3rd, is that the 8th persuaded the other jurors, taking them away from the 3rd juror's side. And, the 3rd juror surrenders in the end.
@Dan
ReplyDeleteI agree with you the 8th Juror did not submit in the beginning. The 8th juror was not afraid to be against the other jurors. However, when the 3rd juror is put in the same position he is unable to do as well as the 8th juror had done, and submits. Being one against many is a very hard thing to do, as it can be very nerve shattering. The 8th juror could withstand the pressure that the other jurors had put upon him to vote guilty. The 3rd juror showed that he could not stand as one against many. when he was one against many he gave in and voted not guilty. I think that the theme one against the many plays a huge part in this play.
I think compassion is a theme in this play, but a very small one. It was because of juror number 8's compassion that he did not just accuse the boy of being guilty right away because he said the boy deserved to have his trial talked about. Also, all of the other jurors do show some compassion. When they realized the boy on trial was not guilty, they switched sides without complaint and even helped juror number 8 persuade the other jurors that he was innocent.
ReplyDeleteI think that compassion is a theme in Twelve Angry Men. One juror, who grew up in a slum community like the murderer did, definitely got a feel for how the murderer felt, what condition the teen was in. Compassion took place in the book when Juror 8 did not immediately make the choice of the killer being guilty. He tried to put himself in his spot to see how the young boy would feel like.
ReplyDelete