Blog # 7- Lisa Gerasimova Period 3 , 02/13/ 2020

Aim: How does the theme of anonymity affect the mood and tone of 12 Angry Men

The class had a discussion about the possible race/ethnicity of the defendant. Most people agreed that he most likely wasn’t a white male, but rather that he was colored since the characters are white and say ‘you know how those people are’.

We were then shown a list of various fallacies that we would encounter in both 12 Angry Men and future works that we will read. These fallacies were hasty generalization, either/or, red herring, ad populum, false equivalence, and moral equivalence.

We were shown Gandhi's “Civil Disobedience”, and after reading it were asked to connect it to the situation developing between the characters in 12 Angry Men. In a sense, you can almost picture Juror Three as a dictator or abusive ruler and Juror Eight as Gandhi, trying to peacefully have an educated discussion and debate. 

Group Activity: Recreate the ability to vote in a jury room without the right to anonymity.

How does it change the dynamic of the group?

The group is more likely to become hostile towards members that don’t agree with them, and anyone who has an opinion that represents the minority might feel pressured to change their vote.

What effect does it have on suspense?

It takes away the suspense as well, because everyone would know exactly who would vote in what way, especially since it would usually end up being swayed to the majority.

Using the elements of the play, how does anonymity affect our justice system?

Anonymity provides a mask or shelter for those that don’t like to stand out or differ from the group, and getting rid of this would probably result in a lot of injustice purely due to people not speaking up.

Student Reflection: 

I learned that anonymity is crucial when it comes to our justice system because it provides a certain shelter for those who are afraid to speak out, and ensuring a more just and fair trial. 

I learned this because it not only helps us to become aware of the systems in place in our society, but we also learn why the systems work and why they don’t. Throughout the class and past few lessons we’ve learned about the flaws in the systems and sometimes even why these flaws may be either necessary or unfixable.

Now I can have a deeper understanding of the way the world works, and when I’m ever called in for jury duty, I’ll be thankful for my right to anonymity.