Topic > The Cultural Allegories Behind Twelve Angry Men

Twelve Angry Men is an allegorical work written by Reginald Rose in 1955. It describes how economic, social, and cultural factors can have a significant impact on the process of justice. Rose summarizes 1950s America through each of the 12 jurors, telling them backstories related to economic, social and cultural factors. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Postwar America flourished through wealth, production, and the use of income and wealth on raw materials. As America emerged as a superpower in the world, Europeans saved money and lived in an age of austerity. Therefore, with immigrants from Europe came a sense of xenophobia and racism among Americans. An example of a bigoted and racist personality is Juror 10, who refers to people in the "slums" as "common ignorant slobs." Rose criticizes the racist attitudes of 1950s American society through the character of Juror 10, as he is an older man with a ruthless approach to new things. He does this through the contrast between Juror 9 and 10. Juror 9 is also elderly and his opinion is often overlooked, however he understands, to some extent, the legal system, the role of a juror and the method behind the "reasonable doubt" . He took the time to try to modernize and relate to the younger generations, rather than being ignorant and uninformed like Juror 9. Rose is criticizing the values ​​of the older generations and the oblivious attitudes adopted by some members of the older generation. Another example is the background of Juror 11. Rose welcomes those in society who speak out against others who are narrow-minded and discriminatory towards those of a lower class, and attention to detail and understanding of "responsibility " by Juror 11 are committed to this. Juror 11 understands that "facts can be influenced by the personalities who present them" and that respect for the legal system and the law helps the process of a progressive society. Therefore, Rose's appreciation for the legal system highlights his disdain for social class prejudice and racism through the factors of commercial gain. The role of a juror is to ignore any outside influences and focus solely on the job at hand, and although each of the jurors will have predisposed ideas and thoughts, some will show them and others will not. Because they are part of a society, every juror has some form of preconceived beliefs and their job is to put them aside and focus on the case, to decide whether the accused is guilty or not guilty. An example of how external stimuli influenced decisions made in the jury room is when Juror 3 states that "we're trying to put a guilty man in the chair where he belongs." Rose is criticizing the uninformed nature of some members of society by showing what Juror 3 thinks his job is. Her predetermined set of values ​​shines through, and Rose is calling out the contempt and disrespect for justice. Another example of how outside influences can influence decisions in a jury room is when Juror 4 says "Slums are a breeding ground for criminals." Rose is hitting the class divide in society through this blatant display of social prejudice. Additionally, Juror 7 is more interested in going to the baseball game and changes his vote just so he can go home. He is bored and disinterested in the case and can't be bothered to get involved. Rose explores the blatant insult to the.