Racial Bias In The Play Twelve Angry Men

In the play Twelve Angry men the theme of Bias is very strong. The vote is 11 to 1 in a murder trial of a 16-year-old boy charged with stabbing and killing his father. Without any discussion eleven jurors presumed the defendant is guilty. Did the defendant’s racial bias, class bias, confirmation bias, play a role in their decision?

Racial Bias is a form of discrimination. Racial profiling targets certain groups based on one’s own opinion that some groups are more likely to commit certain crimes than others.

• Juror 10 is a bitter person who has openly showed his racism towards the sixteen-year-old defendant.

• In his world it’s them and us. Them is referred towards the defendant and the community he belongs to. (The defendants actual race was never

For example

• What do you think a trial cost? He is lucky he got one. Know what I mean.(Pg.13)

• You can twist em any ways you like. Know what I mean?(Pg.51)

• That’s how they are by nature y’ know what I mean “violent” (Pg.63)

Class Bias

Class bias can be defined as discriminatory attitude based on distinction made between social or economic class.

• A person should be judged based on the facts of the case, not their social standing.

• Juror 4: Children from slum background are potential menace to society. (Pg.18)

• Juror 10: brother you can say that again. (Pg.18)

• Juror 8: According to juror 8 the defendants poor up bring could be a reason for his criminal record. He says _You know--------- living in a slum, his mother dead since he was nine. He spent a hear an a half in orphanage while his father served in jail term for forgery, That’s not a very good start” (Pg.13)

• A sixteen-year-old is facing the death penalty if found guilty the juror’s brag about their occupation.

• Juror number four being a broker and juror number seven talks about how he made twenty-seven thousand selling marmalade.