Stereotypes In Twelve Angry Men

Standing up for what one believes in is not always easy. The book Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose should be taught in schools for many reasons. The book is about the trial of a sixteen year old boy accused of killing his father. The boy’s fate is determined by the decision reached by twelve jurors in a New York jury room. Twelve Angry Men displays the effects that one person can have on a group, it teaches the value of being part of a jury, and it explores how stereotypes and prejudices can have an effect on someone’s decision or beliefs.

Juror Eight stood up for what he believed in against eleven other jurors, and eventually influenced them all to reach the verdict of not-guilty. At the end of the case, when the jury is about to come to a final decision, Juror Eight says to Juror Three “It’s not your boy. He’s somebody else.

Juror Three: All right, “Not guilty.”
Foreman: We have a verdict.” (72-73). This shows that Juror Eight didn’t get caught up with peer pressure. That what he believed in, through explaining the evidence and how it could be inaccurate, helped the boy to survive and be not guilty. At the beginning of the case, when the jury is taking the initial vote, the Foreman counts up the votes as “eleven to one guilty.” (11). This is showing that Juror Eight is being a giraffe, not a sheep. In saying that, it means that he stood out, and even though all the jurors voted guilty, he stuck with what he believed in, which isn’t always easy to do.
Students today should be informed about the value of being part of a jury. In the introduction of the book, the narrator is explaining the importance of a jury by saying that “nothing stands between the person in the box and the horror of an unchecked government except twelve diverse, reasonably intelligent people.” (Introduction viii). This displays that the only thing between the accused boy on trial and an uncontrolled government is the jury. This teaches kids not to be bystanders, and if they see someone in need of help, then help them instead of watching them struggle. Also at the beginning of the book, when the Judge is addressing the jury, he says that “the life of another is at stake . . . In the event you find the accused guilty . . . The death sentence is mandatory in this case.” (5-6). This proves that the boy's fate lies within the jury's hands. If the verdict was to be “guilty”, then the boy would get the death sentence. This teaches kids the real life effects that juries can have on people.
Many people can often base their decisions or beliefs off of stereotypes because it is the easy thing to do.

However, in Twelve Angry Men, Juror Eight defies prejudices in his own beliefs, and eventually in the final verdict. When the eleven jurors are asking the Eighth Juror why he voted “not guilty”, he responds with “It’s just that we’re talking about somebody’s life here. I mean, we can’t decide in five minutes. Suppose we’re wrong?” (12). Even if the Eighth Juror may think that the boy might have actually killed his father, doesn’t mean he did just because the boy grew up in the slums and is a tough kid. No matter where the boy is from or what he looks like, his life is on the line. Thus, don’t jump to conclusions too quickly. Later on, when the jurors are talking about the knife that the boy had, Juror Eight was “saying it’s possible that the boy lost the knife and that someone else stabbed his father with a similar knife.” (22). Just because a violent boy who grew up in a violent family had a knife, doesn’t necessarily mean he is guilty of murder. Thus, things may not always be the way they seem, so don’t judge a book by its

cover.
Twelve Angry Men should be taught in schools because it teaches many valuable lessons, including the effects that one person can have on a group, the value of being part of a jury, and explores how stereotypes and prejudices can have an effect on someone’s decision or beliefs. In a world full of peer pressure, students should learn to stick up for what they believe is right. This proves that one person, with courage and will, can affect the decisions that other people make. A connection to real life is a group of friends doing something illegal, such as underage drinking. One of the friends says no to drinking, which can influence the other friends not to drink, thus preventing them from getting caught. One person's actions can affect many people’s lives.