It is hard to disagree that all people are trying to achieve justice, equality, and freedom, and drawing the public’s attention to the fundamental problems is one way to do that. Since writing and words themselves are a great power, it has become a common practice for authors to express their concerns and attract readers’ consideration by describing social issues in their books. One of such creations is Reginald Rose’s courtroom drama Twelve Angry Men. This play’s central themes remind people of the necessity of being fair and dedicated to truth and justice.
About the Play
To appear on the bookshelves, TV, and stage, Twelve Angry Men had to go through a long process of production and revision. Interestingly, Reginald Rose first got inspired by this play after serving on a jury in a manslaughter case. It was Rose’s witnessing the fierce eight-hour fighting of the jurors and their attempts to decide the fate of the defendant that became the impetus for the courtroom drama and the teleplay called Twelve Angry Men. From the historical point of view, it is possible to look at this play in the context of 1957. For the United States of America, that year was a rather politically transitional time as the Civil Rights Movement was in full swing. Therefore, a significant number of the themes and issues of social and racial discrimination discussed in Twelve Angry Men were played out on the national scene.
Summary of the Play
It is 1957 and a New York City Court of Law jury room. The play starts with a Judge giving a set of final instructions to the jurors, from which the readers and the audience learn about the details of the case. The defendant is accused of killing his father and, if found guilty, will be sentenced to death. All but one presume the defendant’s obvious guilt, while the eighth Juror believes in his innocence and tries to convince his colleagues.
Going around the table and discussing the case and evidence, the jurors one by one notice serious inconsistencies in case details and witness statements. Realizing them, the jurors gradually change their opinion and finally convince the last of them, the third Juror, to give up and find the defendant not guilty. Therefore, this play is a unique way of showing how a group of people may be wrong with their judgment while just one person can change their minds. Moreover, even if everything seems to be clear and simple, it is necessary to make sure once again. All people can make mistakes and miss important details that change the essence of the event or issue.
Main Themes
In Twelve Angry Men, there is a significant number of vital themes discussed by Reginald Rose. They are related to racial, social, class, and some other issues that concern many people’s minds. This play may be considered outside of time and space since its action can relate to any person. In other words, each reader and his or her friend, neighbor, or relative can be in the place of a jury member or a defendant. Anyone can make a mistake without noticing inconsistencies in the details or can be one against all while defending his or her opinion. Some of the main themes, such as justice, prejudice, and father and son relations, are discussed below.
Justice
To begin with, it does not seem quite fair that twelve persons are trusted with determining the fate of a man accused of murder. In the world of this play, the ultimate purpose is to find the defendant innocent or guilty and complete this severe responsibility. These jurors only have some evidence and witnesses, but these documents cannot guarantee that their final decision is right. Therefore, where is justice, and is it fair to trust people with determining the future of another person? Is it justified to consider the defendant’s poor and difficult childhood and unfavorable circumstances and give him another chance? Probably, it is fairer to find him guilty and punish him for his crime? It is hard to disagree that everyone decides which of these ideas is more acceptable.
Prejudice
Throughout the play, prejudice is discussed on several levels. First of all, Twelve Angry Men deals with racial discrimination. Even though the defendant’s race is not mentioned directly, it is possible to understand that he belongs to a minority, which becomes a problem among some jurors. Second of all, it seems that they enter the jury room while already having some irrational ideas and preconceived notions. It is a prejudice to think negatively about a person accused of murder even before studying the case or because of his young age.
Father and Son Relations
It is an essential detail that the defendant was accused of killing his father, which brings the readers to the problem of generations. Moreover, this is the reason why the third and the eighth Jurors understand the accused differently. Both of them are fathers, and the eighth Juror, not knowing the defendant personally, exemplifies a paternal relationship with him. He stands up for him in a very paternal way and empathizes with the plight of his life. Simultaneously, the other Juror projects his lousy relationship with his son onto the accused, which leads to prejudgment.
The Definition Of Happiness And Its Pursuit
Writers and poets have been writing and talking about happiness since ancient times; this category appears in many literary works almost on a par with love. Simultaneously, even though everyone claims to want to be happy, the pursuit of happiness and its definition never rank first on most people’s to-do lists (Ackerman, 2020). Modern life is an endless race, in which, over the allotted years, according to the common model, it is necessary to make a career, realize oneself, and build capital. However, it is important to understand that true happiness is not connected with any of the listed things. Happiness manifests itself in much simpler objects and the ability to notice them.
In the endless pursuit of a better life, society ceases to notice the beauty of the surrounding world, close people and misses such ordinary, but simultaneously exceptional moments, of which life consists. Nevertheless, it is precisely owing to such instants a person can be truly happy. Time is fleeting, and the hands of the clock are moving inexorably forward; sometimes, close people leave without hearing how dear they were, and children grow up without the proper parental attention and warmth. It is critically important to rethink it and realize that happiness is deep, warm, and close family and friendly relations, enjoying the beauty of the whole world around and peace and harmony within. However, it does not mean that happiness is associated only with the good because everything has an inverse inseparable side. Never experiencing negative emotions means not being able to sense positive feelings.
To summarize, happiness lies in something simple and being able to notice it. It is not connected with the material but with sensations coming from within. The paradox is that people are often happy, although there seems to be no reason for it. They should catch it by grain from every instance of life: rejoice at each moment, laugh, have fun, cry, feel and live as required, not by the general template, but their heart.
Reference
Ackerman, C. E. (2020). What is happiness and why is it important? Positive Psychology. Web.
“The Variety Of Religious Experience” By William James
At the turn of the 20th century, America began to see a surge in religions of healthy-mindedness that would eventually change the landscape of modern medicine. Taken from William James’ pivotal lecture “The Religion of Healthy-Mindedness,” this distinction of American religions would provide the groundwork for an entire genre of beliefs centered on a particular conception of human nature. James gives the name ‘healthy-mindedness’ to “the tendency which looks on all things and sees that they are good” (James, 79).
James creates a distinction between religions in his turn of the century lectures that separates religions based on their definition of human nature. Religions either view humans as inherently evil and destructive or kind-hearted and good. It is from that latter group that James forms his category of religions of healthy-mindedness. These religions extend the philosophical belief that man is inherently good to the idea that this goodness can overcome physical ailments. That is, physical health is derived from spiritual health and conversely physical maladies are outward signs of mental imbalance.
In an America with limited medical solutions to common illnesses and a strong religious culture, these explanations were attractive to people seeking answers for their sicknesses. More than just answering unanswered questions, though, the move toward healthy-mindedness was fueled by human nature: people inherently “divert our attention from disease and death as much as we can” (James, 84).
One of the most prevalent examples is the First Church of Christ, Scientist. Founded by Mary Baker Eddy in 1866, members believe in the healing power of Christ and Christ alone. Because all things are possible through God, knowledge, understanding and prayer can heal all illnesses. Thus, rather than subscribing to conventional medicinal solutions to physical ailments, Christian Scientists believe that their experiences of material conditions can be improved by greater knowledge of their spiritual reality through prayer. The fundamental philosophical premise underlying this belief is one of the inherent goodness of a creation made in the image of a perfect being—God.
The belief is somewhat reminiscent of eastern medicinal practice of cleansing the spirit or soul. However, as James noted these ideas are no longer relegated to a strict regimen of exclusive mind-cleansing beliefs. Instead, there has been a transition in American religion to a framework of healthy-mindedness, even if subconsciously. Rather than focusing on the traditional ‘fire and brimstone’ sermons, there are “whole congregations whose preachers, far from magnifying our consciousness of sin, seem devoted rather to making little of it” (James, 86).
But religions of healthy-mindedness are not specific to Christian doctrine. Many other religions have sought to prove the effectiveness of their piety in the realm of medicine. Muslims, for instance, have claimed the benefits of fasting in slowing disease, specifically cancer. Moreover, these beliefs have made their way into modern medicine. In 1992 the Office of Alternative Medicine was established by the National Institute of Health. Healthy-mindedness has made its way into medical journals as alternatives to traditional medicine that demand attention.
Works Cited
James, William. The Variety of Religious Experience. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997. Print.