5th And 11th Jurors example essay topic

Twelve Angry Men Que 1) " Truth is a matter of perception, which is created by experience" The 5th, 10th and 11th jurors are all uniquely different characters. However despite this individuality they do have something in common, this being the fact that they base their decisions on past encounters and or experiences. They all use this either against or in favor of the defendant. The 5th juror's experience of living, working and growing up in a slum area has given him good idea of the difficulties the defendant faces in everyday life. The 10th juror is totally different. He still bases his decisions on past experiences and encounters, but growing up with people like the defendant, he has an image of them being born criminals.

The 11th juror is an immigrant. Some people tend to think of immigrants as perhaps inferior because they are different. So, he would know the prejudice the defendant encounters. These three jurors particularly, cause great conflict among the other jury members in the way they gather and express their opinions and views on past experiences and encounters with people like the defendant.

"I used to play in a back yard filled with garbage, maybe it still smells on me". The 5th juror is a man of few words. His personality is not exactly memorable. He still makes his fair share of points. Some of these points make you feel quite sympathetic towards him. This juror works as a male nurse in a slum area.

He is also sensitive to the fact that he grew up in a slum area. The defendant also comes from a slum area. Hence the quote. "Truth is a matter of perception, which is created by experience", sits comfortably with the 5th juror.

He will have a good idea of the defendant's background, as it is on he is quite familiar with as it is his own. At the stage in the book where the jury members are studying the knife, the 12th juror explains with confidence that he believes he knows how the knife was used to stab the victim in the chest. The 5th juror, from a slum background, has grown up being familiar with all sorts of knives, as he mentions in the text. (pg 49) "Wait a minute. Give me that.

I hate these things. (Things being the knife) I grew up with them". He explains how he has seen too many fights involving switch - blade knives. So, how to use one is almost second nature to him.

The 8th juror questions "how do you use it". The 5th juror replies, "Underhanded. (Demonstrating) Like that. Anyone who has ever used a switch knife would never use it the other way". This series of quotes, proving the 12th juror wrong, gives us an idea of how the 5th juror uses his childhood and teenage years of knowledge and past experiences to substantiate and support his argument. He, believing the defendant is innocent, uses his knowledge to prove his beliefs are right.

The 10th juror is a self-employed garage owner. He dislikes most of his fellow jurors and they dislike him. He sees other peoples' points as useless and disregards them. He deliberately repeats his points and expects people to listen.

He gives the impression that only he and the people who agree with him have valid arguments worth discussion. Unlike the 5th and 11th jurors, the 10th is rude, arrogant and has made up his mind that the accused is guilty. He is very eager to leave the jury room. Even the smallest amount of evidence is enough to convince him. The 10th juror makes various rude and impatient comments e.g. "Listen, I don't see what all this stuff about the knife has to do with anything.

Somebody saw the kid stab his father. What more do we need. I got three garages of mine going to pot while you " re talking. Let's get done and get outa here".

This particular remark highlights his impatience and ignorance. Like the 11th and the 5th jurors the 10th juror also bases his decisions on his past experiences whilst growing up. Instead of using his background knowledge to help the defendant, he uses it to try to convict him. e.g. "I don't mind telling you this, mister. We don't owe him anything. He got a fail trial, didn't he? What do you think this trial costs?

He's lucky he even got one. Know what I mean? Look we " re all grown ups here. We heard the facts, didn't we? Now you " re not going to tell me that we " re supposed to believe that kid, knowing what he is. I've lived among em all my life.

You can't believe a word they say. I mean, they " re born liars" This shows how he uses his experiences of growing up in a tough unstable environment against the defendant. The 10th juror bases his decisions on his view of his own past experiences with boys like the defendant. However, in a different manner to the 11th and 5th jurors. The 11th juror is articulate, polite, acute, mature and realistic. He is man from thought to be from the central - northern region of Europe, most probably Germany.

His profession is a watchmaker. This juror is an immigrant like the boy (The defendant). He understands the prejudice the boy encounters. However, it is not until the third vote that the 11th juror declares his verdict as that of not guilty.

From then and on he defends his position and tries to convince others of his decision. Although there is no evidence in the book of the 11th juror speaking of exactly where or how he grew up, we do know that he is an immigrant. By reading his quotes, it sounds like he would know that people often consider that immigrants are somehow inferior to or from lower socio- economic backgrounds than they are. Knowing this, the 11th juror addresses the jury in such a way as to prevent them assuming that the accused is merely a criminal "low-life".

On page 31, conflict arises among the jurors concerning the defendant and how he had returned to the crime scene 3 hours after the murder took place. The following set of quotes sums up what I have just written about the 11th juror: 11th juror: "This then depends on your definition of panic. He was calm enough to see to it that there were no fingerprints on the knife. Now where did his panic start and where did it end?" 3rd juror: "Look, you can forget all that other stuff. He still came home to dig out his knife and get rid of it".

11th juror: "Three hours later?" 3rd juror: "sure, three hours later" 11th juror: "If I was the boy and I had killed my father, I would not have come home three hours later. I would be afraid that the police would be their, knife or no knife". This shows the 11th juror speaking in favour of the defendant to convince his fellow jurors of the defendant's innocence. The 11th juror puts himself in the position of the defendant to prove his point. The 11th juror's background obviously has a big effect on his decisions. Being an immigrant, he is prepared to defend the boy from those who class them both as somehow inferior.

The three Jurors I have chosen don't have much in common at all apart from the one simple fact. This fact being that hey all base their decisions on their past experiences. One of the main reasons the jury's decisions in the book takes so long is because each juror (especially the 11th, 5th and 10th jurors) are so uniquely different.