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Lesson 9
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What I learned doing this assignment is determining the old ways up front, at the beginning of the script process but also the challenges to those old ways.
Quick Judgment (Old Way): Many jurors initially rely on quick judgments based on the defendant’s socio-economic background, assuming guilt due to stereotypes and biases.
Challenge: The challenge to this old way is presented by Juror 8 (played by Henry Fonda), who encourages a more thoughtful examination of the evidence and urges the jury to suspend judgment until a thorough discussion occurs.
Prejudice (Old Way): Several jurors hold prejudiced views based on the defendant’s race and background, affecting their perceptions of guilt.
Challenge: Juror 8 challenges these prejudices by urging the jurors to see the accused as an individual and not as a stereotype, fostering a more open-minded perspective.
Groupthink (Old Way): The jury initially exhibits groupthink, where members conform to the majority opinion without critically evaluating the evidence.
Challenge: Juror 8 disrupts the groupthink by encouraging independent thinking and challenging each juror to voice their individual opinions, fostering a more robust deliberation process.
Reliance on Authority (Old Way): Some jurors initially rely on the authority of the legal system and the prosecutor without critically questioning the evidence presented.
Challenge: Juror 8 challenges the blind reliance on authority figures by questioning the validity of the evidence and pushing for a closer examination, forcing the jurors to think independently.
Inflexibility (Old Way): Some jurors exhibit inflexibility by sticking to their initial positions without considering alternative perspectives or evidence.
Challenge: Juror 8 challenges this inflexibility by presenting alternative theories and evidence, encouraging the jurors to reevaluate their positions and remain open to reasonable doubt.
Conformity to Social Norms (Old Way): Social norms and the desire for a quick resolution push some jurors toward a guilty verdict without a thorough examination of the evidence.
Challenge: Juror 8 challenges the conformity to social norms by emphasizing the importance of individual responsibility and the serious consequences of a hasty decision on a person’s life.
Assumption of Infallibility (Old Way): Some jurors assume the infallibility of the legal system and the police investigation without considering the possibility of errors.
Challenge: Juror 8 challenges the assumption of infallibility by pointing out inconsistencies in the evidence and arguing that the jury’s role is to question and scrutinize the case.
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What I learned doing this assignment is determining the old ways for my script, in particular, my protagonist.
Reliance on Men (Old Way): Em is old school in his belief that men should be in charge, provide for women but that they should conform to this rule.
Challenge: Judith challenges this rule by being her own woman. She pretends or leads Em to think he’s in charge but in her own mind, she has no intentions of letting him be the boss.
That he could buy a family, love (Old Way): Em believed that he could buy Judith’s love, devotion, and his plan for a family.
Challenge: Judith disrupts Em’s plan by going along with it till the money runs out.
That his existing relationship with Kimberly is severed forever (Old Way): Their relationship was strained beforehand but since she refused to send the money, Em now believes he can never have a relationship with her again.
Challenge: Em must overcome the fact that he is no longer in charge of Kimberly and that she needs to do whatever he says. She is her own woman now. She can make decisions that he will disagree with. She will challenge him.
That his mental health is failing and that he must relinquish some control (Old Way): Em, even at 93, still does not want to concede authority or control.
Challenge: Em must learn and/or understand that he does not have the mental faculties he once had and that he needs to lean on and trust Kimberly more and more.
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