Theme/Meaning

The theme of the play was to give a whole look at information before making decisions that could affect the life or death of someone. All that wanted the alleged murder guilty they were going off prejudice and their preference on that person because of where he grew up, saying that he was naturally violent because of where he grew up and that all the people from their are like that. And that these areas bread criminals, in fact making the claim that because of where he is from he was automatically like that. The meaning behind the play was to give a story like this because it is always like this in the real world where stereotypes are made on someone based on where they live and that it connects on the way the are supposed to act. This play was meant to end that by saying that you must look at everything before making statements and accusing someone of something simply because of where he was from.

Drama Elements

The author adds this sort of mystery behind everything in the evidence that is given to the jurors and they all link to something. Each piece of evidence given has a twist to it to make the different jurors change their minds on if he is guilty. When Davis intricately explains why he believes that he is innocent I agree because he was making valid points and with everyone that helped him added facts to back up his statements and I agree with the ones who believe he was not guilty because they had facts and valid points. I think the playwright couldn't have done any better than what he did and the way that he did it because it is flawless and the characters each had something to add to the story. And as far as changing the mood I don't think changing the mood in anyway will make it better than what it already is.

Untold Story

The story 12 angry men can be seen as an untold story because the 18 year old who was on trial had an open case for murder and was left to the jury to decide whether or not he was guilty. All of the jurors thought he was guilty as soon as they received the information without knowing the full extent of the situation the day of the murder. The 18 year old on trial has an untold story on his hands and the only one who thinks otherwise than the other jurors. This then brings upon his untold story and Davis telling his story that he couldn't have committed the murder under all of the circumstances .During the whole play Davis and a few other jurors help him plead his innocence along with telling his story. The entirety of the whole play would have otherwise not been told simply if all of the jurors had just went off of the surface evidence instead of them digging and asking questions about the evidence given. This trial could have sent the 18 year old to the chair meaning he would die for the alleged murder and if the jury was right in pleading him guilty then they would have done the right thing and if not then he would have been put to the chair without his story being told.

The "Kaffir Boy" by Mark Mathabane

The “Kaffir Boy” by Mark Mathabane was a story about a grandmother and her grandson going to work for a white women in a region of Africa. The white people of that area having luxurious things such as houses, facilities, and schools while the original people that had lived there for generations are living in poverty. The hypocrisy of this is crazy and is seen when the character Clyde comes into play to really drive the point of the hypocrisy within the story. On lines 141 to 147, when in the main character's mind he’s realizing the hypocrisy between him and not only Clyde but the whole idea that the white people having everything and black people have nothing. Now that's been always but not entirely true because you see and read the way the black people were treated there and then you see it in our own country. So that is nothing new but when Clyde started making claims about the black people not being able to do certain things on line 165 to 170, but we see that Clyde is gathering these stereotypes from the teachers at his school on lines, 169-170 when he says, “ they have smaller brains, which are already filled with tribal music….My teachers you’re not people like us, because you belong to a jungle civilization.” Now when Clyde said this I felt that his perspective of these people were all the way off because of his teachers and I could see where the dangers of a short story are seen. He doesn't know how these people live and he can only believe one perspective cause that is all he sees and does not take into the fact of what they go through and the conditions they were dealt, because of these short stories. Short stories are not only seen in this instance but also many more, so it leaves you to think more and look deeper beyond the short stories you are told about whomever or whatever particular culture.

Girl By Jamaica Kincaid

The text by Jamaica Kincaid is a short story of a mother talking to her daughter about how to act and to react in certain situations as a girl becoming a women. Her mother is using very strong words to describe the type of women that she doesn't to become. The first instance she used this word was on line 13, “ and so to prevent yourself from looking like the slut I know you are so bent on becoming”. As a mother you shouldn't use language like this at whatever age the daughter is at, but regardless of that the mother is making it real clear that she does not want her daughter acting a certain way to prevent her from becoming a slut. Some might question that if the mother already sees a path of being a slut why give this long talk about not being one? To give a sense of caring but in a different form because calling her a slut and seeing a future of that implies that she has given up. Later within the short story the mother goes on to give rules and regulations as to what a women must do in certain situations as a women. Recently in class we talked about the dangers of a short story and how impactful they are on the judgment of others and perception. Being a women in many cases gives the short stories the power to believe that all women are meant to do is cook, clean, and have kids. Many people are bent on that idea and short stories are just the icing on the cake to give you false ideas about what women can do and are meant to do. Girl By Jamaica Kincaid a short story bent on the perspective of what women are expected to do. There are no character names so this is a message that pertains to anyone.

The Stolen Party by Liliana Heker

The “Stolen Party” by Liliana Heker is a story of a girl wanting to go to a party but her mother won't let her because of their social class and the mother's view and perspective on that social class. The mother in end was right about the rich that they were liars and users of people. Senora Ines lied about Rosaura being an actual guest and not being there only so that she can use her to help with the party. On lines 75 and 135, Senora Ines is using her for many things without telling her. On Line 40 when she is carrying the big jug of orange juice without spilling it, cutting and passing out cake to everyone and in the end of the story being handed money for her services when she thought she was guest. Then being called a pet on line 136. This story as a whole makes you wonder why the mother let her go when she knew that something wasn't right? The mother might have done this as a learning experience as a way to show her daughter that people are going to use you no matter what if you are their friends or not. Rich or poor it doesn't matter, that is why she gave into the fact she wanted to go to the party. The girl with the bow the cousin of Luciana was kind of a wake up call to Rosaura. When her cousin said that she would have known of her and she didn't means that Rosaura and Luciana are not real friends. The mother was also right about that too when on line 11 she said, “That one's not your friend, You know what you are to them? The maid's daughter. The mother was right about everything that happened in the story and “The Stolen Party”, is a message that there is a deeper meaning for everything and once you experience something you can then learn from it.