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To Kill A Mockingbird And 12 Angry Men Comparison

Decent Essays

The novel To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee and film 12 Angry Men directed by Sidney Lumet, both touch on similar themes of justice and prejudice. When contrasting the two texts it is evident that there are many foils which display their own strong personal characteristics yet keep those themes at the core of their character. Generally, influence is a result of conformity, when people begin to make change in their actions and heart, others follow suit to feel included. This is the case in the texts, individuals manage to convince groups of people by creating a norm to be followed. It is more so a case of influencing individuals who in turn convince others. This is because people like to feel included, and not as though they are outcasts.
The influence of society upon characters in both the film and novel is imminent. However, each has a person who is not influenced by society’s expectations. In To Kill a Mockingbird it is Atticus Finch and in 12 Angry Men it is Juror 8. As both are resilient men, they are capable of thinking for themselves and can establish their own opinions on pressing issues even though “it’s not easy to stand alone against the ridicule of others”. Rather than just follow the crowd, they believe that everybody is “entitled to full respect for their opinions”, whether just or not. Furthermore, their high levels of education play a strong part in both character’s moral and strong-willed natures. Blocking out the need for hatred in their lives

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