Democracy And 12 Angry Men

In “12 Angry Men” by Reginald Rose and “Democracy” by Langston Hughes, both speakers want equality and fairness. Although they share the same opinion, both writers speak from opposite sides of society’s borders, and this influences their perspectives of democracy. Rose wants people to think about the decisions they make in a democracy and to treat others equally and be fair, while Hughes just wants equal rights.

In Rose’s 12 Angry Men, the theme is to think critically about important decisions in a democracy because your decision can influence someone in a series of different ways, and deciding too quickly is unfair. Rose’s passage supports her theme when the third juror states:”3RD JUROR:...[To the 8th Juror..]“I really think this is one of

He states in his poem, “I have as much right as the other fellow has to stand on my own two feet and own the land...” (Hughes 111) meaning he has the right to own land and stand tall freely, without someone segregating him like a white man. He’s trying to say that he deserves his rights, and also states, “democracy will not come today, this year, nor ever through compromise and fear…” (Hughes 111) because he knows democracy and everyone’s freedom and rights will not come unless someone stands up to fight for them instead of letting time pass. Another line Hughes wrote, “I do not need my freedom when I’m dead. I cannot live on tomorrow’s bread.” (Hughes 112) Supports him because he will not need his freedom when he’s dead, meaning he thought it was time for someone to stand up and do something to get the rights they deserved. Holbrook and Langston Hughes share a similar point of view. They both want fairness and equality. However, Holbrook’s poem describes a bad situation with no solution. Hughes’s poem makes a demand for change. Using different literary formats, the two authors reveal their own perspectives about the importance of equality in a