2.      Your job is to watch the classic 1957 film 12 Angry Men.

3.      I’ve embedded the movie and the play via YouTube in a subsequent page. Please message me asap if the movie is down or otherwise compromised.

4.      As you’re watching and re-watching, take notes about rhetorical arguments and evidence.

5.      Essay prompt: In MLA style, analyze how Juror 8 persuades his fellow jurors.

6.      This is to be an in-depth psychological analysis of the methods Juror 8 uses to persuade eleven other jurors to adopt his position.

7.      Juror 8’s body language, attire, appearance, tone, inflection, approach, phrasing, and of course spoken rhetorical techniques are all areas you may address. In other words, everything about Juror 8 is fair game.

8.      Essay format will be MLA (rather than APA): standard 1″ margins, size 12 Times New Roman font, double-spaced, header (your last name and page number in upper right corner), heading (Name / Date / Eng 102–Davis / Analyze Movie), and title centered below heading.

9.      Essay’s total length is seven paragraphs: one intro + five bodies + one conclusion.

10.  Each paragraph is comprised of six to ten sentences.

11.   You must employ terminology from our Modules notes. I will be looking for at least ten of these terms:concessio, dubitatio, rhetorical jiu jitsu, rhetorical questions, decorum, phronesis, eunoia, volume control, backfire, litotes, proof, commonplace, inductive reasoning, kairos, and ad hominem.  Please do not discuss ethos, pathos, and logos, which are not specific enough (are too generic) for this essay.

12.  Movie and play titles go in italics; in other words, write 12 Angry Men instead of “12 Angry Men.”

13.   Spell out low numbers (e.g., write “eleven jurors” instead of “11 jurors”).

14.  Outline, draft, proofread, and rewrite your essay multiple times, giving special attention to grammar/punctuation and organization. Use the PowerProofreader to check your prose!

15.  Here’s how to organize your essay:

1.       As usual, the introductory paragraph (6-10 sentences) should open with a hook that catches your reader’s attention; next, give an overview of the film, and conclude your intro with a thesis sentence stating the purpose of your essay.

2.      Body paragraphs (you’ll write five body paragraphs of 6-10 sentences each) must open with transitions and topic sentences stating the main idea of each paragraph. Each topic sentence should focus on a specific persuasive technique or techniques used by Juror 8.

§  Sample transition and topic sentence opening a body paragraph: “Second, Juror 8 uses kairos to persuade his fellow jurors, perfectly timing his presentations and deliveries.”

§  Body paragraphs must cite quotations. In MLA style, this means typing (page # of script) after the quotation if you’re using the movie script as the source, or typing (time of scene) after the quotation if you’re using the film as the source.

§  Finally, each body paragraph should close with a concluding sentence that wraps up / pulls together the major and minor supporting details you’ve presented in that paragraph.

3.       Your conclusion paragraph should summarize Juror 8’s role on the jury. You may also include critical commentary or your opinion of the film, if you wish.

16.  You’ll upload your essay to Canvas through this week’s Assignment page, as usual.

17.   The Turnitin Similarity % might take a few minutes to appear, as your essay is being checked against a world-wide database. Hit “refresh” on your browser after five minutes if you don’t see the %.

o    Your Similarity Score should never exceed 20% in this class. You can view your % via the Assignment page > click on colored bubble where you submitted the essay, or via Grades > essay name > click on colored bubble.

18.  Have fun with this essay! The film is razor-sharp and delightful, and it’s still relevant after almost sixty years.