Are All Twelve Men Really Angry?

    The first major component to the characterization of the jury members is their lack of names. Having to constantly look back to see which juror said what to whom was initially an annoyance, but as I got farther into the first act, the namlessness started to make sense. By not naming the characters anything other than Jurors 1-12, and only giving minimal details about professions and interests, it is impossible for readers to judge based on appearance. It gives off a "the truth has no face" vibe that is further built upon by the author's ability to build character without giving any indications towards physical appear. In fact, as a direct contrast to Maggie, the idea of race is simply eliminated (save for one middle-European immigrant). It leaves the reader to develop a completely non-biased opinion of these jurors, and also of the accused and his victim.
   By only building characterization through dialogue, personalities shine through in words and actions. We get a few back stories thrown into the script, like the man "making a man" out of his son, which keeps building on this idea of facelessness. Because we never get a description, we can't consciously put a face to their problems, so as not to build on our own prejudices. This book generally reminds me of a music video I saw once for a song about abuse, where the abusers face was never shown. "Independence Day" by Martina McBride never puts a specific face on the abuser, so that we don't associate his look with an abuser. It helps to contribute to the story that any one can come from any background and experience anything, just like our jurors.
   What concrete facts we do get about our characters are professions and facts about a few of them. Juror 4 is a broker - very analytical and diligent.  Juror 3 is the owner of a messenger service, which tells me he likes to always be in the know (almost like a busybody). Juror number 7 is quite the die-hard baseball fan, which can symbolize the righteous true blooded all American (not necessarily a good thing). The eleventh juror is our German immigrant, which is Juror 7's foil (an outsider) and also a watchmaker.  Juror 8, the "hero" of the play, is an architect with a level, calculating mind. Juror 12 is an advertising agent, and the most fickle among our cast (he knows what the people want). Juror 5 is the man from the tough past, the one who is the "exception" to the awful people from the slums. Juror 10, is the outspoken garage owner that knows everything about everyone. To sum up the rest, there is a meticulous house painter, and a wise elderly man. Each profession says something about these men, because of the lives they chose to live. So without giving us very many details at all, Rose aids us in building a mental picture, without a picture at all.