Central Resource Library’s interior will be closed on Saturday, Sept. 23 for Johnson County Library Foundation’s annual fundraising event, Library Lets Loose. The holds pickup window will remain open.
An encapsulating journey that presents the dynamics of 12 men as they attempt to prove a boy “guilty” or “not guilty” for the charge of murder. All jurors must unanimously agree on whether or not the boy is responsible for the crime. Some vote based on “undeniable proof,” some on preconceived notions, and others for no certain reason. Reasonable doubt can change it all. It is captivating and intriguing to watch 12 jurors as they attempt to convince one another of the suspect’s guilt or innocence using systematic logic, or less substantial matters.
In the play-write A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry describes the resulting conflicts
in a poor African American family, the Youngers, who suddenly acquire a large sum of money:
10,000 dollars in life insurance from their father's death. Within the Younger family household,
we have Lena younger, her two adult children Beneatha and Walter, Walter's wife Ruth, and her
and Walter's child, Travis. Together they are staying in a small two-bedroom apartment that
One of the classic romantic plays that everyone knows about, even if they haven’t read it yet, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is a lyrically written tragedy that revolves around two forbidden lovers whose families despise each other. You read about how Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet find desperate ways to allow them to be together, even though they aren’t supposed to. I wasn’t disappointed by this classic tragedy written by William Shakespeare.
When life gives you tennis balls, turn them into cannonballs! “Henry V” is written by William Shakespeare and is one of the greatest works of patriotism ever. The star of the story is a young and rowdy man who was most known at the time as Harry. Harry finds himself as the king of England after his father, Henry IV, dies. After a few bitter civil wars, the people of England are restless and dissatisfied, and Harry needs to prove to his people that he is worthy.
This poetic, engaging work of Shakespeare is probably one of the best loved plays out of all of Shakespeare’s plays. This is a play about many pairs of Lovers. You meet a few groups that play a big part in the story- the young lovers, workers coming together organizing a play, and fairies. I loved the poetic style of writing used and how you got to know the characters. It really makes you feel the love shared between the people though you also experience the deceiving acts of jealous, desperate people. I thought it was well written and presented a beautiful view of classic love.
“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” Hundreds of years after William Shakespeare’s death, and audiences are still entranced by his plays. Hamlet is no exception, as it is regarded as one of the greatest plays of all time. The book is about how the young Prince of Denmark (Hamlet) reacts when he discovers the life-changing news that, not only is the King (Hamlet’s father) dead, but his mother has married the Claudius, the King’s brother, and Claudius is now king.
A Raisin in the Sun is a 1959 play by Lorraine Hansberry that focuses on an embattled family in south Chicago as they attempt and discuss ways to improve their lives financially after an insurance payout following the death of the patriarch in the family. In this quick but compelling play, Hansberry thoughtfully focuses heavily on racism, housing discrimination, and assimilation.
Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, can fit into the Tragedy/Drama/Fiction genres. Willy Loman returns back home, while listening to a sweet flute. He realizes that he is a failure, as a father and a husband. Willy’s sons, Happy and Biff, are not successful, and Willy's career is falling. Biff, who constantly argues with his father, has nothing to say to him, even after coming back to his hometown. However, after one incident, everything changes.
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a masterpiece of chaos .After Hamlet’s father is killed by his uncle, Claudius, Hamlet must try and avenge his father’s death. After several secret plots come into play, a lot more people end up dead than Claudius. No one in Hamlet makes the most straightforward choice; all of the characters make emotional, rash decisions.
Twelve Angry Men was a confusing book in my mind. The play was written differently than many others but once I understood how it worked, I loved how these characters fought about everything. There were Twelve Jurors and each of them had a different opinion on the case. After many days of a court proceeding, they were deciding if a boy killed his father. There was much evidence towards guilty but Juror 8 was more of a protagonist and defended this boy. He thought there was a reasonable doubt.
