Discussion: "A Jury of Her Peers" v. "Schindler's List"
  1. The short story by Susan Glaspell raises at the question of whether an accused woman really would have "A Jury of Her Peers" if all the jurors were male. "Schindler's List" demonstrates that there was no justice for Jews under the Nazi regime. In both stories, the key characters try to rectify this injustice by violating the law. Look at each case and judge:
    1. Was this a morally justifiable choice?
    2. What are your reasons for making this judgment? What are your assumptions?
    3. What category of moral reasoning are you using?
  2. Thomas Keneally, the author of the book, Schindler's List, remarked in an interview that what drew him to the character of Oskar Schindler was his strange combination of goodness and evil. Times were such that only a scoundrel could do righteousness.
    1. In what ways do you agree or disagree with Keneally?
    2. What does this teach about good and evil in the world?
  3. The film subtly describes Oskar Schindler's transformation.
    1. What experiences changed him?
    2. At what point was it clear that he had changed?
    3. Can a human being "grow" a conscience?
    4. How did Itzchak Stern, the Jewish manager, change his attitude toward Schindler?
    5. What was the significance of the little girl in the red coat?
  4. Imagine that a plague of violence erupts in your community, and a refugee family arrives at your door seeking safety.
    1. Would you be prepared to risk your life and the lives of your family to save these strangers, different from you in so many ways?
    2. What would be your reasons for making this decision?
    3. What are your assumptions and conclusions?
    4. What category of moral reasoning are you using?
  5. Should we teach children (including our own) this ethic of heroic self-sacrifice and responsibility? Should that be part of their character education? Why or why not? What would be the full implications of such a way-of-life? What are your assumptions and conclusions? What category of moral reasoning are you using?