Thirteenth By Ava Duvernay: Film Analysis

Wherever we go, whether it be the grocery store, the mall, or even the couch, people are constantly bombarded by the elements of persuasion. For example, when buying a carton of milk, the advertisers will entice buyers with statistics and a list of healthy ingredients. Or while flipping through a magazine at the dentist's office, marketers draw the eyes in with bright colors and bold text. These elements of persuasion, rooted both in visual and logical appeals, can also be woven together to create an argumentative documentary. These documentaries, especially when considering controversial issues, have the power to broadcast important social messages to the world. This ability, however, can only be unlocked when the right rhetorical means are used to further their argument. The 13th, a documentary directed by Ava DuVernay, is a prime example of this. Released in October of 2016, this oscar-nominated film made an immediate impact due to its provoking message on the mass criminalization of African Americans in the United States, skilfully exploring the disproportionate amount of African Americans in prison. The success of this documentary can be attributed to its persuasive visual and audio tracks and its well timed arrival, ultimately influencing the viewer's passion to create a change in the world.

This targeting led to the incarceration, imprisonment, chain gangs, prison farms and other correctional facilities for tens of thousands of African American men, women, and children.” The idea of mass incarceration being used to systematically oppress black people has traveled to the surface with Michelle Alexander’s book, The New Jim Crow, and Taylor talks about the effect of mass incarceration. In the book, Alexander highlights that the majority of the African American men are either in prison or have some type of criminal record making it unable for them to vote and get jobs. Alexander describes the criminal justice systems as the “New Jim Crow,” a modern type of oppression for African Americans. Mass incarceration rate skyrocketed during the Drug War and many African American were jailed for several years for petty crimes, shown in the documentary 13th by Ava DuVernay. Alexander book shows the oppression of African American and is a statement to change our criminal justice system that is targeted to victimize African Americans. Ultimately, Taylor points out that not only do the police have the power to destroy your body, but by using their power to charge African American men for petty crimes they able to effectively keep African Americans in a lower-class status, supporting the white suprematist view manifested in our police force.

Primarily highlighted in the documentary is the idea of mass incarceration as “The New Jim Crow”, a phrase popularly used by author and civil rights advocate, Michelle Alexander in her book The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. As many already know with it being a significant part of American history, the Jim Crow era was a time of intense racial segregation of African Americans from whites with the former having drastically inferior positions in society. Many of the discriminatory practices that were upheld in the Jim Crow era, including discrimination in housing, jobs, and voting are illegal now if applied to blacks, but are perfectly legal when applied to prisoners, many of whom are

To dig deeper into this overrepresentation of black criminality, we have to look at the loophole in the Thirteenth Amendment, which allowed slavery as a form of punishment in the prison system. The policymakers recognized the opportunities to acquire forced labor through mass incarceration and made use of the perpetuating cycle of racial formation, where representations and the actions of the institution often reinforce each other. The structural institution, or the policymakers in this case, used overrepresentation of black criminality to racialize crime. The overrepresentation of racialized crime then validates the need of criminal laws and their unequal application across racial groups. In the end, the institution created the false representation that justifies its actions which further feed the representation. The vicious cycle introduced racial discrimination into the justice system and guided the process of mass incarceration.

The 13th characterize our criminal justice system and political institution as unfair and a racist system of oppression for certain color of race. This film gave me a better understanding of how the prisons were treating their prisoners. I was not aware that prisoners were forced into being treated and considered to be slaves. While watching this documentary I was able to understand that the country in which people called land of the free, it's not really the land of the freedom if this system treats prisoners as slaves. While watching the 13th I saw a particular case in which a group of African-American tennagers were arrested and accused of a crime that the system did not have concrete evidence of, but they were still arrested and spent

13th is a 2016 American documentary by director Ava DuVernay. The movie was captured and presented in the form of interviews with various people from the diverse background; from educator to politicians, from black to white, they all generally agree with the fact that mass incarceration has done nothing but damage the society and the people of color. As the movie tried to gather all the opinions and information from people with various socio-economic status, I think it is safe to assume that the primary purpose of this film is to serve the information without being polarized to one party. This movie has disenchanted people to realize that mass incarceration of people of color is a big problem. The reason why this topic has been overlooked for

The third critical book review for this class takes a look at “The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander published in 2012 by the New York Press. This book analyzes the problem with the incarceration system in the United States today that unfairly affects the African American community. This incarceration system is continuing to separate families, strip men of their freedom, and effectually make them into second class citizens upon release from prison as “free” men. She even describes that those who are convicted of these crimes are “relegated to a racially segregated and subordinated existence” (Pg. 4). Michelle Alexander is not only a published author but is also an active Civil Rights activist all while currently employed as an associate professor of law at Ohio State University. It is a very interesting read that coincides with where our class discussions have recently been. It argues that we as a country have not ended racial discrimination but just transformed it into a new type of caste system. It is an eye opening book that created an uncomfortable feeling while reading due to my level of ignorance on this topic prior to taking this class. I believe that this book will serve as an important narrative into fixing the race problems in this country because it brings to light what needs to be fixed. If any progress is made it will be because of books like this that expose the problems but starting to fix them will be the next step.

Many Americans, White and Black alike, think of prison as being one of the worst places on Earth. 13th further consolidates this viewpoint, but highlights the inequality within the justice system, as well as outside of it. The documentary covers the controversial topic of discrimination in the criminal justice system while emphasizing the government’s involvement in enforcing this discrimination through policies. 13th by Ava DuVernay has a strong use of the rhetoric pathos to portray the negative treatment of African-Americans in the criminal justice system; however, bias resides in the documentary, thus weakening the argument. DuVernay's use of pathos in 13th helps persuade the audience in her favor.

13th Analysis The “13th”, a documentary produced by Anya DeVernay, is about the discrimination and segregation of African Americans in society today. In 13th, she uses the point about prisons being filled with m in which the majority of the population are made up of African Americans to prove her argument about racial inequality. To strengthen her argument about racial inequality, DeVernay uses pathos, logos, and ethos in her documentary. Pathos, the use of emotions, is seen numerous times in the 13th.

The Thirteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution abolished all forms of slavery, except as a punishment for crime, but filmmaker Ava DuVernay wants Americans to look at the small loophole that has kept slavery alive for centuries. At the 2016 New York Film Festival, DuVernay released the documentary that has formed American society to open its eyes to the reality of the unjust criminal justice system titled 13TH. The film takes the audience on a journey from when the Thirteenth Amendment was passed in 1865 to modern day with mass incarceration as the focus. Ava DuVernay's documentary, 13TH, uses rhetorical devices, such as pathos, logos, and ethos, to expose naïve Americans who do not realize the reality of the corrupt prison system

Most notably, of the major effects of the Dred Scott decision were the passing of the 13th and 14th amendments that went into the constitution. The 13th amendment stated that: Neither slavery no involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, nor any place subject to their jurisdiction (A22). The 13th amendment abrogated the basic legal disability underlying black subordination in the south, and was the actual instrument that end two hundred year of chattel slavery in America and made blacks free under law (Weiner 188). In most recent news, a recent documentary has been released by Ava DuVernay about the 13th amendment that explores modern slavery within the prison

The 13th amendment of 1865 made people consider the use of slavery as a legal form of punishment for criminals. The amendment raises concerns over if African Americans were ever actually free in the United States. Although it states that the institution of slavery is illegal, it also states that slave labor is legal if in the form of punishment for incarcerated criminals. In 13th, Ava DuVernay employs the use of ethos, logos, and pathos through a variety of ways. Through the use of these techniques, Ava DuVernay connects them with vivid imagery to really drive her point that the 13th amendment did not necessarily end slavery, it just added a loophole that enslavers were able to use.

The thirteenth amendment was the first to abolish slavery, or so people say. The thirteenth amendment reads, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude except as punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction,” the constitution. This amendment could easily fool people into believing that all was right within the world. However, soon after this amendment was added to the constitution unjust laws started to pop up within the states, “When slavery was legally abolished. A new set of laws called Black Codes emerged to criminalize legal activity for African Americans. Through the enforcement of these laws, acts such as

The orthodoxy of mass incarceration has become imbedded in modern American culture. This American philosophy has permitted the construction of the most punitive carceral system in the world (Thompson 703). It remains that somewhere in the underpinnings of the United States, there live the elements required to generate and maintain it. Contemporary hyperpenality follows previous epochs in American history that gave rise to institutions such as slavery, lynching, and Jim Crow. Spectacles, such as the documentary 13th, have made attempts to represent the era of mass incarceration as yet another iteration of American violence weaponized by dehumanization. These endeavors to represent the penal system assume an immense amount of responsibility.

Another key individual discussed in 13th is Trayvon Martin. Trayvon Martin was killed by George Zimmerman. Zimmerman was not punished for this due to Florida’s stand your ground law. This law states that if one feels that their life is in danger, they have the right to react. This led to the formation of a movement from mother’s of African-American descent which started with a hashtag stating that black lives matter (Lee,2017).