Essay Example on Gambler's Jury: Danielle Rollins' Fierce Lawyering

Introduction

"A Gambler's Jury" was written by Victor Methos and the main character is Danielle Rollins. She does not give a good impression the first time readers meet her. Despite being an accomplished lawyer, her life is a mess. The author introduces her as a drunk woman rushing to get to her court appearance. Despite her persona, Rollins is a fierce lawyer known for winning severe cases. Moreover, she has many clients who seek her services (Ash, Chen, & Naidu, 2017). She appears in a court wearing the same clothes from the previous day. She does not look professional but is passionate about her job. There are parts of the book that would be easy to adapt to and those that would resist translation. Filmmakers would have an easy time adapting to some parts of the text, such as the character's personal life, while other elements such as the court verdict would meet resistance. This paper discusses parts of the story that would be easy to adapt, those that would resist translation, and challenges experienced by filmmakers in adapting the text.

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Parts of the Story that would be Easy to Adapt

Danielle Rollins' personal life meet be easy to adapt to. She is a renowned lawyer who is known for handling tough cases. Filmmakers love such stories because they are inspirational, and the audience can relate to them. Moreover, Rollins experiences issues that affect her work and social life. She is introduced as an alcoholic who does not have her life in order (Ash, Chen, & Naidu, 2017). Despite having a serious case the next day, she opts to drink. Moreover, she goes to the court drunk and untidy. It would be easy to adapt to Rollins' personal life because everyone has issues. She is not perfect, and a filmmaker can use her store to teach the audience.

Danielle Rollins' character would be easy to adapt to. Despite looking like someone who can fail her clients, she is there for them. She is serious about her work and cares about her clients. She tells them to call her Dani. She is not a high and mighty lawyer, but someone who understands her clients' problems. She is committed to her work and never fails her clients (Ash, Chen, & Naidu, 2017). It would be easy to adapt to Rollins' character as a filmmaker. People love committed and dedicated individuals like Rollins. She is the epitome of compassion and humor. When her son asks her to represent a mentally challenged teenager, she agrees. Therefore, it is easy to like the main character because of her good intentions.

Another part of the story that would be easy to adapt is how hardworking Rollins is. When she hears the story about the mentally challenged teenager caught selling drugs, she starts getting ready for the case. She knows that it will be a tough case because of the witnesses' testimony, but this does not prevent her from building a case to defend her client. A filmmaker would identify with the Rollin because of how cool she is. He would not mind sharing her story to inspire the audience.

Parts of the Story that would Resist Translation

There are certain parts of the story that would meet resistance in translation. The first part is the mentally challenged teenager caught in a drug-selling scenario. It is hard to believe that such a person would be accused of such a crime. It is baffling that the prosecution did not perform a psychiatric test on the teenager before starting the case. Therefore, it would be difficult to convince the audience that a mentally challenged teenager can face a trial. The movie "The Hate You Give" (2018) is about a young girl who rises against police brutality and unfairness. The text is unfair and would cause people to rise against such acts in society.

Danielle Rollins' hygiene would meet resistance in translation. The story says that despite being untidy and unprepared for a court appearance, it is still okay. Some translators would have a hard time telling the audience that personal hygiene does not matter provided the job is done.

The witnesses' testimony in the case would meet resistance in translation. Witnesses had similar stories. All of the accused the teenager of selling drugs. However, they did not have answers to some of the questions that the defense had, which made unreliable. It would be difficult for a filmmaker to convince the audience that witnesses were telling the truth. Moreover, some people support the witnesses' testimony against the boy. They believe that the jury did the right thing in siding with the prosecution. The translation would meet resistance because people are divided on the outcome.

Another aspect of the story that would meet resistance is the race issue. Race is a sensitive issue in the country. Some people argue that it does not exist, while others say it affects every aspect of their lives. In this case, Rollins' argued that white witnesses ignored the teenager's mental state and only focused on his skin color. The final verdict confirmed her remarks (Two Sentence Books Club, 2018). The story raises the issue of race in America and how it affects the justice system. Moreover, it shows how a jury can overlook important issues because of one's race. Rollins urged them to focus on matters at hand, but that did not work. "The Back Power" (1967) is a film about racial inequalities in the justice system and how the black community rises against mistreatment. The movie is an example of what the mentally challenged teenager is going through. Despite the jury seeing his condition, they do not support him. Instead, they make a decision based on his appearance. The movie shows the turning point for black people.

The verdict would meet translation resistance among some filmmakers. Those who feel that the jury sided with the prosecution because of the boy's skin color would have a difficult time translating the text. Furthermore, black people felt the justice system was against them, and there was nothing they could do or say to prove their innocence (Lacee, 2018). Many people were shocked by the verdict. Rollins felt confident about winning the case and was surprised by the outcome. Filmmakers would have a difficult time translating the text because the audience would not be interested in reading it. Moreover, they risk wasting time and resources, translating the book only to end up staying on the shelves. Hence, the verdict was met by opposition, and chances of successful translation is slim. People would be cautious about reading or identifying with the text.

Social Challenges in Adapting the Text

A filmmaker may experience social problems in adapting to the text. Many people disagree with the verdict, and taking up the text may destroy someone's reputation. Moreover, one may lose friends who believe the jury made a bad decision by siding with the prosecution. Adapting the text requires filmmakers to report everything (PDF Duck, 2018). The person may be uncomfortable discussing the jury's verdict. Social isolation is another challenge that a filmmaker may encounter. Translating the text takes time and requires commitment. People may not understand why one is spending a lot of time on a text they do not support.

Economic Challenges

Resources are needed to translate the text. A filmmaker may not have enough money for the job. Moreover, it will be difficult getting support from friends and families who do not support the text. Therefore, one may spend a lot of resources translating a text that they are not sure about its reception.

Technical/ Spectatorial Challenges

A filmmaker may have a difficult time translating the text because of technical issues. Someone from a different background may not understand words used, which forces them to consult. It is time-consuming and finding the right person to solve technical issues is difficult (Lacee, 2018). Moreover, a filmmaker would have difficulty relating to the text because of technical issues. Instead of reading, and understanding what the author is relaying, a filmmaker is busy searching technical terms. Therefore, technical issues in the text demoralize filmmakers from adapting the text. They start viewing it as a burden, instead of something they love.

"A Gambler's Jury" talks about the life and work of Danielle Rollins. She is a committed lawyer who does everything to help her clients. However, she is stunned when she loses a case against her recent client, a mentally challenged teenager. Parts of the story that would meet resistance include Rollins' personal life, and work. Her personal life is a mess, and she is divorced. She is hardworking and puts her clients' interests first. Aspects of the story that would resist translation include Rollins' untidiness, witnesses' testimony, race, and the final verdict. A filmmaker would experience social, economic, and technical challenges in adapting the text.

References

Ash, E., Chen, D. L., & Naidu, S. (2017). Ideas Have Consequences: The Effect of Law and Economics on American Justice. Available at SSRN 2992782.

Lacee Worthinton (2018), Book Review: A Gambler's Jury by Victor Methos. The Odyssey. TheOddysseyonline.com

PDF Duck (2018), A Gambler's Jury by Victor Methos Summary. Pdfduck.com.

Two Sentence Books Club (2018), A Gambler's Jury by Victor Methos. Twosentencebookclub.wordpress.com