Opening- Attention Getter

• In the eyes of the beholder, justice is blind. Specifically, in the eyes of Lady Justice, she is blind to corruption and sway.

Purpose of Piece and Rhetorical Situation

• “Contemplation of Justice” statue outside the Supreme Court
  • Miniature statue of Lady Justitia shows a woman inspired by Greek Goddess Themis, goddess of fair and equal justice
  • Blindfold to relay that justice must be blind, it must not rely on relationships, or status
  • Woman holds a scale, conveying the need for impartiality and weighing one side against the other
• Justice being blind has been referenced in many paintings, statues, and even propoganda uses
  • use in political cartoons is a different rhetorical situation
  • In use of statue outside of Supreme Court, larger woman gazes down at the figure of blindfolded Lady Justitia
  • Reminder for the Courts to stay impartial and replicate the “blindness” of Lady Justitia in their rulings

Questions, Claims, and Lenses

• Ideologies of justice, freedom, impartiality, balance, lack of emotional ruling, logic
  • Commonly found in American political ideologies, inspired from Greek teachings
    • Lady Justitia was inspired by Greek Goddess
  • True justice must be blind and consistently thought about is main ideology presented in statue
    • Its location outside the Supreme Court and depicting a larger woman gazing down upon the blindfolded figure of justice shows its physical presence in places such as the Supreme Court
    • A woman gazing down reminds that we too must stop and consider if the justice we dole out is truly blind
• Lens of ideological criticism can be applied
  • This ideology of justice is deeply rooted in American culture, but much debate in courts and in law practices
  • Many have used Lady of Justice in political campaigns and movements
  • This lens is most easily and appropriately used, possibly also consider lens of ways of establishing trust at the blinding of the Lady Justitia and the placement of statue

Broader Context

• Context of use outside Supreme Court to display the pillars of the US court system
  • Dating back to birth of country and love of jury judgement
  • Figure gazing down shows how we must consider the true impartiality of justice, but also how justice can change and must be examined consistently