Glaspell a jury of her peers. Glaspell's A Jury of Her Peers: Summary & Analysis 2022-10-30
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"A Jury of Her Peers" is a short story written by Susan Glaspell in 1917. The story is set in a small town in Iowa and tells the tale of two women, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale, who are accompanying their husbands to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Wright, where Mr. Wright is suspected of killing his wife. While the men search for evidence of Mr. Wright's guilt, the women explore the house and discover a series of clues that suggest Mrs. Wright was a victim of abuse and neglect at the hands of her husband.
The story is notable for its portrayal of the lives and struggles of women in a male-dominated society. Through the characters of Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale, Glaspell illustrates the ways in which women are often overlooked and undervalued in the legal system and in society more broadly. Both women are intelligent and perceptive, but they are forced to stand by and watch as the men make all the decisions and conduct the investigation.
Despite their limited role in the official proceedings, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale are able to use their skills and knowledge of the household to uncover key pieces of evidence that help to shed light on the true nature of the crime. They find a box of canning fruit, which suggests that Mrs. Wright was isolated and unable to socialize with her neighbors. They also discover a birdcage with a broken door, which suggests that Mrs. Wright was trapped and unable to escape her unhappy marriage.
Through the characters of Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale, Glaspell challenges traditional gender roles and suggests that women have a unique and valuable perspective to offer in the legal system. The story highlights the importance of considering multiple viewpoints and of giving voice to those who are often marginalized and overlooked.
Overall, "A Jury of Her Peers" is a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of gender, power, and justice. Its portrayal of the lives and struggles of women in a male-dominated society is as relevant today as it was over 100 years ago, and its message of equality and fairness continues to resonate with readers around the world.
Susan Glaspell
She was startled by hearing Mrs. He was to a dot the kind of man who could get himself elected sheriff—a heavy man with a big voice, who was particularly genial with the law-abiding, as if to make it plain that he knew the difference between criminals and non-criminals. Peters acknowledges that she wished to hurt this boy in that instant. The two women had drawn nearer, and now the sheriff's wife spoke. Wright's canned fruit has been ruined, Mr. Getting all stirred up over a little thing like a—dead canary. This is evident in the fact that John has no interest in installing a telephone.
A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell Plot Summary
The women notice that having its neck wrung must have killed the dead bird—its head is twisted to the side. They intuitively understand the motives and problems that the men fail to see, showcasing a sensitivity and keen observation. I'd spoke to Wright about it once before; but he put me off, saying folks talked too much anyway, and all he asked was peace and quiet—guess you know about how much he talked himself. Hale's hand was on the sewing basket in which the box was concealed. Wright was strangled to death, mirroring the death of the bird.
The men talked for a minute about what a good thing it was the sheriff had sent his deputy out that morning to make a fire for them, and then Sheriff Peters stepped back from the stove, unbuttoned his outer coat, and leaned his hands on the kitchen table in a way that seemed to mark the beginning of official business. Hale continues with his tale, explaining that he went to get a neighbor named Harry, and the two of them went upstairs and found John dead. The sheriff's wife did not reply. The cover was off the wooden bucket, and beside it was a paper bag—half full. I sew awful queer sometimes when I'm just tired. But what her eye took in was that her kitchen was in no shape for leaving: her bread all ready for mixing, half the flour sifted and half unsifted. She looked up at Mrs.
Glaspell's A Jury of Her Peers: Summary & Analysis
Holding this block made her feel queer, as if the distracted thoughts of the woman who had perhaps turned to it to try and quiet herself were communicating themselves to her. And yet"—with a little bow to her—"I know there are some Dickson County farm-houses that do not have such roller towels. One piece of the crazy sewing remained unripped. We ought to take a look at these windows. The two women sat motionless, not looking at each other, but as if peering into something and at the same time holding back. Peters says that the men are only doing their job.
Analysis of Susan Glaspell’s A Jury of Her Peers
. Time and time again it had been in her mind, "I ought to go over and see Minnie Foster"--she still thought of her as Minnie Foster, though for twenty years she had been Mrs. For the women, things aren't that simple. So she had dropped everything right where it was. Hale, caught up in her own train of thought, says that John Wright must have broken the neck of the songbird. Hale, after a glance around. Repeated illusions to this evidence allow the reader to fully appreciate the drastic step the women later take in hiding it.
He caught sight of the bird-cage. Peters is less empathetic, until she harkens back to two of her own memories. Peters looked from the dead bird to the broken door of the cage. Hale suggests that Mrs. Peters, and there was something in the other woman's look that irritated her. Peters if she thinks that Mrs.
The sheriff's wife, Mrs. Her hand not steady, Mrs. Hale to tell his story of the events of the previous day at the farmhouse. She looked up at Mrs. Peters finds an empty birdcage. Hale, "I don't--" She stopped.
But that—oh, that was twenty years ago. Hale spread some of the blocks on the table. But I opened the door--this door," jerking a hand toward the door by which the two women stood. They suppose that Minnie was anxious or tired or otherwise upset when she was sewing. I wish I had come over to see Minnie Foster sometimes. For that matter, a sheriff's wife is married to the law. Meanwhile, the men are unable to procure any evidence.