In the words of the thought that crosses every judge or jurors mind, justice is a fickle mistress, entirely dependent upon the context it is placed in and the lenses through which one views it. Demonstrating this concept perfectly, “A Jury of Her Peers” by Susan Glaspell was published in 1917, a time period littered with the glaringly obvious disparities between men and women’s societal roles. Originally adapted from Glaspell’s one-act play Trifles, “A Jury of Her Peers” is a fictional account of the murder of John Hossack, purportedly by his wife, covered by Glaspell, who at the time reported for the Des Moines Times. Glaspell’s career in both playwriting and short stories include a plethora of major works, including short stories “Finality
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As she is summoned to leave, Mrs. Hale’s only thought is that “Her kitchen was in no shape for leaving: her bread was all ready for mixing, half the flour sifted and half unsifted”(Glaspell 143). Fretting over the trivial is a seemingly woman thing to do, made clear when Mr. Hales dismissively comments “with good-natured superiority, ‘women are used to worrying over trifles’”(Glaspell 148). Briefly, it is worth mentioning that “trifles” in the aforementioned quote is a clear reference to Glaspell’s original play. And yet, concerning herself with trifles is what leads Mrs. Hale to suspiciously note the kitchen’s state of disrepair and eventually assemble the abysmal life of Minnie Wright, proving the true viability of women justice administration. Women are often perceived as more intuitive than logical, but it is this very intuition that allows the women to discover and mask incriminating evidence against Mrs. Wright. With this, the suspenseful mood is kept as the women scramble to keep the evidence from the men, effectively keeping them in the dark. The theme is also made apparent as Mrs. Hale, representative of women, surpasses expectations and takes on an unconventional gender role in dishing out …show more content…
Martha Wright. In the words of Mrs. Hale, “she was kind of like a bird herself. Real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and--fluttery. How--she--did--change”(Glaspell 156). Her words practically spell out the symbolism, and to carry on the metaphor, the same way the bird is dead, Minnie Foster, a maiden name, is dead, leaving behind Minnie Wright, a mere shell of who she once was(Bendel-Simso). The true murderer is John Wright, who “slowly strangled Minnie's spirit over the previous two decades, isolating her physically and mentally from the community of women”(Bendel-Simso). Mainly, the true crime committed isn’t the murder of John Wright, but rather the “spiritual homicide”(Bendel-Simso) of Minnie Foster. The women, for all of their worrying over naught, are able to piece together the woeful life of Minnie Foster through small signs strewn about the kitchen and stitched into her quilt, comprehending in a way that only women can. Through these discoveries, “It slowly dawns on Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peter that years and years of stifling, enforced solitude was in itself a form of murder that must be avenged” (Bendel-Simso). Despairing tones are sprinkled into the uncertain mood as the abuses Mrs. Wright endured are brought to light, and, contrary to the men’s earlier provincial comments, only the women happen upon these clues, solidifying their role in
As she is summoned to leave, Mrs. Hale’s only thought is that “Her kitchen was in no shape for leaving: her bread was all ready for mixing, half the flour sifted and half unsifted”(Glaspell 143). Fretting over the trivial is a seemingly woman thing to do, made clear when Mr. Hales dismissively comments “with good-natured superiority, ‘women are used to worrying over trifles’”(Glaspell 148). Briefly, it is worth mentioning that “trifles” in the aforementioned quote is a clear reference to Glaspell’s original play. And yet, concerning herself with trifles is what leads Mrs. Hale to suspiciously note the kitchen’s state of disrepair and eventually assemble the abysmal life of Minnie Wright, proving the true viability of women justice administration. Women are often perceived as more intuitive than logical, but it is this very intuition that allows the women to discover and mask incriminating evidence against Mrs. Wright. With this, the suspenseful mood is kept as the women scramble to keep the evidence from the men, effectively keeping them in the dark. The theme is also made apparent as Mrs. Hale, representative of women, surpasses expectations and takes on an unconventional gender role in dishing out …show more content…
Martha Wright. In the words of Mrs. Hale, “she was kind of like a bird herself. Real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and--fluttery. How--she--did--change”(Glaspell 156). Her words practically spell out the symbolism, and to carry on the metaphor, the same way the bird is dead, Minnie Foster, a maiden name, is dead, leaving behind Minnie Wright, a mere shell of who she once was(Bendel-Simso). The true murderer is John Wright, who “slowly strangled Minnie's spirit over the previous two decades, isolating her physically and mentally from the community of women”(Bendel-Simso). Mainly, the true crime committed isn’t the murder of John Wright, but rather the “spiritual homicide”(Bendel-Simso) of Minnie Foster. The women, for all of their worrying over naught, are able to piece together the woeful life of Minnie Foster through small signs strewn about the kitchen and stitched into her quilt, comprehending in a way that only women can. Through these discoveries, “It slowly dawns on Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peter that years and years of stifling, enforced solitude was in itself a form of murder that must be avenged” (Bendel-Simso). Despairing tones are sprinkled into the uncertain mood as the abuses Mrs. Wright endured are brought to light, and, contrary to the men’s earlier provincial comments, only the women happen upon these clues, solidifying their role in