Glaspell a jury of her peers. A Jury of Her Peers 2023-01-06

Glaspell a jury of her peers Rating: 8,1/10 668 reviews

"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.

A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell (1917)

glaspell a jury of her peers

By this time I--didn't know what to do. This is evident in the fact that John has no interest in installing a telephone. He picked up one of the quilt blocks which she had piled on to cover the box. And so I said: 'I want to see John. Hale would come too—adding, with a grin, that he guessed she was getting scary and wanted another woman along.

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A Jury of Her Peers Summary & Analysis

glaspell a jury of her peers

Hale, after a silence, "but it makes a quiet house--and Wright out to work all day--and no company when he did come in. The women stood close together by the door. Hale, "I don't--" She stopped. The county attorney walked toward the stair door. Hale confides in Mrs. The protagonists of the story are Martha Hale, friend to Minnie since childhood, and Mrs.

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Analysis of Susan Glaspell’s A Jury of Her Peers

glaspell a jury of her peers

Wright about the possibility of putting in a telephone line, which makes Mrs. She was small and thin and didn't have a strong voice. But now finding her bird dead with a broken neck, it is evident that Mr. Both women watched it as if somehow held by it. The men enter, and the women hide the bird. Peters says—it looks bad for her. Hale continued with his testimony, asserting that she did not seem to pay much attention to him and kept on pleating her apron absent-mindedly even when asked questions.

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A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell

glaspell a jury of her peers

A Jury of Her Peers Significance of the Title The title of the story highlights the differences between the two sets of juries of Minnie Wright — the traditional one of men who only view her as a murderer of her innocent husband even without conclusive evidence, and one of her fellow women who, despite having proof of her guilt, understand and sympathize with the long years of psychological abuse that lead to the act of murder. Peters, under her breath, "my kitten—there was a boy took a hatchet, and before my eyes—before I could get there—" She covered her face an instant. Her eyes made a slow, almost unwilling turn to the bucket of sugar and the half empty bag beside it. The women find a quilt that Minnie Wright was working on. Hale was saying: "Do you suppose she was going to quilt it or just knot it? Peters looked around the kitchen.

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A Jury of Her Peers Themes

glaspell a jury of her peers

Peters was going to take in? I s'pose she felt she couldn't do her part; and then, you don't enjoy things when you feel shabby. After the ladies find the dead canary, Mrs. We live close together, and we live far apart. Slowly she moved toward the table. Since gender roles are a central theme of this story, setting the action in the kitchen helps pull us into the female characters' world. Peters, in a shrinking voice.

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Glaspell's A Jury of Her Peers: Summary & Analysis

glaspell a jury of her peers

Gorman, sheriff's wife before Gorman went out and Peters came in, had a voice that somehow seemed to be backing up the law with every word. So I knocked again, louder, and I thought I heard somebody say, 'Come in. Just as the stair door opened Mrs. She looked up at Mrs. There was a moment when they held each other in a steady, burning look in which there was no evasion nor flinching. Peters, dropping the things on the table and hurrying to the stove.

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A Jury of Her Peers Summary

glaspell a jury of her peers

Peters the year before at the county fair, and the thing she remembered about her was that she didn't seem like a sheriff's wife. Seems mean to talk about her for not having things slicked up, when she had to come away in such a hurry. Peters is taking to Minnie at the jail, but then stops, laughing that the things are only harmless, womanly things. She used to sing. He killed that too. Hale to accompany them to the Wright farm to tell his story and help them look for clues. George Henderson starts to look through the things Mrs.


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A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell Plot Summary

glaspell a jury of her peers

I wonder where I could find a piece of paper--and string. Hale provide justice for Mrs. I do want to talk about that but, I'm anxious now to get along to just what happened when you got here. Peters, has to come along to pick up some things Minnie's asked for, and she's requested that Martha Hale come along, too. Peters didn't look like a sheriff's wife, Peters made it up in looking like a sheriff. Instantly her hand went to her nose.


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A Jury of Her Peers

glaspell a jury of her peers

I do want to talk about that, but I'm anxious now to get along to just what happened when you got here. This convinces the women that John killed the bird and that Minnie killed John in premeditated retribution. Hale immediately questions whether the women would know a piece of evidence if they found one. The men return to the kitchen and, in a sudden decision, Mrs. George Henderson considers whether anything in the kitchen could be evidence pertaining to the murder of John Wright, but Mr. The sheriff's wife did not reply. Both are based loosely on the Hossack case and both are considered feminist works because the leading female characters gain an understanding of the case that eludes the men in the story.

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A Jury of Her Peers

glaspell a jury of her peers

Scene from the 1980 film version of A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell, directed by Sally Heckel. No telling; you women might come upon a clue to the motive--and that's the thing we need. Hale said there was a gun in the house, and yet this was overlooked in favor of the more brutal act of strangling John Wright. They may be through sooner than we think. Wright was strangled to death, mirroring the death of the bird. Peters, and so I guess that's all I know that you don't. Henderson said, coming out, that what was needed for the case was a motive.

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