Susan Glaspell Story A Jury of Her Peers

In Susan Glaspell short story, “AJury of Her Peers,” the role of men and women is distinctly realized. In the time period Susan Glaspell wrote this short story, 1917, the roles of men and women were defined. Kitchen and household work was woman’s work and field work and working outside of the home was a man’s job. In this time period. also. women were not encouraged to educate themselves, they were thought of as weak and unable to handle the stress of a world outside the home.

Men were encouraged to be educated and expected to handle anything that happened in their life. The reader can clearly see the distinctive roles the women, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters have In the story, “AJury of Her Peers,” versus the roles the men have in the story. In the short story, “AJury of Her Peers,” the reader sees the woman standing by the front door in the Wright home and is asked by Young Henderson, the county attorney, “Come up to the fire, ladies”.

The women respectfully decline, seeming uncomfortable about entering the room, The men are warming their hands over the stove in conversation about what is expected to be covered on this visit to the Wright house. It is known by all that Mr. Wright was murdered here last night, The men are looking for physical evrdence of who mite have committed this crime, The women are there to gather items for Mrs. Wright, also known as Minnie Foster, who has been taken into custody for the suspension of killing her husband.

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As the men finish up in the kitchen/Sitting area, they go upstairs. Mrs. Peters asks Mrs. Hale to help her gather the items of clothing Minnie Foster had asked for early that morning at Mrs. Peter’s house, In their gathering of the items for Mrs, Wright, the women discover a broken bird cage and a “pretty box” With a dead canary wrap in a piece of silk cloth. Due to the drabness of Minnie Foster’s home, Mrs. Hale states, “I should think she would’ve wanted a bird”.

The bird would bring happiness and music to her. along with happy thoughts of her younger years. Mrs. Hale explains to Mrs. Peter that Mr. Wright was a good but gruff man. He distanced himself from people and possibly his wife. The men return from up stairs. The women hide the box the bird is found in from the men. The men go outside to the barn continuing to look for physical evidence of a possible intruder and motive of the crime. After the men leave the room, again, the ladies inspect the dead mm more closely. The women discover the bird’s neck had been wrung, turned completely around. The women stare at each other in horror and personal thought of the loneliness Minnie Foster must have felt when the only joy in her live was gone. Each woman knows the loneliness of being alone.

At this point. the women realize they have just discovered the motive of why Minnie Foster would have murdered her husband. As the short story “AJuiy of Her Peers,” by Susan Glaspell, ends. the reader can concluded that yes indeed Minnie Foster had been judged by her peers. Two women who know the stillness and loneliness of county life and in Mrs. Wright’s case a cold distance husband. For this reason, the women choose to hind the one thing that is incriminating evidence, the dead canary. The compassion of Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peter has possibly made it possible for Minnie Foster to have a more happy life in the future.