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A Critical Analysis Of Susan Glaspell's A Jury Of Her Peers

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Taking a Stand:
A Critical Analysis of Susan Glaspell’s
“A Jury of Her Peers”
In the early 1900s, women’s rights were still a work in progress, as men during that time possessed much of the power that women were denied. During this time period, women did not have much a voice, but found ways to cope with their disadvantaged status. In Susan Glaspell’s “A Jury of Her Peers,” the author presents the theme of oppression towards women, which leads to the two wives of different backgrounds coming together and forming a feminist sisterhood against their oppressors: the men. Through the use of setting, symbolism, and tone, a clearer picture of what Minnie Wright struggled with is painted for the wives who express empathy towards her situation, which …show more content…

Peters did not want to be the only woman among men in the gloomy home where a tragedy occurred. As they drive up to the farm, which had “always been a lonesome-looking place” that was “down in a hollow,” Mrs. Hale is not in the mood to share small talk with Mrs. Peters (Glaspell 202). Many times in the past, she had had thoughts of guilt about how she “ought to go over and see Minnie Foster,” but was too busy (Glaspell 202). They enter the home and the wives spend most of their time in Mrs. Wright’s kitchen, which is where the story is centered since the majority of Minnie’s life is spent there. According to the excerpt from the essay "Small Things Reconsidered: Susan Glaspell's 'A Jury of Her Peers' " by Elaine Hedges, the Wright’s farm was isolated, Minnie was confined to her work as a farmer’s wife, and they did not have a telephone because Mr. Wright refused one (Hedges par. 5). This led to Minnie living a solitary life, lonely and cut off from others. Mrs. Hale frequently refers to Minnie by her maiden name because she was a different person before this isolation in her home and marriage. The Minnie she knew many years ago

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