Essay On A Jury Of Her Peers

In the short story, “A jury of Her Peers”, the author Susan Glaspell clearly sets a theme of an entitlement to women which would allow two women thereby to act as a jury of Minnie Foster’s peers. Although, the law forbidden women jurors, these two women, Mrs. Hale the wife of the prosecutor and Mrs. Peters the sheriff’s wife were clearly summoned to determine the fate of Minnie Foster Wright. The allegorical courtroom is Minnie’s kitchen filled with evidence and motive of crime that seemingly goes unnoticed by the sheriff as well as the prosecutor. A crime that is hidden far from the outside world much like the home where Minnie lives. A place isolated, neglected, lonesome and worn. “It looked very lonesome this cold March morning. It had always been a lonesome-looking place. It was down in a hollow, and the poplar trees around it were lonesome-looking trees.” (Paragraph 6) While the men begin to look for

This small innocent dead bird would be the most convincing evidence of all that would support their theory of the mental/ cruelty and emotional abuse Minnie Foster suffered from her husband. It also helped the two women empathized with the victim Minnie Foster. An understanding/association they were familiar with as they reflect back of events in their own lives. “She liked that bird,” said Martha Hale, low and slowly. “She was going to bury it in that pretty box.” “When I was a girl,” said Mrs. 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. "If they hadn’t held me back I would have" - she caught herself, looked upstairs where footsteps were heard, and finished weakly-“hurt him” (Paragraph