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Examples Of Misogyny In A Jury Of Our Peers

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The Trifles of Misogyny and Collective Experience
Different experiences are a core aspect of humanity. Many face contrasting circumstances, and those situations are what cause emotion and experience. Some people raised in similar circumstances or terms can feel a special connection with each other, such as the connection the women experience in Susan Glaspell’s “A Jury Of Our Peers,” Set in the early 1900s, Glaspell’s short story tells the tale of a murder investigation, and follows the experience Martha Hale brings as she investigates the murder of a man in her small town. The story explores the notions of misogyny and discrimination against women in the world of law. The story also demonstrates the connection and strength of empathy Mrs. …show more content…

After finding a suspicious and poorly made quilt at the scene of the crime, the women bring it up to the attorney and mention how the unorganized style of knitting was very unusual for the wife of the deceased, Mrs. Wright, to be knitting. The text narrates, “There was the sound of a knob turning in the inner door. Martha Hale snatched the box from the sheriff's wife, and got it in the pocket of her big coat just as the sheriff and the county attorney came back into the kitchen. Well, Henry," said the county attorney facetiously, "at least we found out that she was not going to quilt it. She was going to--what is it you call it, ladies?"..."We call it--knot it, Mr. Henderson."’ (Glaspell). The women used their experience dealing with the chores normally assigned to them, such as knitting, in order to deduce the things for the crime scene. The women use the quilting technique to evaluate the mental health of Mrs Wright. Even though the women were contributing valid evidence, the men dismissed it as meaningless chatter. In Laura Zaidman’s evaluation of Glaspell’s short story she writes how “Glaspell dramatizes gender differences to foreshadow the women’s rebellion. The women, for example, respond sympathetically on seeing the mess from broken ars of fruit, upset at the futility of a woman's hard work in the intense summer heat On the other hand, the men berate …show more content…

When at home the women are subjected to monotonous chores that are laid onto them by the men and have to cope with the thought that they will never get to work towards something greater. Women are assigned to sexist roles that they have to act out within their community. Because both women were subject to such similar roles Mrs. Hale, Mrs. Peters, and Mrs. Wright develop a bond with each other through their shared experiences. During this time period the women do not have a support system for the misogyny and sexism they face. The men ridiculed the women for their gender and because of this they experienced a unique female expression when faced with sexism. At the end of the story, even though Mrs. Wright is guilty of the crime, the women are able to justify the death of Mr Wright because they understand the abuse she was being subjected to. Women face many inequalities compared to men and are placed in specific social roles to keep them from speaking out. “A Jury of Her Peers” examines the way these experiences draw women together to form an empathetic

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The comment from Sheriff Peters is meant to remind the woman that they are once again focusing on Trifles, however, the Quilt’s shift in stitching represents a shift in Minnie's mental state, The woman also confirmed that a knotting style was used to tie the quilt similar to the knot used to kill John in his sleep. Analyzing the details of the quilt provides evidence that may incriminate Minnie however the arrogance of male investigators made the woman's revelation nothing more than a

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No considerations were taken to further investigate the motives or any underlying problems before the murder. This lack of effort leads to an unjust system where people have no chance in defending themselves. Both The Hossack Murder and A Jury of Her Peers explore the treatment of women in early 20th-century America. In The Hossack Murder, Margaret Hossack is subjected to a harsh interrogation by the male authorities, who are convinced of her guilt simply because she is a woman. Similarly, in A Jury of Her Peers, the women are marginalized and dismissed as unimportant by the male investigators.

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Her reasoning, that “bad sewing always made me fidgety” (1085). The women begin to suspect that Mrs. Wright killed her husband, and keep finding clues that support their

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Authors, especially female authors, have long used their writing to emphasize and analyze the feminist issues that characterize society, both in the past and the present. Kate Chopin, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and Susan Glaspell wrote narratives that best examined feminist movements through the unreliable minds of their characters. In all three stories, “The Story of an Hour”, “The Yellow Wallpaper”, and “A Jury of Her Peers”, the authors use characterization, symbolism, and foreshadowing to describe the characters’ apparent psychosis or unreasonable behavior to shed light on the social issues that characterized the late 19th century and early 20th century. Penning many stories that demonstrate her opinions on the social issues of the era,

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Kate Chopin, the author of “The Story of an Hour,” was inspired to write her stories based from what had happened to her in her life. All the man in her life died, which affected her deeply and writing was the thing that helped her keep going. Susan Glaspell on the other hand, was the author of “A Jury of Her Peers,” who at the time rebelled against society’s expectations. Both women a the time were trying to address the issue that women were being thought as inferiors by man and were also mistreated. In the two stories there was irony, women were being viewed as inferior by the man, and the role of a women was the same in both stories.

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Atwood relates this to the real world by showing that some people will consider a rape case as justified. Cooke, Nathalie. Margaret Atwood A Critical Companion. Greenwood Press, 2004. http://www.greenwoodpress.com/>.

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There is no question that women have struggled over many years to be seen as equals by their male counterparts. Years of struggle and oppression continued throughout time, but the oppression took different forms over the course of history. Susan Glaspell wrote, “Trifles” which explores a woman’s status in society during the 1920s and the political leanings that perverted society at the time. The play demonstrates how women were subjected to mental abuse and viewed as intellectually inferior as dictated by American society and politics. “Trifles” exposes how political leanings in the government favored and enabled a patriarchal society as well as displaying how the Women’s Rights movement was beginning to combat these prejudices.

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In “The Jury of Her Peers”, the author Susan Glaspell aims to defy traditional gender dynamics to expose the societal norms that were prevalent in the early 20th century. In the story, she skillfully employs literary elements such as setting, narrative perspective, characterization, and theme to subvert inequitable notions and shed light on the profound injustices women faced at that time, allowing readers to fully comprehend the impact of such constraints on the women’s lives. The setting of “The Jury of Her Peers” plays a crucial role in enhancing the story’s themes and serves as a reflection of broader societal constraints and established traditions that were prevalent during the early 20th century. Glaspell sets the stage right from the

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In Susan Glaspell's play “Trifles,” there is a difference between the men and women’s way of perceiving evidence to Mr. Wright’s murder case. The men spend most of their time searching for solid evidence upstairs where Mr. Wright's murder takes place. However, the women spend most of their time in Mrs. Wright’s kitchen. Instead of seeking tangible evidence, they inspect the condition of the items and acknowledge how they have been muddled around. Different perspectives lead to a variety of discoveries such as the women’s way of perceiving evidence.

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Mrs. Hale states, “She was rockin’ back and forth. She had her apron in her hand and was kind of-pleating it” (Glaspell 1081). This allows us to know that Mrs. Wright was still shocked from what happened. It is also seen in her unfinished quilt and her messy kitchen. Her unfinished quilt has many knots in it.

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Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale decide to hide the quilt pieces and deceased bird, thereby protecting Minnie from being convicted of the murder. This decision shows the importance of solidarity among women and the willingness to uncover the truth, even if it means breaking the law. During this time, women’s imprisonment was on the rise. Chesney-Lind observes that the surge of women’s incarceration during this time, “may have little to do with a major change in women's behavior” (150). The women understand that justice is not always found in the legal system, but in the community and in the relationships between individuals.

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The men also take light of the small details that the women take note of, in particular as to how Mrs. Wright was contemplating the construction of the quilt. As the women converse and share experiences of their own and those of Mrs. Wright, they begin to form

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Introduction In Susan Glaspell’s Trifles, a short play about rural life in the early twentieth century, a strong standpoint on feminism is presented to the audience. Throughout the play, much of the plot revolves around contrasting the men in power’s perception of a crime scene with the more subjective, emotional women’s point of view. It shows the discriminatory mentality men had towards women that were commonly accepted. The play also includes elements of what the women’s suffrage movement was all about and incorporates the mood of society during that time towards women; being that their social status was viewed beneath that of a male.

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Kate Chopin’s short story “The Story of an Hour” is set in the late 1800s – a time when women were considered inferior to men. Women had traditional roles as wives and mothers. In this 19th century patriarchal society, Chopin shows us Louise Mallard, the main character, who does not comply with the female gender norms of the Victorian period. When Louise learns about the death of her husband, her reaction and the reaction of her sister and the doctor tell us a great deal about gender stereotyping during this time. Louise Mallard is described to us as “firm” and “fair.

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