The short story “A Jury of Her Peers” written by Susan Glaspell is based on Glaspell’s play, Trifles. While the play is quite entertaining, the short story gives the reader more detail and background into the plot. Minnie Wright, who used to be known as a joyful, colorful woman, has been put in jail for the murder of her husband, Mr. Wright. Upon further analysis of the situation by the two female leads, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale, they discover that while Mrs. Wright may be her husband’s killer, in their eyes, she is justified in her actions. Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale come to this conclusion of justifying Mrs. Wright after discovering her motive: Mr. Wright had killed her bird, her song, her joy, and metaphorically, killed her. During Mr. Hale’s recollection of the crime scene, he describes Mrs. Minnie Wright as “dull,” “queer,” and “scared” (545-546). Later, in a conversation between Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale, Mrs. Foster, Minnie Wright’s maiden name, is described oppositely as “lively,” wearing “pretty clothes,” and singing in the choir (550). Through this conversation examining the differences between Mrs. Wright before and after being married to Mr. Wright, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale begin to see why Minnie would have killed her husband. It …show more content…
Hale that Minnie Foster, before becoming Minnie Wright, used to sing in the choir. Mrs. Wright has now lost her song (550). Mr. Wright is described as a quiet man and this makes Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale begin to see why Mrs. Wright is now not as lively and spirited as she used to be; Mr. Wright had killed her song. Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale find a birdcage, and eventually find a dead canary that has been strangled, helping them to understand the means behind the way Minnie Wright killed her husband. The death of the canary was more to Mrs. Wright than just her pet dying; it was a symbolism of her own metaphorical death and it pushed her over the edge into killing her