How Does Susan Glaspell Use Suspense In A Jury Of Her Peers

The Internal Struggle of Equal Rights “Her eyes felt like fire. She had a feeling that if he took the basket she would snatch it from him”(118). Susan Glaspell, author of “A Jury of Her Peers,” uses the element of suspense while telling the story of the internal struggle women face against men. The women in this story must make choices that will affect themselves, their loyalty to each other and the law. Using suspense to influence the reader, Glaspell creates the theme of the internal struggle women face to remain loyal and strong in the face of unequal rights between themselves and men. Susan Glaspell influences the reader regarding woman’s rights, by utilizing the literary technique of suspense to captivate the reader in every aspect.

This in turn results in the ultimate suspense story. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters both slowly uncover the truth about the murder and choose friendship over the law.When Mrs. Hale first arrives at Minnie’s house she feels a “sinking feeling of the mother whose child is about to speak a piece” (110). This is the first of many confusing and suspenseful occurrences that take place. Mr. Peter and Mr. Hale express their idea of how a woman is lower in rank by judging Minnie Wright’s home without knowing the truth. “Dirty towels! Not much of a housekeeper, would you say ladies?” (112). Both Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale start to find things half done which leads to the theory of how miserable Minnie must have been. Although both woman discern that something truly deleterious has taken place within the Wright’s home, their concern for their friend Minnie is more important than the sickening dread they feel and how they are being treated by the men. The author uses the element of suspense to share her ideals about the way the women are being treated unequally by the men. In addition to the men being sexist, there are similar situations in this short story that imply that men are somehow more worthy

Mrs. Hale faces her own internal struggle when she must choose to follow the law, along with the men, or protect her friend. The debate that Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters face is monumental. They must decide whether or not Minnie deserves to face the law or if there a deeper truth hidden. “The law is the law- and a bad stove is a bad stove” (114). Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale come to the conclusion that Minnie did commit the murder and slowly the pieces start coming together. They decide to hide the truth from the law and the men by finishing the quilt. The internal struggle Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters encounter causes both women to understand the truth about the murder and realize how Minnie has been treated by her deceased husband. Additionally Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters struggle with their loyalty to their friend Minnie. They decide to support Minnie because they understand what she has been through with her husband. “Mrs. Hale’s hand went out to the bird cage. ‘We don’t know who killed him,’ whispered Mrs. Peters wildly. ‘We don’t know’” (117). Although “the law is the law” (114). Mrs. Peters and Mrs, Hale choose to stay loyal no matter the consequences. This shows that Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters both have compassion for Minnie because they understand the situation she is in. Despite the fact that they know the truth about what Minnie had done, they