Intuition In A Jury Of Her Peers

A woman should never deny her intuition. The heart and brain can misguide her, but her “gut” is usually right. Mrs. Peters, in “A Jury of Her Peers” by Susan Glaspell is the Sheriff’s wife. Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale are the “jury.” Because she is the wife of the Sheriff and a woman, it takes a while, but she does eventually rebel with Mrs. Hale to hide the motive of the murder.

Minnie Wright’s husband is found dead, so the sheriff, Mr. Peters; his wife, Mrs. Peters; Mr. and Mrs. Hale; and some other members of the law go to the crime scene. At the scene, the county attorney says, “a sheriff’s wife is married to the law” (18). During the search of the home, this idea was prominent in Mrs. Peters mind. At the beginning of the search she discourages

Peter’s intuition is beginning to tell her that Minnie wasn’t treated right. The court attorney walks in the room, and sees the bird cage but no bird. If he sees the bird, he finds the proof. This is the start of Mrs. Peter’s rebellion. The attorney asks if the bird has flown, and Mrs. Hale tells him the cat got it. Then he notices that there is no cat, but Mrs. Peters says, “They’re superstitious, you know; they leave” (15). After he leaves the room she tells of her own personal experience. She tells how a boy took a hatchet to her cat, and if she’d been close enough she would have “hurt him” (16). She would’ve probably said kill him, but under the circumstances she couldn’t. In Mrs. Peter’s mind the boy symbolizes John Wright, and the cat is Minnie’s liveliness, happiness, and freedom. Mrs. Peters has realized the cold reality that Minnie Wright had no other option, but instead of telling the truth she says, “We don’t know who killed him, we don’t know” (16).Towards the closing of the crime scene, they all come down stairs. Mr. Hale goes to look after the horses, the sheriff and the court attorney enter another room for a brief moment, and Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale are alone in the kitchen. In that moment, “… she threw back the quilt pieces, got the box,…(18) Mrs. Peters, the wife of the sheriff and a woman that the attorney asked if she’d even know a clue if she came upon it, “knotted” this case, but didn’t the way she would’ve if she still had the same mindset as