Abstract The paper defines the short story, "A Jury of her Peers" as a work of realism and naturalism. The paper defines and explains the two genres, including the theme of the story and the determinist philosophy.
From the Paper ""In A Jury of Her Peers" Susan Glaspell describes ordinary people living ordinary lives. This is a major tenet of the realistic movement in literature and will serve as a basis for defining "A Jury of Her Peers" as a work of realism. That said, the argument can certainly be made-and it will-that the story is a work of a particular genre of realism known as naturalism."
Tags: a jury of her peers, susan glaspell, realism, naturalism
Abstract The paper examines Susan Glaspell's short story "A Jury of Her Peers." The paper explains the nature of the crime and the themes. The paper also discusses the gendered elements, the male/female perspectives and the structure of the story as a gendered investigation.
From the Paper "In Susan Glaspell's short story "A Jury of Her Peers," a crime has been committed and the guilty person should be punished. The dramatic question is, what is the crime? Based on that answer the guilty person is determined. The twist to the story is that there are two guilty people for two different types of crimes - the murder of a farmer and the domestic abuse of the farmer's wife."
Abstract This paper examines the myths about women by men in a patriarchal society as portrayed in Glaspell's short story, "A Jury of Her Peers".
From the Paper "Glaspell demonstrates how the cultural norms and myths about women in "A Jury of Her Peers" affect the women characters? sense of self by creating an incident where the women are forced to reckon with the myths that have been created about them in their patriarchal society, and to come to terms with the reality of their feminine self-definition. Through the unfolding of events in the story, we readers see the women characters? sense of self evolve. Their realization is important not only to the outcome of the story, but also, to the women readers who may see themselves in the roles of those characters. "A Jury of Her Peers? supports this thesis. "
Abstract In this article, the writer looks at Susan Glaspell's play "Trifles" based upon the short story "A Jury of Her Peers". The writer discusses these works in terms of the ideas of crime and punishment. The writer also examines the cultural context of each work.
From the Paper "This research examines ways in which social experience informs conscience and behavior in Susan Glaspell's play "Trifles" and the short story on which it was based "A Jury of Her Peers". The research will set forth the cultural context of the narrative and show how inter-penetrations of conscience and social constructs in that context affect explain or justify behavior. The social milieu of Glaspell's story is a decisive component of the narrative. In the drab farmhouse where the action of 'Trifles' and 'Jury' unfolds all the people are ... "
Abstract In this analysis of Susan Glaspell's short story "A Jury of Her Peers", the writer focuses on the attitudes toward women, as expressed by the Sheriff and County Attorney. The writer discusses the male preconception of women.
From the Paper "The attitudes toward women in Glaspell's 'A Jury of Her Peers'illustrate those of a former era when women were rigidly defined in terms of roles and attributes by a male dominated patriarchy. The attitudes of the Sheriff and the County Attorney are so locked into their preconceptions of women that they fail to recognize Minnie Foster murdered her husband. This is not something that escapes the attention of the other women in the story because they have a fuller understanding of ... "
Abstract This paper relates that Susan Glaspell, in "A Jury of Her Peers", demonstrates the injustice of male superiority during the early 20th century, when the story was written. The paper describes the way the men misjudge the intelligence and instincts of the women in the story, thus portraying the men as overpowering, ignorant and foolish. The paper further explains that the plot shows indirectly the men's disrespect to the women by making a mockery of all the kitchen items and anything relating to victim Minnie's domestic duties. The author concludes that the unity of the three women strengthens Glaspell's point of making the superiority of men unjust.
From the Paper "Glaspell describes Minnie's life as extremely lonesome which allows the reader to sympathize with Minnie; once again making men like John Wright look harsh and inappropriate. For example, her house is described with words of abandonment and depression: "Maybe because it's a down in a hollow and you don't see the road. I don't know, but it's a lonesome place and always way." In addition to living in such a miserable environment, Minnie did not have any kids. Once again, the reader and both the women sympathize with Minnie."
Abstract This paper discusses the stories "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner and "A Jury of Her Peers" by Susan Glaspell and shows how each author makes use of the house in which the story is set as both a physical and a metaphorical space. In "A Rose for Emily", the huge house Emily inherits from her father becomes something that represents her to the world before and after her death. In "A Jury of Her Peers", the life of Mrs Wright who has lived in the house is reflected in the house itself, not directly but indirectly so that the women sense it while the men fail to see it. It looks at how both the protagonists, though both seem free to make their own choices are in fact they are hemmed in by circumstances and are not in control of their own fate.
From the Paper "Women in stories like "A Rose for Emily" are separated from men, and the mere fact that they are separated creates a tension between themselves and their neighbors. The people of the town look at Emily as a person who is not a complete human being. At the same time, her social position requires a certain sort of match to satisfy the town, and Homer Barron does not fit the bill: "Of course a Grierson would not think seriously of a Northerner, a day laborer" (Faulkner 317). Ultimately, though, a marriage with any man is better than no marriage at all: "Then we were sure that they were to be married. . . We were really glad" (Faulkner 319). In the atmosphere in which she lives, there is little for her to do once it appears she has been abandoned except to withdraw from all social discourse. Her father had chased away all her suitors, and now another male seemed to have abandoned her as well. Her father's death is also something of an abandonment, one she does not care to admit because she has been made so dependent on this male figure."
This paper examines "A Jury of Her Peers" by Susan Glaspell and "A Municipal Report" by William Sidney Porter as literary fiction and commercial fiction, respectively.
Abstract The paper examines "A Municipal Report", which is an example of "commercial" fiction and "A Jury of Her Peers", which is an example of "literary" fiction. The paper outlines the character developments, plots and themes in order to underscore how "A Municipal Report" is intended as a light-hearted, diversionary romp through a Southern town, while "A Jury of Her Peers" is a troubling look at gendered stereotypes in early twentieth century America.
From the Paper "As our course textbook indicates, commercial fiction is written primarily to make money and is designed to take us away from the world of our troubles; it is, in other words, all about giving pleasure to a reader who is seeking distraction ("Chapter One: Reading the Story," 52-53). In "A Municipal Report," the character development of the story clearly reveals the commercial features of the work. For one thing, there really is no character development to speak of. Instead, the reader is confronted with stereotypes: the vain Californians, blustery and stammering Chicagoans, appallingly slow restaurant service somehow managed with the utmost courtesy, the pompous Brit, Wentworth Caswell, and the dilapidated "Negro" nearly as old as Ham. There is also, unfortunately, an element of racism inherent in the story's depiction of the "old negro" insofar as he often finds himself unintentionally humorous - such as on the occasion when he informs the narrator that the seats "is clean" because his hack has just returned from a funeral (Porter, sec.1-6). As a last point, Azalea Adair is the quintessential polite, elegant yet sheltered and impoverished Southern belle one would expect to find in post-Civil War America (Porter, sec.9-10)."
Abstract This paper suggests that the story "A Jury of her Peers" is one that shows the generalization present in the society of the early twentieth century and provides two perspectives of law.
This paper reviews the book "A Jury of Her Peers" by Susan Glaspell, while exploring the sisterhood formed by sharing simple homemaking tasks and a certain death.
Abstract The writer of this paper explains that in Susan Glaspell's short story all women go through the same thing, just a little differently. This paper explains the significance of the story taking place in the kitchen, for it reflects the women's pride and hard work. The writer gives a clear description of the mood expressed in the book as well as exploring the relationship between men and women in a patriarchal society.
From the Paper "The bird and the bird cage are significant to the life that Minnie had been living, caged like an animal, isolated from the world. The isolation could make anyone a little crazy. The women noticed the broken door on the cage and Mrs. Hale remarked, "Looks as if someone must have been rough with it," suggesting Minnie's life of abuse. The bird is a crucial detail in this story for it symbolizes everything what Minnie was when she was younger, beautiful full of life and singing in the choir. The bird being found in a pretty box wrapped up in silk let the readers know along with Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters that this bird was something precious to Minnie. Seeing the bird's neck wrung symbolized how Mr. Wright was killed with a rope around his neck having the life chocked out of him like he did to Minnie.
The quilt is brought to our attention to explain to the readers that quilting is a hobby that is done in groups as a social event. The women guessed that because Minnie was isolated and had no social contact, she would knot the quilt."
Abstract Susan Glaspell's "A Jury of Her Peers" and Malcolm Gladwell's "Listening to Khakis" both deal with how men and women process information differently. The paper shows that Glaspell's story-written in 1917-focuses on the woman's perspective regarding a murder case, while Gladwell's 1997 article looks at how a man processes information through an examination of advertising.
From the Paper "Men find the details of the house quite meaningless because they cannot see how the details would aid them in their search to understand the motive of Mrs. Wright. The women eventually take the clues, the birdcage, irregular quilting, personal knowledge of Mr. Wright, and discover the motive Mrs. Wright had for killing her husband. The men could not see those clues."
Abstract This paper explores the concept that love as portrayed in literature may affect one's personal expectations of romance. The paper analyzes an article by Robert J. Sternberg, who suggests that individuals can write their own love stories. Additionally, he cites the impact of childhood stories of love on adults' expectations. Sternber's article cites three literary works--a poem by James Dickey entitled "Cherrylog Road," a short story by Susan Glaspell entitled, "A Jury of Her Peers", and the famous play by Oscar Wilde, "The Importance of Being Earnest." In each of these works an important message about love is conveyed.
From the Paper "Within literature there are countless replayed stories of romantic or sometimes not so romantic love. The stories we see in our heads, as children that dictate our expectations of the future are according to Sternberg reflective of how our lives, and more specifically our love lives will eventually be played out. Literature is a reflection of the stories we know of love, the good the bad and the indifferent, through the eyes of the writer and through the memories of the reader. "At some level, lay people recognize what many psychologists don't: that the love between two people follows a story. If we want to understand love, we have to understand the stories that dictate our beliefs and expectations of love." (Sternberg 52)"
Tags: James, Dickey, Cherrylog, Road, Susan, Glaspell, A, Jury, of, Her, Peers, Oscar, Wilde, The, Importance, of, Being
Abstract This paper discusses three short stories of Susan Glaspell - "A Jury of Her Peers," "The Last Sixty Minutes" and "The Plea." It analyzes the theme found in these stories which revolves around morality and moral decisions. The paper describes how each character in the stories makes an extremely personal decision somewhere in the tale - a decision that will alter their lives.
From the Paper "In conclusion, all of these stories seem deceptively simple at first reading. The plots are simple - it is the complex characters who give the stories meaning and a strong sense of morality and right from wrong. Each of these stories poses a moral dilemma and then solves it satisfactorily for the reader. Glaspell's work is more complicated than it might appear. Her situations are complex, and so are her character's reactions to them. Plotting might not be her strong point, but characterization and theme certainly are, and these stories all illustrate that quite well."
This paper analyzes the character of Minnie Wright, who is continuously scrutinized but never appears, in Susan Glaspell's one act play "Trifles" and the related story "A Jury of Her Peers".
Abstract This paper explains that Susan Glaspell, in her play "Trifles" and novel "A Jury of Her Peers", presents the character of Minnie Wright through the many "trifles", or small clues, recognized by the two women---Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters---who accompany the official murder investigation team. The author points out that this device of the "unseen woman", also used by Edgar Allen Poe and Arthur Conan Doyle, draws attention to the marginalization of women who are unseen by men in a patriarchal society. The paper stresses that because they dismissed the importance of "trifles", the investigators could not solve the mystery of who Minnie Wright was and why she would murder her husband.
From the Paper "Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale allow us to see Minnie without actually seeing her. Both women share a significant number of life experiences and similar life responsibilities with Minnie. As such, they can see many small things that are nevertheless significant. These insignificant "trifles" include the half-sifted flour (or laid out bread), the preserves, the poorly sewn quilting patch, and the dead canary. One of the trifles noticed by the women but overlooked by the men was that of the flour / bread. Mustazza points out that this scene contains one of the subtle differences in scene between "Trifles" and "A Jury of Her Peers"."
This paper discusses the secret harboring of fugitives and knowledge while comparing Susan Glaspell's work "A Jury of Her Peers" and Joseph Conrad's "The Secret Sharer".
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses that both Joseph Conrad's "The Secret Sharer" and Susan Glaspell's "A Jury of Her Peers," depict law-abiding individuals who gradually come to identify with people who have violated the law. The writer looks at both works in order to examine this issue. The writer maintains that as a result of their identification with these individuals who have allegedly transgressed, the married women of Glaspell's tale and Conrad's nameless sea captain gain a new sense of identity. The writer concludes that the changes undergone by the characters in both works are both external and internal, and both are life-long changes, although the changes that take place in the Glaspell story may have greater external consequences.
From the Paper "Like "A Jury of Her Peers," Joseph Conrad's short story "The Secret Sharer" is also told in retrospect. The narrator is a sea captain who finds a man named Leggatt, drowning in the water, who seems to be his 'double,' much like the women of Glaspell's story perceive Mrs. Wright to be their double, or a physical mirror of their personal pain. Leggatt is also condemned as a murderer like Mrs. Wright, but rather than reject the fugitive, Conrad's narrator gives him a place to stay. The image of the law arises, but like the woman, the captain has already experienced a kind of internal, moral shift. Like the woman the captain cannot bear to morally condemn the murderer, or reveal the fact that Leggatt is on his ship when the authorities arrive. Captain Archbold wants to act according to the law, like the men of the Glaspell tale, but Leggatt's protective captain pretends the ship is empty and points out that Leggatt's actions helped save the ship during a storm."
