What Is The Difference Between The Hossack Murder And A Jury Of Her Peers
The thrill of life and its mysteries capture the attention of people from all corners of the world, caught in the spectacle. A common idea shared by many around the world, watching a particular show that gives us a taste of the other side of the world out of our reach. In her two works, “The Hossack Murder” and “A Jury of Her Peers” Susan Glaspell is able to present similar messages about justice, gender roles, and the nature of truth during that era without losing their value through different perspectives
“The Hossack Murder” is a story based on a true case in 1900 whereas “A Jury of Her Peers” is a fictional take on the same case but with a more entertaining intention. At the very start of “The Hossack Murder” Glaspell states “Sometime around
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As the two women and their husbands visit Minnie’s house looking for clues the men comment on the women’s attention to what they see as useless details saying “‘... would the women know a clue if they did come upon it?’” (150). The husbands' remarks criticize women, making them feel like they have no voice in the situation. At the same time, the results of the trial in “The Hossack Murder” also portray how women had no strength in court as they declare “We, the jury, find the defendant, Mrs. Margaret Hossack, guilty as charged in the indictment” (193). The justice system was against them, finding her guilty for just being a woman. 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. The men believe that the information they seek cannot be among the trivialities …show more content…
In “A Jury of Her Peers” Glaspeel introduces the main characters Mrs.Hale and Mrs.Peters along with their husbands Mr.Hale and Mr.Peter. Nowhere in this story do the people involved in the murder appear, they are only mentioned. In this story, Minnie Wright is the wife of the victim Mr.Wright. The scene Glaspell sets enables the reader to uncover the motive for the murder when the women discover the birdcage and the dead bird. These small details are interpreted by the woman, noticing frustration in Mrs. Wright's most recent stitches and her dead pet bird. As the women start realizing what may have actually happened they decide to hide it from the men. This process adds an aspect of entertainment and the reader can interpret the information on their own through the symbolism of the bird and stitches. Scott Bonn states true crime “allows us to experience fear and horror in a controlled environment where the threat is exciting but not real” (2). Similarly in this short story, little by little the women put the pieces together, engaging the audience as they also start to formulate their own opinion on the motive for the murder. Because this story has no definite end, the reader is free to have their own ideas and not be stuck onto the facts of the actual case but think beyond just the truth. Maybe the truth isn’t always the right thing
Summary Of Dr. Dolan On The Stand
816 Words | 4 PagesHe described the audience, how unlike other days, only men were present. According to the author, women were encouraged to stay home due to the graphic testimony that occurred. Women were incapable of stomaching the gory details of the murder due to their fragility.
Gender Roles In A Jury Of Her Peers
775 Words | 4 PagesPeters and Mrs. Hale are the ones who find clues to solving the murder. Glaspell foreshadows this outcome by having the county attorney say “‘…[n]o telling; you women might come upon a clue to the motive…’” (Glaspell). Once the men leave the women alone they begin putting together items to take to Mrs. Wright in jail and no one is concerned with what they are taking her because the men do not see anything from the domestic realm to be dangerous. While they are putting together items, Mrs. Peters stumbles upon a birdcage that has clearly been roughed up, and eventually they locate a deceased bird.
Jury Of Her Peers Essay
1217 Words | 5 PagesIn “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
Sisterhood In Susan Glaspell's A Jury By Her Peers
879 Words | 4 PagesThree women, Minnie Wright, Martha Hale, and Mrs. Peters express sisterhood by hiding of incriminating evidence such as the dead bird while the men fail to prove of her complicity. This essay focuses on themes of sisterhood and gender roles, and the passiveness that manifests in the process of gathering evidence. The theme of Sisterhood. As the plot unfolds to ascertain the murder of John Wright, Mrs. Hale says, “it looked very lonesome this cold morning, it had always been a lonesome place” (Glaspell, 1992), while referring to the house of Minnie Wright.
A Jury Of Her Peers Essay
679 Words | 3 Pages“A Jury of Her Peers”, written by Susan Glaspell, tells the story of the murder of Mr. Wright and its criminal investigation by Mr. Peters, the town sheriff, and the county attorney. In this short story, Glaspell illustrates how the female perspective is shackled by traditional gender roles, leaving their voices unheard and household abuse. This is depicted by Mrs. Wright, who murders her husband due to the abuse she experienced, and Mrs. Peters, who notices details that the men overlook, in turn cracking the case. In this story, Mrs. Wright has a pet canary that her husband kills. Glaspell's description of the canary symbolizes Minnie Wright’s character and role as a household woman in a male-dominated society.
Her Peers Trifles
913 Words | 4 PagesSusan Glaspell’s short story A Jury of Her Peers was written in 1917 based loosely on the murder of John Hossack in 1900, which she covered as a journalist while working in Des Moines Daily News. In her short story,she uses stylistic elements such as, using an omniscient tone to talk in third-person,giving a third-person point of view and a knowing all perspective of the story. Glaspell also uses the manipulation of setting to describe the roles of women and their oppression. She clearly uses her narrative voice to show that the men felt different about the women. She also does this by having the men refer solely to their married names instead of their actual names to portray that the women are only property and nothing else.when they speak
A Jury Of Her Peers Symbolism Analysis
734 Words | 3 PagesMinnie’s quilt, the dead bird and its cage, and the kitchen show that living in a man’s world is not easy. In the end, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale recognize that they too have experienced the same loneliness and mistreatment that led Mrs. Wright to murder her husband. The men don't value the women in this story and they don't see them as being very intelligent either. It is for this reason “A jury of her peers” is created. Peers being the women themselves as they stand up, united against the subjugation they have all experienced.
What Is The Evidence In A Jury Of Her Peers
690 Words | 3 PagesIn “A Jury Of Her Peers” by Susan Glaspell, Mr. Wright is found dead in his home with a rope around his neck. Mrs. Wright is the prime suspect, as she acts calm and seems unphased by the incident, though she is fully aware of her husband’s death. When men come to investigate they bring along Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, and while the women are waiting they find interesting evidence. Although at first glance Mrs. Wright does not seem capable of murder because of her calm demeanor, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale conclude she strangled her husband to death as evidenced by the crazily sewn quilt patch, mutilated canary, and unhinged birdcage.
Jury Of Her Peers Symbolism
740 Words | 3 PagesIn “Jury of Her Peers,” Susan Glaspell outlines the murder mystery of John Wright who “died of a rope around his neck” in bed (204). The spouse of the victim, Minnie Wright, keeps quiet when she is brought to jail as she is the main suspect of the case. The clues surrounding the case portray Minnie and her lonely life living with her husband. Glaspell highlights trivial, yet major, details which lead to Minnie’s motive for strangling her own husband. The rocking chair, quilt, and broken bird cage are all details that eventually lead to the women’s discovery of who murdered Mr. Wright.
Martha Hale Essay
1139 Words | 5 PagesA prominent piece of evidence that was found in the house was a broken bird cage and the question lies within what her personal interpretation of this object was. With a solemn tone, Martha replied, “I believe Minnie’s husband ripped the cage door open when in a rage and snapped the bird’s neck, so she did the same to him.” It is hard to believe that one’s emotions could so greatly influence their actions but in this case, it seems as if the Wright’s were involved in an unhappy, abusive marriage. To connect back to the bird queries, I also asked Mrs. Hale what she did with the deceased creature that Minnie Wright held so dearly. Martha without hesitation mentioned that she “grabbed it without a second thought” and that she wishes to bury it because Minnie would have wanted that.
The Rise And Fall Of Lizzie Borden
1040 Words | 5 PagesPerhaps “serial killers aren’t scary because they’re male; they’re scary because they destroy order” (Telfer). Despite the unknown truth regarding Lizzie Borden’s participation in the murder of her parents, it is undeniable that Lizzie Borden progressed the feminist movement and advanced forensic techniques of the 1890-the 1900s. Lizzie Borden’s childhood holds various answers to the psychology behind her decisions and character. Before Lizzie reached the age of 5, she had already experienced two personal deaths in her family. Her mother, Sarah Borden, and one of her sisters, Alice Borden.
Mrs. Wright In Susan Glaspell's Trifles
699 Words | 3 PagesThe scene begins to unfolds in their minds. Mr. Wright yanking open the cage door, taking out the bird, and breaking its fragile neck was enough to make Mrs. Wright lash out, and in a heat of passion, kill her husband. As the trifles collect, the women worry that the men will see their findings, and have what they need to prove Mrs. Wright guilty. Though the men believe her to be the murderer, the women are trying their best to hide the evidence that will prove it.
Comparing 'The Yellow Wallpaper And A Jury Of Her Peers'
1006 Words | 5 PagesThe men of the group, much like John in “The Yellow Wallpaper,” consider themselves more capable than the women and refuse to consider Mrs. Wright as anything other than irrational. The men leave the women to their “trifles” on the first floor, where they discover a broken bird cage, and the bird’s body, broken, carefully wrapped in a small, decorative box. They realize that Mr. Wright had wrung the neck of his wife’s beloved bird and broken its cage. Mrs. Wright, once known for her cheerfulness and beautiful singing, she stopped singing when she encountered Mr. Wright. Just like he did with the bird, Mr. Wright choked the life out of his wife until, finally, Mrs. Wright literally choked the life out of her husband.
Perceiving Evidence In Susan Glaspell's Trifles
796 Words | 4 PagesThey both conclude that someone was rough with the empty birdcage. Immediately afterward, Mrs. Hale comments on the men’s progress to find evidence, saying, “’I wish if they’re going to find any evidence they’d be about it’” (Glaspell 1416). Mrs. Hale’s remark is ironic because her current conversation about the birdcage’s door hinge is indirect evidence, yet she is growing impatient with the men’s attempts to discover any solid evidence. A little later on, Mrs. Hale relates the idea of a bird to Mrs. Wright by saying, “’she was kind of like a bird herself.’”
Trifles Character Analysis
1108 Words | 5 PagesThe reason for the murder is what the men are trying to find, she speculates that Mr. Wright killed the bird they had found as soon as they started to investigate. Then Mrs. Peters becomes defensive repeating “we don’t know” in different lines. This is a major confusion to the audience as these two characters hare having very different moral struggles throughout the show and it should have been clear the character Glaspell
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