Gendered assumptions-a jury of her peers
The story 'A Jury Of Her Peers', written by Susan Glaspell begins repeating back to its readers many of the gendered stereotypical assumptions women receive from men all their lives. Women are assumed to be concerned only with trifles, to be unintelligent, inferior to men and have social limitations placed on them. Yet Glaspell proves how untrue these comments can be, ultimately portraying women as stronger characters when they find their own independence. Women use bonding and moral judgment as means of gaining power and dignity against men to create new gendered assumptions about their characters.The assumption that women are concerned only with trifles is present in 'A Jury Of Her Peers'. Glaspell reveals this gendered assumption through the comments passed by the sheriff about Mrs Wright being "Held for murder and worrying about her preserves." Mr Hale than expands on this remark, brushing it off stating "Women are used to worrying over trifles." Mr Hale is implying that women have nothing meaningful or worthwhile to worry about. Further into the story women are once again ridiculed, this time for wondering about Mrs Wright's quilt. The sheriff mocks them for their intrigue laughing, "They wonder whether she was going to q
The women used their intuition and found out the motive for Minnie killing her husband, all within the women's sphere: the kitchen. Glaspell puts forward that women are inferior and it is their duty to follow men. Rather than waiting for rights, the women in 'A Jury Of Her Peers' take them for themselves, showing their intuition and superiority. 'A Jury Of Her Peers' breaks further assumptions made about male superiority and shows that the women of her time had more power than anyone realized. 'A Jury Of Her Peers' shows the gendered assumptions of male superiority over women as they are forced to follow men. Women have the powerful ability to make decisions on the basis of relational thinking, because of their cultural experiences of inequality. Mr Henderson complains of "Dirty towels!" but as Mrs Hale says it is unfair "to talk about her for not having things slicked up, when she had to come away in such a hurry. Glaspell then turns around these gendered assumptions about male dominance and portrays women as the stronger characters because they not only know how to use their knowledge to their advantage, but also behave proactively when faced with adversity. Their secretive matter of Minnie's crime is one of superiority as they give a bit of Minnie's dignity back. The birdcage can be seen as a symbol that represents Minnie's confinements in her life. It was what these women did, or rather didn't do, with this information that provided the ultimate empowerment in 'A Jury Of Her Peers'. By choking him she took away his voice and power over her. Glaspell makes new assumptions about the powers of female bonding and their moral judgement. Minnie killed John Wright with "a rope around his neck"; this is symbolic and can be seen in contrast with the strangling of the bird. The real crime in this story was the solitariness Minnie was faced with.
Common topics in this essay:
Jury Peers',
Peers' Glaspell,
Peers Glaspell,
Yes Peters,
Wright Held,
Susan Glaspell,
Whilst Minnie,
Minnie Wright's,
Minnie Wright,
John Wright,
'a jury,
jury peers',
'a jury peers',
limitations placed,
women 'a jury,
women 'a,
jury peers' glaspell,
concerned trifles,
peers' glaspell,
assumptions male,
placed women,
women stronger,
assumptions women,
social limitations placed,
limitations placed women,
|
Acceptance Essays
