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Essay / The Unexpected Power of Women in A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell
In the short story “A Jury of Her Peers,” Susan Glaspell illustrates the unexpected power that women feel in the domestic sphere and that men can't understand. At the beginning of the story, the sheriff invites his wife, Mrs. Peters, and a friend, Mrs. Hale, to John Wright's house to gather personal items for Minnie, a suspect in the murder of her husband, John Wright. While the women are there, they discover evidence that the men seek in the domestic sphere. Men are unable to see the importance of the domestic sphere because they are unable to see the importance and intelligence of women and their lives. Women have an unexpected power neglected by the potential of the “trifles” that concern them. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Starting in the 1920s, gender roles were not equal in society. Men and women were not treated the same. The life of a woman and a man was very stereotypical. Women were expected to lead decent lives. Women were defined as housewives. They were expected to attend church, keep a clean house, and behave in a certain way. Women had great influence at home. They prepared the next generation to continue this way of life. It was common for women to follow traditional values. It was the idea that society should continue to follow more conservative values and rules. Women were expected to inhabit the domestic sphere, were defined as having less value, and were considered physically weaker; they couldn't do any work or work at all. At that time, women had no personal rights, they did not have the right to vote. Men, on the other hand, lived in a different sphere from women. Men were considered intellectuals and considered the heads of the family. Men took care of their wives, provided an income for their family, and generally laid the foundation for a family. Men had more rights than women, they could vote and work. Unlike the two sexes, they had to live in two different spheres with different expectations, women inhabited the domestic sphere and had to avoid the public sphere. Women did not have the ability to give an opinion, men looked at them as if they were weaker and had to assume their role. Gender roles and living in two different spheres have shaped the daily lives of both sexes. In the story, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters go to Minnie Foster's house to help the sheriff and investigator find clues and gather items for Mrs. Foster. When the sheriff enters the kitchen, he criticizes how dirty the kitchen is. The sheriff's hands become sticky from the canned fruit and he then washes his hands. After washing his hands, he notices dirty pots and a towel. He begins to think that Mrs. Foster is not a good housekeeper. Additionally, the towel symbolizes chore. The women notice that the dirty towel is evidence. However, they do not tell the sheriff and the investigator because they neglected the napkin as a trifle. Later in the story, the women find a quilt. They tell the sheriff that Mrs. Foster will need her quilt while she is under investigation. The sheriff responds, “At least we found out she wasn’t going to cover it up.” She was going...what do you ladies call it? "We call it - tie it, Mr. Henderson." This.