In her short tale “A Jury of Her Peers,” Susan Glaspell depicts Mrs. Wright, who suffers from her husband’s cruelty and mistreatment. Nevertheless, despite her intense suffering, Mrs. Wright takes charge of her circumstances and even goes as far as murdering her husband to get away from his violent assault. Schrodinger’s feminism contends that women are both victimized and empowered, and they may decide which status is best for them. The essay posits that instead of just pausing between victimhood and empowerment, Mrs. Wright’s actions in “A Jury of Her Peers” affirm that women are empowered via their agency.
Literary Analysis
One of the central tenets of Schrodinger’s feminist assertion is that women are both victims and empowered but that they can choose which of those states benefits them the most at any given time. This theory contends that women’s experiences of oppression are not static but relatively flexible and alter depending on the situation (Colvin 140). The issue with this theory is that it supports the notion that women are helpless against tyranny and that their only option is to attempt to manipulate their circumstances to their advantage. On the contrary, Mrs. Wright’s actions challenge Schrodinger’s in various ways, manifesting in the trifles, dead bird, fruit-filled canning jars and the patchwork quilt symbols.
The dead bird is a representation of Minnie’s diminished level of independence and the mistreatment meted upon her husband. When the women in the narrative find the bird, they see its neck has been twisted, indicating that it was purposely killed. Mr. Wright, Minnie’s husband, is the most likely suspect because he is a notoriously nasty and controlling partner who limits Minnie’s independence by dictating her behaviour and movements (Glaspell 3). The bird was probably Minnie’s buddy and comforter, giving her a way out of the loneliness and neglect she had encountered in her marriage. The dead bird illustrates the loss of Minnie’s sole source of joy and freedom in life and demonstrates the severity of the physical and psychological torture she experienced.
The trifles, or little things, that Minnie worries about, like the uncompleted sewing and the hygiene of the kitchen, affirm an attempt to restore normalcy and maintain control. The insignificant things she focused on reflected her need to impose some semblance of domesticity and order in a life that lacked it (Glaspell 6). The story’s depiction of her stitching also serves as a metaphor for how her husband’s domineering character hampered her creativity and goals. Her need for order and cleanliness, which the other women consider unimportant in light of the murder accusation, captures the social expectations that women are expected to meet and the pressures put on them to keep the home in order and be good spouses.
The fruit-filled canning jars symbolize Minnie’s desire to produce and preserve something, possibly reaffirming her value and commitment to her family. The fruit jars represent Minnie’s thoughts and work in turning her fruit into something lovely and delectable (Glaspell 7). It also exposes her enthusiasm and love for gardening outdoors, which her controlling spouse may have deprived. The fruit jars serve as a symbol of Minnie’s wasted potential and suppressed creativity.
Minnie’s patchwork quilt in the story also represents her unrealized creativity and potential. Small fabric fragments that made up Minnie’s patchwork stood symbolically for the many aspects that her controlling husband took away. The quilt represents her efforts to put her life back together and make something lovely despite her difficulties. Additionally, it serves as a representation of the group of women that banded together to assist her during this challenging time, demonstrating the ability of women to stand up against gender-based violence when it occurs in their communities.
Relevance to Modern-Day Readers
Mrs. Wright’s actions in “A Jury of Her Peers” show that women can take charge of their lives despite abuse and persecution. She is neither a passive victim nor merely vacillating between victimization and empowerment. She is so desperate that she is willing to do anything to protect her safety and well-being, as evidenced by the fact that she takes the extreme step of killing her spouse. Her actions resonate with many modern women’s reactions to intimate partner violence, as evidenced in Brittany’s conviction over Todd’s murder (Flock 3). Mrs. Wright is actively attempting to alter her circumstances and obtain the agency she is entitled to as a human being
Mrs. Wright’s behaviour is intrinsically empowering. Although Mrs. Wright’s experience demonstrates that empowerment can emerge from the inside, Schrodinger’s feminist theory contends that women can only become certified if they choose. Mrs. Wright transforms into a potent force in her own right by taking charge of her circumstances and refusing to play the victim. Even in extreme adversity, she influences her fate rather than passively waiting for her husband to decide. Brittany also tried to put her life back together as he awaited trial (Flock 7). Mrs. Wright’s tale refutes the notion that women are fundamentally less capable or deserving of autonomy than males. The women who go to Mrs. Wright’s house are frequently mocked and belittled by their husbands, who think they are ridiculous and frivolous throughout the novel. The women, however, exhibit a remarkable level of intelligence and understanding when given a chance to look into Mrs. Wright’s predicament in further detail. They can assemble the pieces of Mrs. Wright’s abuse evidence and determine that her actions were motivated more by desperation than malice.
The actions of Minnie in the narrative serve as a tribute to the tenacity and power of women subjected to gender-based abuse. Minnie kept her sense of creativity and possibility despite her difficulties and setbacks. Her reluctance to believe Schrodinger’s claim demonstrates her grit and tenacity in the face of hardship. We can see a lady who was denied the chance to express her creativity and was constrained by the traditional conventions that control women’s lives through the symbols of the dead bird, canning jars of fruit, and the patchwork quilt. However, because of the women who rallied around Minnie during this trying period, she could assert her authority.
Conclusion
Schrodinger’s feminist claim that women are simultaneously victimized and empowered; nevertheless, they may choose which state best serves them is refuted by Mrs. Wright’s conduct in “A Jury of Her Peers.” Mrs. Wright actively attempts to transform her situation rather than passively vacillating between victimhood and empowerment. Her narrative shows that even in extreme suffering, women are capable of independent action and charge. The main takeaway from “A Jury of Her Peers” is that women deserve respect and liberty, no matter their situation.
Works Cited
Colvin, Sarah. “FREEDOM TIME: TEMPORAL INSURRECTIONS IN OLIVIA WENZEL’S 1000 SERPENTINEN ANGST AND SHARON DODUA OTOO’S ADAS RAUM.” German Life and Letters 75.1 2022: 138–165.
Flock, Elizabeth. “How Far Can Abused Women Go to Protect Themselves?” The New Yorker, 20 January 2020. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/01/20/how-far-can-abused-women-go-to-protect-themselves. Accessed 10 April 2023.
Glaspell, Susan “A Jury of Her Peers.” In: Every Week Magazine, 5 March 1917.
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