Question regarding nature of conflict: :
Question regarding nature of conflict: Arguably, the moral dilemma raised in Glaspell’s play (and the short story version of the play) requires us to make us a decision, and not an easy one at that. Having read the play, think about the moral dilemma raised at some level – what constitutes a crime and under what circumstances? That is, what’s the crime at hand . . . The legal crime, or the emotional one?
Brief interpretations by critics: :
Brief interpretations by critics: “To allow a fellow housewife to be convicted of murdering her neglectful and abusive husband might also be a crime against themselves. They not only share common experience, but also a common responsibility to ensure that they and other women like them do not have to suffer the consequences of defending themselves. To let Minnie go to jail would be to condone the crimes against her, other housewives, and themselves.”
Ortiz, Lisa. “An essay on ‘Jury of Her Peers.’” Gale Short Stories for Students.
1998. Literature Resource Center. MiraCosta Coll. Lib. Oceanside, Ca. 22 Oct. 2005.
Brief interpretations by critics: :
Brief interpretations by critics: “Yet, why do we find him [John Foster] guilty? Why do we readers take Minnie's point of view? When discussing "A Jury of Her Peers" in a classroom setting, students are all glad that Minnie gets off and that John Wright is dead. However, were one to poll the students before reading the story, few would suggest that killing a canary-the only "crime" that John Wright committed-is a capital offense. Thus, given the premise that one's gender, class, and social setting allow or prevent one from being a peer, the question becomes "how does Glaspell convince readers to view the scene from the point of view of rural, early twentieth-century American women?“
Bendel-Simso, Mary M. “Twelve good men and two good women: Concepts of law and justice in Susan Glaspell’s “A Jury of Her Peers.” Studies in Short Fiction. Newberry: Summer 1999. Vol. 36, Issue 3. 291-299. ProQuest. MiraCosta Coll. Lib. Oceanside, CA. 22 Oct. 2005