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Foreshadowing
Genre
Explanation and Analysis:
“A Jury of Her Peers” is a short story that falls into the category of feminist literature. This is not only because Glaspell centers the experiences of women in her story (primarily Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters), but also because she has these characters prove themselves to be much smarter and more discerning than the male characters believe them to be (and than the male characters themselves are). While the men in the story believe that they will be the ones to find evidence that will point to the motive behind Mrs. Wright killing her husband, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters are the ones to find the evidence. What's more, the two women undermine the male-dominated legal system by hiding these motives from the county attorney and sheriff in order to protect Mrs. Wright, who they realize only killed her husband because he was likely violent with her.
This story could also be considered a mystery, as it centers on characters investigating a crime that has been committed with no clear culprit (though everyone suspects Mrs. Wright). Glaspell subverts certain expectations of the genre by focusing on the investigations of the housewives in the kitchen, rather than on the search the law enforcement officials are leading throughout the house and grounds. The story also subverts the murder mystery genre by ending without a clear verdict—rather than giving over their evidence, the women hide it.
Related Themes:
