Last semester, I had the pleasure of reading A Jury of Her Peers and found I absolutely adored the characterizations and the themes it explored as a short story. As we discussed in class: plays are meant to be performed—although sometimes if the writing and subject matter are powerful enough they transcend this need and can stand alone as literature. I didn’t think this was the case with Susan Glaspell’s Trifles; it’s definitely a play that needs to be performed. That being said, I do think it’s a very successful piece of writing in its ability to portray the role of women in the early 20th century.
It shows just how far women have come in most Westernized countries in terms of their role in society. The men in Trifles think they’ve got the case of Minnie Wright down pretty solidly as they stride around her home ‘looking’ for the clues they need. Meanwhile, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale, linger in Minnie’s kitchen discussing their acquaintance as they look for things to bring her in jail. They find that they, themselves, are truly at the scene of the crime as they uncover the clues in the kitchen (the dead bird, the sewing, and other untidy things) to their friend’s breakdown. It is in the kitchen that Minnie has her fairest trial because she is being judged by ‘a jury of her peers’ who because they are women recognize aspects of themselves in her—and recognize the clues.
In re-thinking about this story, I can't help but admire the author: Susan Glaspell. One of the first women to awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her work. She also was a strong supporter of the Arts in her East Coast community. She created her own theater troupe of actors and writers that included Eugene O'Neil.
Here is a link to a society in her honor
http://academic.shu.edu/glaspell/
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