Essay on The Use of Symbolism in Susan Glaspells a Jury...

ESSAY SAMPLE ON THE USE OF SYMBOLISM IN SUSAN GLASPELLS A JURY OF HER PEER Susan Glaspells short story, A Jury of Her Peers, was written long before the modern womens movement began, yet her story reveals, through Glaspells use of symbolism, the role that women are expected to play in society. Glaspell illustrates how this highly stereotypical role can create oppression for women and also bring harm to men as well. Character names are very important in A Jury of her Peers. The two characters, John and Minnie Wright, are the focus of the story. The name Minnie has significant symbolism. Minnie is derived from mini or minimized, which was very descriptive of her oppressed relationship with John and also the male insensitivity†¦show more content†¦This ultimately led Minnie to kill John and escape the abuse. Other significant symbols in the story are the bird and the birdcage. Mrs. Hale describes Minnie, before her marriage, as kind of like a bird herself-real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and fluttery(glaspell 165). The bird is caged just as Minnie is trapped in the abusive relationship with John. John figuratively strangles the life out of Minnie like he literally strangles the bird. When he kills the bird, he kills the last bit of Minnie and her spirit. Mrs.Hale and Mrs. Peters find Minnies bird cage in the cupboard, but they dont realize the importance of it until they find the dead bird with its neck twisted to one side. The birdcage symbolizes Minnies life. The bird and the birdcage is a private symbol which is also representative of the role women are forced into in society, the bird being women and the cage being men. Minnie then strangles the life out of John like he strangled the life out of her bird. Another major symbol, which the educated lawmen considered a trifle, is the quilt which Mrs.Hale and Mrs.Peters stumble across. Minnie had taken the scraps and put them into a nice neat quilt, but one square was haphazardly sewn. This befuddles the women for It looks like she didnt knowShow MoreRelatedFeminism at Its Best810 Words   |  3 Pagescentury. In â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers,† Susan Glaspell articulates the suffrage women of her time had to endure brought on by the weaker sex stereotype that had plagued the human brain for quite some time. Annenberg Learner states that the short story is based on a true event Susan Glaspell had covered in 1900 while working as a reporter for Des Moines Daily News (Annenberg Learner; Glaspell 179). At first, â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† was known as a play by Glaspell called â€Å"Trifles.† A year later, Susan GlaspellRead MoreSusan Glaspell s `` The Yellow Wallpaper `` And A Jury Of Her Peers ``2004 Words   |  9 Pagesf or fairness even in today’s society. 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As the sheriff and others go to the Wrights’ house, the suggestion is made that those empowered by law to cast judgement and those with an understanding of fairness are not always the same, and thus justice may not be served. Using symbolism, along with the title of theRead MoreThe Role Of Women In The Doll House And Trifles1667 Words   |  7 Pageswomen have been handed a subservient role to her male counterpoint. Females in the late 19th and early 20th century were treated like a second-class citizen, and were thought of as being the weaker sex. It was the women’s job to stay home to cook and raise the children. While these are still prevalent issues, it is also true that things has gotten better for some women in recent years. Works like â€Å"The Doll House† by Henrik Ibsen and â€Å"Trifles† by Susan Glaspell have helped advance the idea of whatRead MoreIrony, By Susan Glaspell s `` A Jury Of Her Peers ``1484 Words   |  6 Pagesand what one means, while dramatic irony is a contrast between what the characters know to be true and what the readers know to be true. Many writers use irony in their short stories to prove a dramatic point, or just to develop a story for upcoming use. These short stories by Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† (140), Susan Glaspell’s â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† (183), and Stephen Crane’s â€Å"The Blue Hotel† (229), spin a tale of symbolic irony. Each tell a tale paradoxical twists with sublime contradiction where