Susan Glaspell demonstrates an oppression of women in the early 19th century through her

sympathetic short story, A Jury of Her Peers.

The gender assumption that women are inferior in both mental and physical abilities

influences female subjugation in the society. In the short story, Mrs.Martha Hale, the main

protagonist, is called to accompany Mr.Lewis Hale, and an investigation team to a crime scene

which his husband witnessed the previous day. Mr.Peters, the sheriff of the town, assumes that his

wife is fearful; therefore needs a woman to come along with. Despite the fact that the sheriff is a

powerful and strong man, his wife is totally dissimilar: She was small and thin and didnt have a

strong voice.(Glaspell, p.1). Glaspell contrasts their appearances in order to highlight the physical

differences between males and females in nature. As a result of this inferiority, men assume that

they are better in terms of intellect and physical potential. This is a factor creating a male-dominant

society in which women are oppressed in many different ways. Minnie Wright is accused of

murdering his husband, John. The team which consists of only males decides to investigate upstairs

and a barn, yet ignore a kitchen as they believe that it contains only inessential female things.

Before they begin, the sheriff discovers Minnies broken jars of fruits in a cupboard. Mrs.Hale

empathises with Minnie claiming that Minnie is worried about them bursting owing to the coldness.

Nonetheless, the sheriff considers her worry unnecessary: women are used to worrying over

trifles.(Glasspell, p.7). Men perceive objects relating to women valueless and female thoughts

insignificant and foolish. Consequently, they arent allowed to do work that requires intelligence

and difficult tasks, as well as they should be under mens control. However, at the end, it is revealed

that the men miss big evidences relating to the murder of John and women are the ones who

understand the story behind this crime.

In spite of the truth that women, by nature, are physically inferior than men, neither should

their rights nor their roles be limited, since in the end genders cannot determine ones capability of

doing something.