Trying the Jury

Recently in school I read a short story entitled "A Jury of Her Peers," by Susan Glaspell. I wasn't going to write a review about it, but the more we discussed it in class I decided I should. The story is about a lady who is accused of murdering her husband. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, the sheriff's wife, accompany their husbands, along with the county attorney, back to the scene of the crime. The story moves quickly and, while I don't want to spoil it for the rest of you, I will say I did not expect the ending. There were a few issues with this story though. I do not take issue with the story over my opinion, but over what the Bible says.

The whole concept is based around the idea that, even though Mrs. Wright committed the murder, her reason was justified. The Bible expressly says, “Thou shalt not kill.” The Bible also tells women to submit to their husbands. Even though the men poked fun at their wives’ habits and hobbies, the wives should have submitted and respected them. Likewise the husbands should have loved their wives as, "Christ loved the church and gave himself for it." That said, I think the author did an excellent job molding the characters in such a shot amount of time. Glaspell expertly crafted each person to foil another, highlighting their traits and accentuating their differences. Technically it was a wonderful story. I, overall, enjoyed this story very much. It is not as much a mystery story as a thriller, yet in some aspects it is more a mystery than a thriller.

As I said, as a Christian I don't agree with all of the views presented in this story, yet when read with a discerning spirit it can be quite enjoyable. I would probably recommend this story for ages fourteen and up and I'm going to rate it four out of five golden birdcages. 

Till next time,

              Lance Fillmore, PSEUD

(The version I read was a short story, but I believe it was also written as a stage production.)

Up Next: Hopefully, Pride and Prejudice