"Jury of Peers" - A Stage Production
"Jury of Peers" is a stage production. There are various characters in it. Mrs. Wright has been accused of murdering her husband, John Wright, by Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale. Mrs. Peters is a newcomer to town and the wife of Mr. Henry Peters, the local sheriff. Mrs. Hale is married to Mr. Lewis Hale, a farmer and neighbor of the Wrights. Mrs. Wright is married to Mr. John Wright, a local farmer who disregarded his wife and ignored her opinions. This paper will go over some of the characters, the major subject, and their sexism and captivity. Mrs. Wright used to be happy several years Beck right before she got married to Mr. Wright. After her marriage, that is when her entire life changed. She spent her life afterward being unhappy. This may have contributed to the unintended killing of her husband due to the fact that her husband used not to pay attention to her opinion (Callinan 46). A day dawned when Mr. Wright was found strangled in his bed by rope, by Mr. Hale who had entered his farmhouse to ask about acquiring a telephone. Mr. Hale found Mrs. Wright acting strangely. This made her the prime suspect in her husband’s death.
The Concealed Evidence
Mrs. Wright does send Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peter to her homestead to see whether they could collect some evidence from there. These women were treated as "trifles" by the "real" investigators. She got arrested and jailed for murder (Callinan 57). When Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peter went into the house, they found tangible evidence which they decided to conceal. They did this after considering the hard life that Mrs. Wright was leading. They probably played by her ear and found it not necessary to reveal what they got. This portrays the aspect of these women to be said as having served a higher justice form compared to the law letter.
Freedom and Confinement
As far as freedom and confinement are concerned, women got a very low level of freedom, or rather, their rights are being infringed upon. This is clearly shown in the context where Mr. Wright used to neglect her wife’s opinion as well as her happiness by the fact that he would bar her wish for taking part in the choir activities. Again, during an investigation in Mr. Wright’s house, the women were treated like "trifles." They were seen as just mere humans who could not take part in a serious investigation which was at hand.
Sexism and Captivity
They portrayed the confinement by concealing the truth or evidence that could be used against Mrs. Wright on her alleged death of her husband. Sexism is clearly seen in the house of Mr. Wright, where he seems to believe that men are the only sex that should totally govern a homestead thus they don’t need women's opinions. It is again seen in the investigation where women are separated from the serious investigation as seen as "trifles." Mr. Peter and Mr. Hale are heard insulting their respective wives, looking down upon their abilities and importance (Callinan 66). This shows that women are classified in a section where unless there are policies that would be enforced to ensure their rights are not infringed, they will spend their whole life miserably. Moreover, Mr. George Henderson, the county attorney, was called to look into the matter concerning the death of Mr. Wright. It is believed that he is used to doing away with women's interests. This shows that not even the county representatives are ready to identify or respect the rights of women.
Unity and Solidarity
Since they perceive this as discrimination, they tend to bond together as a result of suffering the same treatment. This generates the motive of helping their fellow women so as to get intact and strengthen the bonds they have. This means that unless they come together in unison, no one else, especially their counterparts, is ready to come and fight for them.
Gender Roles - The Main Theme
In this play, there are several themes that are incorporated. However, the main theme that we would discuss is the gender roles. It shows how women are marginalized as well as their contribution they have as far as the society is concerned. This is seen during the investigation where Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peter are separated and told to stick in the kitchen as well as gathering the clothes of Mrs. Wright (Callinan 78).
Conclusion
The play "Jury of Her Peers" shows how much women are discriminated against and abused by men in the society, and how they come together to help their fellow woman who has been convicted of the murder of her husband. It also explains how women protect themselves by caring for each other. The play gives an impression of how men constantly make fun of women and put them down for everything they do or don’t.
Work cited
Callinan, Suzanne “jury of her peers” Legal service Bull.9{1984}; 166
