49 pages 1 hour read

Susan Glaspell

A Jury of Her Peers

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1917

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Symbols & Motifs

Canary

The canary multiplies a potent symbol in this story. In one respect, the bright canary signifies joy and music in Minnie Wright’s bleak life. The bird provides her with company, music, and beauty.

The pretty songbird trapped in a cage also becomes a symbol for Mrs. Wright. Mrs. Hale remembers the young Minnie Foster: “‘She—come to think of it, she was kind of like a bird herself. Real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and—fluttery’” (156). Her marriage to John Wright choked the life out of the Minnie, just as he later choked the life out of her pet canary. For Minnie, the loss of the canary represents the death of her own essence, as well as the loss of a precious companion. John Wright’s murder of the helpless bird reveals him to be a cruel man with a treacherous disregard for his wife’s feelings.

After 20 years of living with a hard man who oppressed her, controlled her, and deprived her emotionally and physically, Minnie Wright lashed out in anger and repressed emotion. She strangles her husband, in a heart-broken echo of the cruel neglect and deprivation she has suffered over the years. 

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
Unlock IconUnlock all 49 pages of this Study Guide
Plus, gain access to 8,500+ more expert-written Study Guides.
Including features:
+ Mobile App
+ Printable PDF
+ Literary AI Tools