Tuesday, February 17, 2009

CHARACTER ANALYSIS OF MARTHA HALE IN “A JURY OF HER PEERS”

In the story “A Jury of Her Peers,” by Susan Glaspell, the character of Martha Hale is torn between two things, the law and her instinct. Although Martha is a righteous woman, in this particular situation, she reacts differently. By deciding to follow her feelings instead of the law, Martha Hale accurately reflects the essence of her character, an essence that is too often hidden from the rest of the world.
Since the beginning of the story, Martha Hale acts very cautiously and nervously. When the sheriff and her husband come to get her, she is apprehensive about going to the crime scene. When she is actually about to enter into the Wrights’ house, she hesitates. The story reads: “Even after she had her foot on the door-step, her hand on the knob, Martha Hale had a moment of feeling she could not cross that threshold. And the reason it seemed she couldn’t cross it now was simply because she hadn’t crossed it before.” Eventually, it is evident that Martha has known Mrs. Wright for a long time. Martha even refers to Mrs. Wright by her maiden name, Minnie Foster. As she is going through the house, Martha regrets not having visited her friend for almost twenty years. When questioned by the attorney about this lapse, Martha tries to justify herself by saying that she has been too busy with chores and that the Wrights’ house does not seem like “a very cheerful place.” In truth, Martha does not really believe these excuses, and she herself knows this fact. Even though it is never clearly stated, Martha’s reason for not visiting her friend is that Martha is suspicious of Mr. Wright. By believing that her friend will not be the same person she knew years ago, Martha continually delays visiting Mrs. Wright; therefore, Martha feels she herself has indirectly contributed to a situation that will eventually result in a murder.
As the story progresses, the characters engage in dialogue that clearly conveys a belief in male superiority, or, better put, a sense of women inferiority and ignorance. Every time Martha hears a sexist remark, she becomes enraged within; by contrast, Mrs. Peters blindly agrees with everything the men say and embodies the “ideal” model for a wife. Martha herself only pretends to be soft-spoken. In reality, Martha is an intelligent woman who is forced by social convention to be submissive and to wed a sexist and somewhat stupid man. Even when Mr. Hale is recounting what had happened, Martha listens closely to make sure he does not say more than what he should. The irony comes when the women are looking at an unfinished quilt and the men catch Martha saying “Do you suppose she was going to quilt it or just knot it?” The men continue to laugh about this incident throughout the story, never knowing they themselves are the ignorant ones in this case. As the women discover the implications of the quilt, the bird and the cage, and put the pieces together, Martha realizes that Mrs. Wright killed Mr. Wright because he had killed the bird. Such discovery ignites Martha because she knows it is because of Mr. Wright’s actions that Mrs. Wright has acted in such a violent way.
Consequently, Martha decides to go against the law and to conceal the truth so that the men do not have evidence that would undoubtedly tie Mrs. Wright with Mr. Wright’s death. Such action illustrates the complexity of Martha’s character. The implications of what she is doing are very grave; if she were to get caught, Martha would face tough consequences. Nevertheless, Martha decides to take the risk because she will not allow a man who is dead to ruin the life of an innocent woman. In a way, Mrs. Wright’s life reflects Martha’s life; both are victims of a sexist society. Martha herself says: “We all go through the same things, it’s all just a different kind of the same thing! If it weren’t, why do you [Mrs. Peters] and I understand?” Although the conditions of their “imprisonment” are different, both Martha and Mrs. Wright experience the same trauma. Indeed, Martha’s main reason for hiding the evidence, apart from the fact that Mrs. Wright is her friend, is that, by trying to help Mrs. Wright, Martha hopes to help herself.
In conclusion, Martha Hale is a woman trapped within herself, mostly because society will not allow her to be who she really is. When she goes to the Wrights’ house, Martha is determined to salvage Mrs. Wright in any way she can, hoping that this action will ease the guilt Martha feels for not having visited Mrs. Wright all those years. When she discovers the bird and makes the connection, Martha decides to hide the evidence, knowing that the murder was only the embodiment of Mrs. Wright’s years of frustration. By taking such decision, Martha makes a blunt statement that she will not tolerate injustice, an admirable and a courageous act, despite the fact that no one knows about this courage except for another silenced voice.

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