A Jury of Her Peers

A Jury of Her Peers, is a short story written by Susan Glaspell. This story describes the investigation of John Wright’s murder. The main characters are Mrs. Hale, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Wright. At the introduction of the story Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters with their respective husbands, after being informed of the death of Mr. Wright, go to his old house to investigate the murder. Mrs. Wright is the primary suspect of her husband’s death and has been detained. The other two women arrive at Mrs. Wright’s house to accompany their husband while they investigate. The conflict is when the women start to find evidence by paying attention to small details and by relating to Mrs. Wright as females and as wives. At the denouement of the story, both women arrive to the conclusion that Mrs. Wright is guilty of her husband’s death but decide against turning her in. 

This story is presented in a third person objective omniscient point of view. Mrs. Wrights home is the main setting. The mood appears tense between both women but as they get to know each other they seem to empathize and gain trust. As protagonist I would chose, Mrs. Hale, Mrs. Wright and Mrs. Peters. The antagonist would be the situation or female subjugation. The conflict seems to be a Man vs. Society struggle, as they are all females struggling against the ideas of that time. In this case I believe that the context is very important. This story seems to take place in a rural place, at a time when there wasn’t that much education for the lower classes and many females had to work hard to be taken seriously and to break away from stereotypes.
 

A Jury of Her Peers is an interesting story. I liked the feminist approach it has. I don’t know what I would have done if I had been in the same situation as Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters. Sometimes it is hard to decide between what society approves to be right and wrong, and what a person feels to be the correct thing. I also think that when you get to know a person, it gets very difficult to be objective and impartial. Everybody has motives and inclinations and who are we to decide if they are right or wrong?

The Jilting Of Granny Weatherall

     Katherine Anne Porter in her short story, The Jilting of Granny Weatherall, tells the story of an eighty years old woman who suffers from an illness but does not want to admit the seriousness of it. This story takes place in the house of Granny’s daughter, Cornelia. The main characters are Granny Weatherall who is the protagonist, and for antagonist I would say her illness or death. Granny is a temperamental and free spirited lady that was “jilted” in the altar when she was twenty. Now that she is eighty and laying in bed she shifts in and out of consciousness. She wants her daughter and the doctor to leave her in peace as she thinks of her younger days and her husband. As Granny goes through memories, she thinks of death but believes that it is not her time yet. She keeps remembering the day when a boy named George jilted her, and she thinks of how even though she married another man, she made the most out of her life and was happy. After some time, Granny notices that there is a priest next to her and that all of her children have gathered to bid her goodbye. 

    This story presents an internal conflict as Granny is struggling against her own physical limitations, such as her age and the illness she has.  This story is also told from a stream of consciousness point of view as we know all of Granny’s thoughts and reactions. The theme would probably be something about reaching an advanced age and having to depend on others. Granny feels she is still capable of doing her own things but her patronizing daughter Cordelia, does not approve, “don’t cross her…she’s eighty years old” (p 242). 

    This story although humorous in some instances is rather sad. It must be difficult for older persons to stop doing their everyday activities and to start relying in others. Also it must be hard to accept that you are sick and any day could be your last day. How can somebody prepare for that? Maybe if you have lived a happy and prosperous life it might be easier although I doubt it. I liked how Granny Weatherall does not change her attitude even as death is lurking around her. This story also made me think of my grandparents and how I barely have time to be with them anymore, and about how lonely and desperate they must feel.

The Catbird Seat

     The Catbird’s Seat is a short story written by James Thurber. This story talks about Mr. Erwin Martin, the head of the filing department in an F&S firm and developing protagonist of this story. Mr. Martin is described as a reliable, infallible, and polite man, but as the conflict of the story is revealed, his true character is uncovered. The climax of this story takes place in a city in the year, 1942. Mr. Martin believes that his employment position at the F&S firm could be at risk and so he decides to do whatever is needed to “rub out” the person who appears as a threat, Mrs. Ulgine Barrows. Mrs. Barrows appears to be the antagonist with an individual personality. Mr. Martin describes Mrs. Barrows as a woman with a “quacking voice and braying laugh” (p 207). Mr. Martin is also convinced that Mrs. Ulgine should be “charged with willful, blatant, and persistent attempts to destroy the efficiency and system of F&S” (p 208). Therefore Mr. Martin decides to scheme a plan to get rid of Mrs. Barrows once and for all.

     This story presents an external, Man vs. Society conflict. Mr. Martin clearly believes that Mrs. Ulgine “baits” him and he believes that she is not good for the firm. The angle from which this story is told is a third person limited omniscient perspective. The mood seems to be humorous as the obsessive compulsive Mr. Martin wants to rub out Mrs. Ulgine, without being caught in the act. 

     I really enjoyed this story, not every day roles are changed and we see an “old and frail” man taking over a “young and strong” woman. Mr. Martin is so determined and focused that he evens sounds childish in his attempts of getting rid of Mrs. Ulgine. I liked the way Thurber presents his story, as if it is a normal every day thing to scheme against one of your coworkers. I also liked how he makes his characters appear stereotypical although they are really developing.

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place

    Ernest Hemingway’s, A Clean, Well-Lighted Place is a short story that describes a usual afternoon in a Spanish Café. In this short story there are three main characters, the older waiter and his co-protagonist the old man and the antagonist which is the younger waiter. The conflict begins when both waiters start talking about the old man and the younger one acts in a selfish way and tries to make the old man leave the café. The older waiter feels empathy for the old man and tries to make the younger waiter understand the man’s situation.

     The angle from which this story is told is from a third person limited omniscient. The conflict seems to be social, a man versus society struggle. The older waiter and man have to struggle against the ideas of society, embodied in the younger waiter, of loneliness, life and advanced age. As the younger waiter says “I wouldn’t want to be that old. An old man is a nasty thing” (Pg 200). The mood in this story seems melancholic, lonely, and calm with an anxious edge. 

    I believe that the title, A Clean, Well-Lighted Place, makes reference to a person’s mental state. If you can’t find comfort even with yourself, where else are you going to feel calm? I guess it tries to make us think about older persons and how lonely and sad their lives turn when they lose everything.  If they can find comfort or sympathy in another person or place that will help them ease their mind. I also think that this short story is about “walking in other person’s shoes”. We really don’t know what others have been through until we experience the same situations; we shouldn’t judge people so lightly.

First Confession

 

    First Confession is a short story written by author Frank O’Connor.  This story describes the internal struggles of a seven year old boy, Jackie the protagonist, who has to do his first communion and his first confession. The young boy narrates the story with an innocent eye perspective and a stream of consciousness perception.  He explains how miserable his life has been ever since his grandmother (antagonist) came to live with his family.  The protagonist, Jackie, is presented with a conflict when he is told that all those persons that do a bad confession end up in hell or continually come back from the afterlife and burn other person’s furniture.

    The mood is humorous and playful. The setting seems to be in a small religiously devoted town, maybe a rural place. The theme seems to be something like the truth will set us free. Jackie is convinced he will go to hell if he does a bad confession but at the same time he fears of having to tell his “sins” to a priest.  The protagonist struggles with his own ideas, what he believes is wrong or right, and what seems to be acceptable by society. The author uses irony and hyperboles in a humorous way to make us relate to this young boy. Jackie has to choose between being a hypocrite or lying in his first confession and therefore condemning his soul for eternity.

    This story is witty and comical. The author uses a lighter and subtle approach as he focuses on intense topics. O’Connor talks about the hypocrisy of women, eternal justice, death and religion with a trivial and lighthearted attitude. I believed this story was entertaining and at the same time cynical. The young boy reminds me of Tom Sawyer, always getting in trouble and believing that everything that happens to him is the worst thing on earth.