- The poem takes place in the middle of the war. The author uses the word "phial", "bottled," and "test tube" as he is describing what he sees after the Iraqi soldier spoke to him about the Americans sperm banking. He connects war and birth and death by showing the image of this soldier, obviously dying, and allowing his last words to be ones of sperm and birth.
- When I first read this poem, I thought that all the references to the Americans sperm banking was was portraying the idea of leaving behind a legacy. I thought the Iraqi was jealous because the Americans could afford and were able to safeguard that they would still be able to have children and give their wives the kids they wanted, even if they died in battle. The poem says, "So if their fate was to be gassed at least they thought their name would last." However, now that we discussed it in class and read the articles on DU, I see how there could be a deeper meaning than that. The Iraqi is not necessarily bitter because he can't ensure that he will still have a child no matter what happens to him, but because this ability to sperm bank, which seems so affordable and easy for these Americans, allows the Americans to always have more children. The Iraqis are losing men and running out of people to fight. The Americans would not have this problem because they can just keep procreating. The soldier says, "On Saddam;s pay we can't afford to get our semen stored" and he goes on to include statistics of how many Iraqis died in comparison to the sperm count in one ejaculation.
- The poet is significant because journalists are supposed to tell the facts. If it were a journalist, he would have had to describe the scene as he saw it and provide factual information. The poet however, is supposed to lie for the soldier. He is supposed to be able to find words that a journalist couldn't in order to describe "this frightening mask." The Iraqi tells the poet "That's your job, poet, to pretend I want my foe to be my friend." He is supposed to show what is not really there and mask the truth.
Friday, April 18, 2008
"A Cold Coming"
Thursday, April 17, 2008
4/17
Lion- very large animal in the feline family; fierce predator; has a mane; golden brown fur; large, sharp teeth and claws; loud roar
lioness- female lion; not as large; lacks a mane, but still has golden colored fur; paws and claws; still very fierce animal
I did not get this impression from the story. In fact, I thought that even though the woma was getting rid of each animal's names, she was still stereotyping each animal by describing the different ways the groups reacted. The person who wrote this response felt it was good that she was taking away their names because it took away the stereotypes, when I don't think it did this at all.
I did get from the story that Eve (although I wasn't sure it was Eve) wanted to feel closer and as one with the animals, and that she acheieved this by removing their names as well as her own. She was somewhat successful in making a point that names are often just labels or stereotypes, however, I do not agree with how the author of this story sees names. I think giving a more endearing pet name to an animal actually makes it a more intimate, personal relationship, I don't think it takes away from the "metaphysical" nature of the real name.
lioness- female lion; not as large; lacks a mane, but still has golden colored fur; paws and claws; still very fierce animal
I did not get this impression from the story. In fact, I thought that even though the woma was getting rid of each animal's names, she was still stereotyping each animal by describing the different ways the groups reacted. The person who wrote this response felt it was good that she was taking away their names because it took away the stereotypes, when I don't think it did this at all.
I did get from the story that Eve (although I wasn't sure it was Eve) wanted to feel closer and as one with the animals, and that she acheieved this by removing their names as well as her own. She was somewhat successful in making a point that names are often just labels or stereotypes, however, I do not agree with how the author of this story sees names. I think giving a more endearing pet name to an animal actually makes it a more intimate, personal relationship, I don't think it takes away from the "metaphysical" nature of the real name.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Readings for 4/15
She Unnames Them
I am not sure I fully understand the meaning of this story. I liked how each animal's stereotypical personality was brought through when describing their reactions to letting go of their names. Cats are often thought of as thoughtful and mysterious animals, as birds are thought of as smart and talkative. Yaks had a very stubborn and loud personality in this story and fish just were very silent and indifferent. I didn't really get the part about the man and the woman though.
Journey of the Magi
I am not religious so I am not sure I fully grasped everything this poem had to offer. I liked the way it was written and thought it was filled with great detail and imagery. I think it is about Christ being born and the questions that arose because of this birth. I think it's interesting how death and birth are compared in this poem almost interchangeably. I believe the Magi are the Three Wise Men who came bearing gifts at the birth of Jesus, so this is telling of the struggles and encounters during their journey and what it was all worth, or if it was all worth it.
A Cold Coming
This is a very interesting poem. I found its format interesting and its rhyme scheme despite the topic of the poem. I would not have expected a topic like this to be in a poem structured quite this way. There was a lot of satire to this poem too. It was sad though, despite the sarcasm and attempt at comedy, because it is true. We are getting the perspective of the War in Iraq from a charred and bloody Iraqi soldier. He speaks of the importance of being able to carry on a name and a child and a legacy, a chance he will never get. He talks about his hatred and jealousy of the American soldiers but that the poet should transform this jealousy and make it seem like he was happy for them men who survived, unlike him. It was a weird poem but had a lot of truth and sadness behind it.
I am not sure I fully understand the meaning of this story. I liked how each animal's stereotypical personality was brought through when describing their reactions to letting go of their names. Cats are often thought of as thoughtful and mysterious animals, as birds are thought of as smart and talkative. Yaks had a very stubborn and loud personality in this story and fish just were very silent and indifferent. I didn't really get the part about the man and the woman though.
Journey of the Magi
I am not religious so I am not sure I fully grasped everything this poem had to offer. I liked the way it was written and thought it was filled with great detail and imagery. I think it is about Christ being born and the questions that arose because of this birth. I think it's interesting how death and birth are compared in this poem almost interchangeably. I believe the Magi are the Three Wise Men who came bearing gifts at the birth of Jesus, so this is telling of the struggles and encounters during their journey and what it was all worth, or if it was all worth it.
A Cold Coming
This is a very interesting poem. I found its format interesting and its rhyme scheme despite the topic of the poem. I would not have expected a topic like this to be in a poem structured quite this way. There was a lot of satire to this poem too. It was sad though, despite the sarcasm and attempt at comedy, because it is true. We are getting the perspective of the War in Iraq from a charred and bloody Iraqi soldier. He speaks of the importance of being able to carry on a name and a child and a legacy, a chance he will never get. He talks about his hatred and jealousy of the American soldiers but that the poet should transform this jealousy and make it seem like he was happy for them men who survived, unlike him. It was a weird poem but had a lot of truth and sadness behind it.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Greek Mythology
Siren Song
I really liked this poem. I have always enjoyed Greek Mythology and am familiar with the story of the sirens. They are half-bird and half-human sisters who sing and play a song that cannot be ignored by any passing sailor. These sailors see the dead corpses lying on the unpassable reefs upon which these creatures live, but they still are drawn in by this song. The interesting part is how no one knows what the song sounds like or is about because all who hear it die and everyone who has gotten passed these creatures, like Odysseus' crew, did not actually hear it, except Odysseus himself. I liked how the poem told a secret, which really ended up being the song that the Sirens sing to lure everyone in. This poem gave an interesting perspective on what the Siren's song could be that would entice the sailors so much despite them knowing the fate that lies ahead of them. Making the song be a call for help from these creatures made the sailors seem noble, not being able to turn away, yet it takes away the nobility of Odysseus in the myth where he saved his crew and had himslef tied to his ship's mast so he could not swim to shore.
Ulysses
Ulysses, or the Latin version of Odysseus is the hero in the story, The Odyssey. Ulysses is a very noble character. He derives a plan to save Helen of Troy, creating the famous Trojan Horse. He overcomes amazing mythical obstacles and creatures like Cyclops, the Sirens, Circe the sorceress, and more. In the poem, "Ulysses," he is recounting these past events. He has become an old man is rehashing the adventures he has lived through. I find this poem to be kind of sad. After all, his whole journey had been to make it back home to his now "aged wife" and his son who had become so different from he. I understand, though, how he would feel that he cannot just sit and "rest from travel." He has seen too much to know that there is so much more out there, and nothing will satisfy him until he has seen more and done more in the world. He invites his "mariners" to come with him, because surely he doesn't believe they could be happy doing nothing either. He knows he is getting old but he is still "strong in will to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
Leda and the Swan
This is an interesting poem, because this myth is a particularly interesting one in Greek Mythology. It also has a lot of variation and controversy that accompanies it. Zeus came to Leda in the form of a swan and seduced her, which is what this poem is discussing. The myth concerning Leda mentions that Leda also slept with her husband, Tyndareus, the same night, and so there is a lot of confusion as to which of her children had which father. According to this poem, Leda was very reluctant but eventually did give in. This poem asks the question "did she put on his knowledge with his power before the indifferent beak could let her drop?" as if to say did she put up a fight, did he consider her or her feelings at all before she gave in and allowed Zeus to overpower her and have his way. The poem seems to be a retelling of this event because Agamemnon, who ended up marrying one of Leda's daughters, was obviously not dead yet like he was when the narrator was telling this story.
I really liked this poem. I have always enjoyed Greek Mythology and am familiar with the story of the sirens. They are half-bird and half-human sisters who sing and play a song that cannot be ignored by any passing sailor. These sailors see the dead corpses lying on the unpassable reefs upon which these creatures live, but they still are drawn in by this song. The interesting part is how no one knows what the song sounds like or is about because all who hear it die and everyone who has gotten passed these creatures, like Odysseus' crew, did not actually hear it, except Odysseus himself. I liked how the poem told a secret, which really ended up being the song that the Sirens sing to lure everyone in. This poem gave an interesting perspective on what the Siren's song could be that would entice the sailors so much despite them knowing the fate that lies ahead of them. Making the song be a call for help from these creatures made the sailors seem noble, not being able to turn away, yet it takes away the nobility of Odysseus in the myth where he saved his crew and had himslef tied to his ship's mast so he could not swim to shore.
Ulysses
Ulysses, or the Latin version of Odysseus is the hero in the story, The Odyssey. Ulysses is a very noble character. He derives a plan to save Helen of Troy, creating the famous Trojan Horse. He overcomes amazing mythical obstacles and creatures like Cyclops, the Sirens, Circe the sorceress, and more. In the poem, "Ulysses," he is recounting these past events. He has become an old man is rehashing the adventures he has lived through. I find this poem to be kind of sad. After all, his whole journey had been to make it back home to his now "aged wife" and his son who had become so different from he. I understand, though, how he would feel that he cannot just sit and "rest from travel." He has seen too much to know that there is so much more out there, and nothing will satisfy him until he has seen more and done more in the world. He invites his "mariners" to come with him, because surely he doesn't believe they could be happy doing nothing either. He knows he is getting old but he is still "strong in will to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
Leda and the Swan
This is an interesting poem, because this myth is a particularly interesting one in Greek Mythology. It also has a lot of variation and controversy that accompanies it. Zeus came to Leda in the form of a swan and seduced her, which is what this poem is discussing. The myth concerning Leda mentions that Leda also slept with her husband, Tyndareus, the same night, and so there is a lot of confusion as to which of her children had which father. According to this poem, Leda was very reluctant but eventually did give in. This poem asks the question "did she put on his knowledge with his power before the indifferent beak could let her drop?" as if to say did she put up a fight, did he consider her or her feelings at all before she gave in and allowed Zeus to overpower her and have his way. The poem seems to be a retelling of this event because Agamemnon, who ended up marrying one of Leda's daughters, was obviously not dead yet like he was when the narrator was telling this story.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Intro Paragraph
Martin Luther King Jr. was a man who accomplished remarkable things. His name is known and respected nation-wide. Gwendolyn Brooks, simply using his name as the title of her poem, AMartin Luther King Jr.,@ describes this leader=s strong presence beautifully. In Brook=s poem, a main theme of timeless inspiration is noted. Brooks utilizes carefully chosen words to highlight this theme, but the time that she wrote this poem, in 1970, brings about even more depth to the theme of timeless inspiration, because King was dead when this poem was written. This piece of historical information, as well as many others regarding the events that occurred during the time this poem was written and throughout the years prior, are what makes the theme of Brooks=s poem so much more important and effective.
SWA #10
I have chosen to write about the poem, AMartin Luther King Jr.,@ by Gwendolyn Brooks for essay number three. This poem stood out to me because it is about a man whose name I learned at a very young age and who I have been taught about since my very early years in school. Martin Luther King Jr. was a very inspiring leader and I immediately saw a theme relating to that when I read this poem. This work is also written about a time period that I am somewhat familiar with, which should help me with the historical aspect of my paper.
I have discovered the historical connection that when the poem was written, Martin Luther King Jr. had actually already been killed. I found this to be very relevant to the theme I found relating to an inspiration that can last over time. I thought it was very important that Brooks had written such strong words about a man two years after his prominence had passed. Two years prior to the writing of this piece also marked the end of the true Civil Rights Movement. This historical information can also be used to connect my idea about the theme of the poem to when it was written and what was occurring during that time period.
I hope to reveal that the fact that Brooks wrote this poem two years following King=s death is what actually enhances the poem and the theme of the poem. I think it makes the theme, of an inspiration that can endure time, much stronger than if the poem had been written while King was still alive and preaching, because this reveals so much more clearly exactly how much of an inspiration King was that he could continue to be so respected and his words could be heeded even after his tragic death.
I do still need to find more specific information about Martin Luther King Jr. and his actions. I will look further into the Civil Rights Movement that was occurring while he was alive as well as what was happening two years after his death, when this poem was written. I think it might be hard to find as much information during these following years, but anything I can find I think will help my argument, because just having a piece written about King, that displays such respect for him and his beliefs as Brooks=s poem, shows in itself how important he was considered to be.
The thesis for my paper will probably go something as follows: The time that Brooks wrote AMartin Luther King Jr.,@ in 1970, creates more depth to the theme of timeless inspiration that can be found in this poem, because King was dead when this poem was written and the Civil Rights Movement had come to a halt, but his words and memory were still living on.
SWA #8-9
Barringer, Mark and Wells, Tom. AThe Anti-War Movement in the
These authors have written two different articles on the topic of the Anti-War Movement throughout the 1960's and 70's, both of which contain details on the trend of growing opposition, in
CBS News. ANation Honors MLK 40 Years After His Death.@
This CBS News article describes the scene in
Friedman, Michael. AMartin Luther King=s Dream Lives on 40 Years After His Death: Americans Remember the Days of Anger and Hope.@ 31 March 2008. America.Gov. 4 April 2008 http://www.america.gov/st/diversity‑english/2008/March/20080328113332zjsredba0.5366327.html.
Friedman=s article provides information about King=s assassination, as well as some events both preceding and following his death. He provides a significant quote from King=s last address, which may be useful in my paper, and he gives dates of when other important events occurred surrounding King=s death. This article gives me some extra insight into what was going on in terms of Civil Rights, besides the doings of Martin Luther King Jr., that I had not found much in other articles. Friedman also briefly touches on some of the effects King had on the future, which is important to include in my essay.
"King, Martin Luther, Jr.." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 4 Apr. 2008 http://www.britannica.com/eb/article‑3921.
This is a very informative article that also provides links to other topics and keywords having to do with Civil Rights. This specific article gives biographical information about Martin Luther King Jr.=s life and the many accomplishments of King. Contrary to several of the other sources I have found, this article also mentions some of King=s failed attempts as well as views of people who are critical of him, which is a new perspective. I can use the quotes that this article provides, in my paper also, as some of the details that the article mentions are about King=s effect on people after his death. I have had trouble finding a lot of information regarding what occurred and how people felt about King in the years following his death, and this article includes some of that information.
King, Martin Luther Jr. AI Have A Dream.@ Washington, D.C., 28 August 1963. YouTube 2008. 4 April 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk.
This is a video of Martin Luther King Jr.=s AI Have A Dream Speech,@ which he gave in the state capitol on August 28, 1963 at the March on Washington. This clip effectively shows the entirety of King=s speech that day, as well as the huge crowd that attended his speech and close-up images of individuals present. The video will assist me in writing my paper because it provides me with visual and auditory enhancements, so that I can get a feel for what King actually sounded like and the expressions people had on their faces while hearing him, as well as an idea of the amount of people who showed up to hear him speak. I had never seen the complete broadcast of King=s speech, and now that I have, I am more connected emotionally to the topic, and can use this video to quote King, himself, in my essay.
Paris, Peter J. AMartin Luther King Jr.=s Vision of America.@ Theology Today April 2008: 17-25. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Thomas Cooper Lib., U of South Carolina. 4 April 2008 https://pallas2.tcl.sc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com.
Paris gives his positive point of view about Martin Luther King Jr. and his beliefs through an in depth analysis of King=s AI Have A Dream@ speech. The article includes many direct quotations from King=s speech, as well as Paris= own interpretation of these words. This article will help me because it includes some very specific words and quotations from King=s most memorable speech that I had not considered before, and that will fit nicely into my paper. Paris also includes some of his own beliefs about how King=s words are still used today, which is what I am trying to emphasize in my paper.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
SWA #7
“Trifles,” the play, written by Susan Glaspell, is remarkably different from the short story version of the same story, called “A Jury of Her Peers,” also written by Glaspell. These two tellings contain the same plot, setting, characters, and almost the exact same dialogue, yet they differ greatly because of their different forms. This exemplifies how two texts telling the same story can be interpreted, perceived, and analyzed in very different manners.
The play version, “Trifles,” is about a woman who is being accused of murdering her husband. The sheriff of the town, the county attorney, and a neighboring farmer, who found this woman’s dead husband ,go to the scene of the crime, accompanied by the wives of the sheriff and of the farmer. The two women go to retrieve some of the woman’s belongings to bring to her in jail, while the men are there to hear the farmer, Mr. Hale, rehash his story of finding the dead man, and to look for any evidence or clues to help solve the case. While the men search the house, the women are deeply disturbed by the untidiness and unfinished state in which the accused woman, Minnie, had to leave her house. While gathering her personal items, they come across a damaged bird cage and a dead canary, whose death had been caused in a very similar fashion as to that of Minnie’s husband. The bird’s neck had been wrung. The two women unspokenly agree to keep this discovery to themselves, as they do not want to give the sheriff the only thing lacking in convicting Minnie- motive.
“A Jury of Her Peers” has essentially the same plot, only it is told very differently. The short story is a bit longer than the play and begins with an introduction that is not included in the play. The same characters are involved in this version and everyone is at Minnie’s house for the same reasons they are in the play version. The two women search for some material to wrap up Minnie’s belongings and look for some sewing materials like they did in the play, and stumble across the dead bird. The women hide this from the men who are searching for evidence just like what they have uncovered in order to prove that Minnie is guilty of killing her husband. The bird had a wrung neck and Minnie’s husband died of a rope tied around his in his sleep. This would have been the perfect clue to connect Minnie to the murder of her husband, but the women take the bird and say nothing about it. The story ands just as the play does.
Despite the fact that the summaries of both stories are almost identical, they provide the reader with two completely different interpretations. “Trifles,” is a play, which includes stage directions and specific details about the scene in which the story occurs. This is a disadvantage in that the flow of the story is interrupted but it does allow for the reader to really picture Minnie’s kitchen because the details are described in such a way that someone could reenact the story. This provides a unique imagery that “A Jury of Her Peers” does not have. However, the perspective that “A Jury of Her Peers” is told from is much more enlightening than just getting the stage directions and dialogue, like in “Trifles.” Instead, “A Jury of Her Peers” is told from Mrs. Hale’s point of view. It is written in the third person, but the reader gets Mrs. Hale’s thoughts and personal emotions throughout the story. This is not the case in the play form. This has a very big impact on the story because it gives each of the characters more personality.
Not much of the story has been removed from the short story, but the parts that have make a difference. The introduction that is skipped in “Trifles” describes just how Mrs. Hale feels about unfinished work by showing her at her own house. Her guilt of not going to see Minnie more often is portrayed much more clearly in the short story because we get to actually see how badly she feels when the passage states that “the picture of that girl, the fact that she had lived neighbor to that girl for twenty years, and had let her die for lack of life, was suddenly more than she could bear (Glaspell, A Jury of Her Peers).” Because we get Mrs. Hale’s perspective, the readers are able to get this extra insight that the play does not reveal. Mrs. Hale says the same words in the play as she does in the short story, but this extra bit about her feelings gives the story much more depth.
Another aspect that makes “A Jury of Her Peers” a more illuminating version is the name of the story itself. The fact that the two stories have different titles is very interesting. There must be a reason for this naming technique. “Trifles” is a word that was actually used in the story, in almost an insulting manner toward the women, which is what makes it a good title. There is irony at play by naming the story after such a simple object, like that of a little sewing box that ended up holding a huge secret. The men think of the women in such a low standard in both versions of this story, so to name the story trifles, like something the women would fuss over is ironic because what the men do not see is how the women in the story have a lot more wit and daring and intelligence than they give them credit for. However, “A Jury of Her Peers” is also an interesting title for this story.
Naming the short story “A Jury of Her Peers” is effective because Minnie’s peers in this story turn out to be Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters who actually do play a huge part in determining her fate. The two women silently judged Minnie from what they knew about her and the bird that they uncovered. Even though the women did not discuss it, they both attempted to hide the bird from the men. They both chose to withhold very important evidence, and in doing so, became Minnie’s jury, who decided that she should not be convicted. The fact that the short story was given this name, as opposed to the play, again, I think had a lot to do with the extra information we are provided with in “A Jury of Her Peers.” The looks the two women exchange throughout the story and their personalities are not revealed as well in the play, so their intentions and their unique mutual understanding and agreement about Minnie and the bird did not make as big of an impact in the play. They did not seem as much like a jury making a final decision as they did in the short story. The two names fit the versions in very different ways and would not have been as effective if they had been interchanged.
There seem to be more advantages to the short story version of this text. The fact that the reader gets an inside perspective in a “A Jury of Her Peers” instead of just dialogue makes most of the difference. It even plays a role in how the short story’s title is a little more effective and provides a different element than that of “Trifles.” Seeing Mrs. Hale’s thoughts also makes the short story version a little easier to relate to cultural and historical analysis as well. We get a full sense of how she feels she is being treated, and the thoughts that bring out her witty personality are revealed in the short story, but not the play. This allows the reader to identify how women were treated in this time period, but also just how unfair this treatment was because, as Mrs. Hale proves, these women had a lot more to offer than the men gave them credit for. Considering these two versions seem so alike, they can provide the reader with a lot of differing ideas.
The play version, “Trifles,” is about a woman who is being accused of murdering her husband. The sheriff of the town, the county attorney, and a neighboring farmer, who found this woman’s dead husband ,go to the scene of the crime, accompanied by the wives of the sheriff and of the farmer. The two women go to retrieve some of the woman’s belongings to bring to her in jail, while the men are there to hear the farmer, Mr. Hale, rehash his story of finding the dead man, and to look for any evidence or clues to help solve the case. While the men search the house, the women are deeply disturbed by the untidiness and unfinished state in which the accused woman, Minnie, had to leave her house. While gathering her personal items, they come across a damaged bird cage and a dead canary, whose death had been caused in a very similar fashion as to that of Minnie’s husband. The bird’s neck had been wrung. The two women unspokenly agree to keep this discovery to themselves, as they do not want to give the sheriff the only thing lacking in convicting Minnie- motive.
“A Jury of Her Peers” has essentially the same plot, only it is told very differently. The short story is a bit longer than the play and begins with an introduction that is not included in the play. The same characters are involved in this version and everyone is at Minnie’s house for the same reasons they are in the play version. The two women search for some material to wrap up Minnie’s belongings and look for some sewing materials like they did in the play, and stumble across the dead bird. The women hide this from the men who are searching for evidence just like what they have uncovered in order to prove that Minnie is guilty of killing her husband. The bird had a wrung neck and Minnie’s husband died of a rope tied around his in his sleep. This would have been the perfect clue to connect Minnie to the murder of her husband, but the women take the bird and say nothing about it. The story ands just as the play does.
Despite the fact that the summaries of both stories are almost identical, they provide the reader with two completely different interpretations. “Trifles,” is a play, which includes stage directions and specific details about the scene in which the story occurs. This is a disadvantage in that the flow of the story is interrupted but it does allow for the reader to really picture Minnie’s kitchen because the details are described in such a way that someone could reenact the story. This provides a unique imagery that “A Jury of Her Peers” does not have. However, the perspective that “A Jury of Her Peers” is told from is much more enlightening than just getting the stage directions and dialogue, like in “Trifles.” Instead, “A Jury of Her Peers” is told from Mrs. Hale’s point of view. It is written in the third person, but the reader gets Mrs. Hale’s thoughts and personal emotions throughout the story. This is not the case in the play form. This has a very big impact on the story because it gives each of the characters more personality.
Not much of the story has been removed from the short story, but the parts that have make a difference. The introduction that is skipped in “Trifles” describes just how Mrs. Hale feels about unfinished work by showing her at her own house. Her guilt of not going to see Minnie more often is portrayed much more clearly in the short story because we get to actually see how badly she feels when the passage states that “the picture of that girl, the fact that she had lived neighbor to that girl for twenty years, and had let her die for lack of life, was suddenly more than she could bear (Glaspell, A Jury of Her Peers).” Because we get Mrs. Hale’s perspective, the readers are able to get this extra insight that the play does not reveal. Mrs. Hale says the same words in the play as she does in the short story, but this extra bit about her feelings gives the story much more depth.
Another aspect that makes “A Jury of Her Peers” a more illuminating version is the name of the story itself. The fact that the two stories have different titles is very interesting. There must be a reason for this naming technique. “Trifles” is a word that was actually used in the story, in almost an insulting manner toward the women, which is what makes it a good title. There is irony at play by naming the story after such a simple object, like that of a little sewing box that ended up holding a huge secret. The men think of the women in such a low standard in both versions of this story, so to name the story trifles, like something the women would fuss over is ironic because what the men do not see is how the women in the story have a lot more wit and daring and intelligence than they give them credit for. However, “A Jury of Her Peers” is also an interesting title for this story.
Naming the short story “A Jury of Her Peers” is effective because Minnie’s peers in this story turn out to be Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters who actually do play a huge part in determining her fate. The two women silently judged Minnie from what they knew about her and the bird that they uncovered. Even though the women did not discuss it, they both attempted to hide the bird from the men. They both chose to withhold very important evidence, and in doing so, became Minnie’s jury, who decided that she should not be convicted. The fact that the short story was given this name, as opposed to the play, again, I think had a lot to do with the extra information we are provided with in “A Jury of Her Peers.” The looks the two women exchange throughout the story and their personalities are not revealed as well in the play, so their intentions and their unique mutual understanding and agreement about Minnie and the bird did not make as big of an impact in the play. They did not seem as much like a jury making a final decision as they did in the short story. The two names fit the versions in very different ways and would not have been as effective if they had been interchanged.
There seem to be more advantages to the short story version of this text. The fact that the reader gets an inside perspective in a “A Jury of Her Peers” instead of just dialogue makes most of the difference. It even plays a role in how the short story’s title is a little more effective and provides a different element than that of “Trifles.” Seeing Mrs. Hale’s thoughts also makes the short story version a little easier to relate to cultural and historical analysis as well. We get a full sense of how she feels she is being treated, and the thoughts that bring out her witty personality are revealed in the short story, but not the play. This allows the reader to identify how women were treated in this time period, but also just how unfair this treatment was because, as Mrs. Hale proves, these women had a lot more to offer than the men gave them credit for. Considering these two versions seem so alike, they can provide the reader with a lot of differing ideas.
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