Question

Read the excerpt from “A Jury of Her Peers” by Susan Glaspell. Which stage of the plot structure does this event represent?

Answer 1

The excerpt from "A Jury of Her Peers" by Susan Glaspell narrates an event that represents, concerning the stage of the plot structure, C) Climax.

The climax, in a narrative, is a literary element that expresses the turning point of the story; a moment of tension or drama when the action starts or develops itself. It can be understood from this excerpt that the event narrated represents the climax of the story. "With a rush forward, she threw back the quilt pieces, got the box, tried to put it in her handbag (...) Desperately she opened it, started to take the bird out. But there she broke—she could not touch the bird". This passage presents a moment of tension in which a problem or unsolved situation appears. The sentence "There was the sound of a knob turning in the inner door" creates even more tension and takes the reader to a moment of interest and excitement. The excerpt ends with the character of Martha hiding a box inside her coat from the county attorney. "Mrs. Hale's hand was against the pocket of her coat", the author says at the end of the excerpt, maintaining the climax unsolved and the tension unbroken. So, the correct answer would be C) Climax.

The correct answer couldn't be A) Exposition because an exposition is a technique that consists of the presentation of background information within a story. It could be historical context, prior plot events, characters' backstories etc. This excerpt doesn't bring any additional information to the plot, so, the correct answer couldn't be A.

The correct answer couldn't be B) Resolution because the resolution in a narrative is when everything is solved and there is a closure. This excerpt doesn't bring a conclusion or closure to the plot, hence, the correct answer couldn't be B.

The correct answer couldn't be D) Falling action because the falling action occurs right after the climax and leads the plot to its closure. It is when the main problem or tension resolves itself. This excerpt doesn't convey a solution to the problem or tension, on the contrary, the tension maintains itself. Thus, the correct answer couldn't be D.