Question

Explain how Mr. Hale's question, ""But would the women know a clue if they did come upon it?" demonstrates the men's attitude toward the women in "A Jury of Her Peers."

Answer 1

Answer:

The men including the Sheriff Mr. Peters and Mr. Hale seem to have no concern for the opinions of the womenfolk. Moreover, the women are left to defend their own kind, to the extend of hiding evidence for a woman accused of the crime of murdering her own husband.

Explanation:

Susan Glaspell's short story A Jury of Her Peers / Trifles, A One Act Play, tells the story of Mrs. Wright who had been accused and kept in captivity over the death of her husband Mr. Wright. And the men who had gone to look for evidence in the Wrights' home including the Sheriff are sure that their wives will not find any evidence even if they come across one. This clearly shows the gender roles in the society, where the women are thought to be incapable of doing anything worthwhile.

But contrary to the belief, it is the women (Mrs Hale and Mrs. Peters) are the ones who find all the hints that show how guilty Mrs. Wright was. Their reflection on the life of the accused woman also reveals how women were treated in general. And while the men couldn't come across any evidence to prove her guilt, the women decided to hide whatever they found for they sympathize and relate to her situation and what it must have led her to do the deed. Therefore, it can be rightly said that the men in general seemed to not give any importance to the women in the society, leaving the womenfolk to fend for their own kind even regarding a murder case.