Comparing My Last Duchess And A Jury Of Her Peers

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The concept of men exerting dominance over women explores the attempts in which men use their power and advantages to ostracize women. The thematic idea of male subjugation of women in the short story A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell can also be traced in the poem My Last Duchess by Robert Browning, and the short story The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The oppression of women stems from neglect and suppression of their interests. This theme is illustrated in the short story A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell, “...a thing that sang. She used to sing. He killed that too” (Mrs. Hale). The bird’s death serves as a metaphor for Minnie’s own suffocation and despair in her marriage. The violent act of strangling the bird symbolizes John’s dissatisfaction with her confinement, revealing the lack …show more content…

Hale's conversation with Mrs. Wright, he enquires about her husband, John, and whether he had installed a telephone. He then describes her response, stating, “...and at that she started to laugh, and then she stopped and looked at me--scared”. By questioning Mrs. Wright about the telephone situation, addresses the issues of communication, indirectly uncovers her husband's attempt to isolate her from society, so he can hold superior control over her. This incident explains her unusual reaction, leading her to feel hidden due to her husband stripping her freedom away. In addition, this theme is further emphasized in the poem The Duke's Last Duchess, demonstrated by the Duke exercising his power through his last duchess. When the Duke is addressing the ambassador, he unintentionally exposes his possessive and demeaning nature through his monologue, “I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands “As if alive”. By proudly confessing his control over her, hints that his dark desires led to him commanding her death. He believed she was unable to fulfill his status since she could not respect him the way he wanted to, leading to her

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