Martha Hale, an antagonist in “A jury of her peers”, is more humane to protagonist Minnie Foster.  Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peter could understand and feel the whole situation that Mrs. Wright was going through. They even tried to hide the evidence that might lead to full conviction of Mr. Wright’s murder.  They found out that the bird was killed and wrapped in a silk inside a box, but they did not notify it to county attorney Mr. Henderson. They both were nervous when Mr. Henderson and Mr. Peter walked in from outside. ““Well that’s very interesting, I’m sure,” he said tolerantly. He caught sight of the bird-cage. “Has the bird flown?” “We think the cat got it,” said Mrs. Hale in a voice curiously even.”

Martha Hale regrets that she was not able to visit Mrs. Wright during the year and she felt that she could be of some help in preventing such incident. She was very busy and even worried about her own things at home.  She was very active lady never want to leave anything unfinished.  She knew that Mrs. Wright could not cope with the life as a housewife.  Mrs. Wright was gregarious and ostentatious when she was young.

Mrs. Hale asked Mrs. Peter to take a cherry bottled and let her know that everything is perfectly alright at home. Mrs. Peter even agreed to take the quilt with her in order that Mrs. Wright might keep her mind busy on this quilt while in jail.

On the other hand,  in “The story of an hour”, Mrs. Mallard died due to the surprise she got on her poor heart that was weak from the beginning. She was committing an invisible crime that no one could see. She was feeling all the freedom after she heard the news of her husband’s death.

In both the stories, “The story of an hour” and “A jury of her peers”, women endure dare situations with men under different circumstances.  Both the stories share a woman’s feeling and their adaptation to different situations and they are more vulnerable.

quilt

bird

birdcage with broken hinge on its door

her behavior when Mr. Hale visits

her alibi

pleating her apron

mental confusion

way the kitchen looks

Order of events?

quilted in a messy way

fruit jars broke

kitchen work was left half-done

husband killed the bird–hated it for some reason?

bird strangled

Someone, presumably Mrs. Wright, took care to wrap the bird in silk and put it in a pretty box

Someone put the birdcage away

Mr. and Mrs. Wright go to bed

Mr. Wright was strangled with a rope

Mrs. Wright sits pleating her apron