Essay 2 will require you to synthesize a secondary text – in this instance, one of the articles assigned as part of this module (Mustazza, – with one – two primary ones, in this case, Glaspell’s play,

Guzman 8

Genesis Guzman

Professor Plochocki

English 121

04-02-2025

Moral Development and Gendered Justice in Susan Glaspell’s Trifles and A Jury of Her Peers

The works Trifles and A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell present deep perspectives about gender roles, justice, and moral values. The narratives show women use firsthand knowledge to form ethical values that differ from the male-centered legal mold. An analysis of female characters' moral dilemmas in these works benefits from Gilligan's theory, which disputes Kohlberg's models. Gilligan maintains that most traditional moral development theories focus on justice-based principles , yet women tend to base their ethical decisions on care ethics that evaluate relationships and situational factors (Gilligan 17). Through an analysis of Gilligan’s theory, this research shows how Glaspell’s female characters achieve justice through their commitment to caring ethical principles.

Moral Development in Trifles and A Jury of Her Peers

The stories of Glaspell focus on examining the crime scene where Mrs. Wright, who used to be Minnie Foster, faces murder charges for killing her husband. Through Trifles and A Jury of Her Peers, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters learn about all the psychological and emotional mistreatment Minnie Foster suffered. The women choose to understand the case differently from the men since they base their moral reasoning on empathy and sharing similar experiences. Through hiding the dead bird, they demonstrate their choice of an ethics of care over the rigid justice system, which could have potentially seen such evidence as a motive .

According to Gilligan in In a Different Voice (1982), women follow a different path of moral development than men because their ethics center on relating to others and handling responsibilities instead of seeking justice (Gilligan 22). The male characters, such as the sheriff and county attorney , show Kohlberg’s established principles of moral development when traditional ethical theories are modeled. The men stay committed to legal rules and punishment enforcement while showing no interest in Minnie's profound suffering ( Kohlberg 32). Gilligan's framework aligns with Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters since they perceive the conditions that pushed Minnie to kill her husband. Their moral decision to stay silent does not imply a rejection of morality, but it demonstrates an opposing moral position that elevates human connection above legal technicality .

The Ethics of Care Versus the Ethics of Justice

The opposing views of males versus females in Trifles and A Jury of Her Peers demonstrate how justice ethics face conflict with care ethics. The male characters rely on their authority figure status to disregard female observations deemed unimportant. Society displays a widespread disinterest toward women's personal experiences as officials ignore the mental aspects of the crime. Because they share a similar patriarchal experience, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters sympathize with Minnie rather than merely feel pity (Mustazza 490).

Gilligan demonstrates that morality develops as an intricate relationship between care ethics and justice principles in her model of moral development. When Mrs. Peters remembers all her losses, she becomes less reluctant to break the law. The shift in Mrs. Wright demonstrates how our judgment is profoundly shaped by what we went through and our emotional bond with someone. Mrs. Hale experiences deep regret about not seeking Minnie Wright before prison sent her through a psychological decline, as her therapy further proves that moral duty surpasses legal boundaries of justice.

Implications of Gilligan’s Theory for Gender and Justice

According to Gilligan, justice concepts based on abstract principles fail to qualify as the most advanced form of moral reasoning. Gilligan proposes that care, relationships, and situational understanding possess equivalent worth. Terrica Hanlon and the other women display an alternative moral stance by deciding to protect Minnie in Trifles and A Jury of Her Peers. Women may practice justice through a different philosophical framework, recognizing legal blindness towards gender oppression (Gilligan 29).

Glaspell uses her writing to demonstrate the long history of women's nonparticipation in legal and moral decisions. The name A Jury of Her Peers reveals that Minnie would receive justice from female jurors who sympathize with her situation. Such rejection demonstrates the broader feminist perspective, which advocates for law systems to understand marginalized populations better.

According to Gilligan, the approach of moral reasoning via care and social relations undermines the strict law enforcement system. The male investigators neglect to understand Minnie's emotional background and domestic circumstances because they fail to see these aspects as essential . The women identified the mental mistreatment as well as the loneliness that made Minnie resort to desperation. The women hide evidence because their moral standards emphasize care rather than revenge . Through her characterization of these female characters, Glaspell demonstrates how the legal system operates poorly because it ignores specific experiences of women.

The women's moral judgments follow the same patterns as feminist critiques that challenge patriarchal legal frameworks. Their protection of Minnie represents disobedience to the law and the demonstration of their viewpoint about justice, which places real-life experiences above theoretical legal principles. The resisting characters show why an improved judicial system needs to recognize women's suffering through frameworks based on care and relationship knowledge. Glaspell’s work demonstrates the same idea as Gilligan's, which asserts that morality needs to handle relationship complexities instead of only following legal codes .

Conclusion

Susan Glaspell uses the literary works Trifles and A Jury of Her Peers to expose how gender shapes moral values and justice through the female characters. We can examine how the female protagonists base their moral logic on caring for others and understanding their experiences through Gilligan’s developmental model of morality. The author's perspective shows how it becomes possible to understand texts better and question prevailing perspectives of justice that still matter today . The women choose evidence concealment to establish their moral structure, prioritizing human attachment networks above legal code rules. The works of Glaspell expose the need to merge multiple ethical viewpoints when studying justice and ethical standards.

AI Reflection

I used ChatGPT to develop an argument structure in this assignment while improving the overall content. I first presented an approximate structure of my essay, asking the AI system to generate methods for developing crucial sections, especially regarding Gilligan’s moral theory assessment. Through ChatGPT, I gained supplementary understanding about how ethics of care differ from ethical justice, thereby enabling me to understand better Trifles and A Jury of Her Peers from the female and male perspectives.

The technology permitted me to tighten the wording in my piece while improving the logical structure of my ideas. The AI tool showed how Gilligan’s theory could be directly linked with the conduct of Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters. All my interpretations and final thoughts stemmed from my work instead of relying on AI for content generation, even though I received guidance from this tool. The tool was helpful in my writing process because it supported style guidance without impacting my essential content or analytical approach. Therefore, I anticipate reusing it as a brainstorming aid.

By considering various viewpoints, I developed deep insights into how Glaspell’s portrayal of justice connects with Gilligan’s ethics of care. Even though AI produced the suggestions, I checked independently to maintain original content and personal writing style. The experience showed me how AI operates best as a joint tool, which must supplement human production over automated replacement of intellectual assessment. Academic writing stands to gain from this technology since it helps students reshape their structures while enhancing their significant points, enabling them to preserve their writing identity .

Works Cited

Gilligan, Carol. In a Different Voice : Psychological Theory and Women’s Development. Harvard University Press, 1982.

Glaspell, Susan. A Jury of Her Peers. 1917. Project Gutenberg, www.gutenberg.org/files/1952/1952-h/1952-h.htm.

---. Trifles. 1916. Project Gutenberg, www.gutenberg.org/files/10623/10623-h/10623-h.htm.

Kohlberg, Lawrence. Essays on Moral Development: The Philosophy of Moral Development. Harper & Row, 1981.

Mustazza, Leonard. "Generic Translation and Thematic Shift in Susan Glaspell’s 'Trifles' and 'A Jury of Her Peers.'" Studies in Short Fiction, vol. 26, no. 4, 1989, pp. 489–496.