A Jury of Her Peers

"A Jury of Her Peers", written in 1917, is a short story by Susan Glaspell, loosely based on the 1900 murder of John Hossack (not the famed abolitionist), which Glaspell covered while working as a journalist for the Des Moines Daily News. It is seen as an example of early feminist literature because two female characters are able to solve a mystery that the male characters cannot. They are aided by their knowledge of women's psychology. Glaspell originally wrote the story as a one-act play entitled Trifles for the Provincetown Players in 1916. The story was adapted into an episode of the 1950s TV series Alfred Hitchcock Presents. It was also adapted into a 30-minute film by Sally Heckel in 1980. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.

mystery and adventure, murder, short story