Read Susan Glaspell's "Trifles" and "Perspective" from Glaspell's "A Jury of Her Peers". Short stories found in Meyer, Michael. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing. Bedford/St. Martin’s. Aside from the obvious differences in presentation,

How are the two versions of the story different? You may want to consider things like:

• Do you prefer one over the other? Why?

• How does Glaspell's focus shift between the two?

• How are you impacted differently by both tellings?

• How do the stories unfold differently? Are the basically the same or are there important differences that impact the theme? Plays were meant to be SEEN and not read, so while reading often helps you discover some of the finer points and aids you in your analysis, there is just no substitute for WATCHING a play! This is not the world's best video, but you may want to watch an acted-out version of the play https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFdclSMMZ54

What elements of it being a play separate it from literature?

I mean, obviously, the layout and stage direction etc would not be in a story. You've done a good job here pointing out some of the ways that the presentation of the story makes it differ from the play. But, do you think the play is just more potent? Why, I guess I am asking, does she choose to make this a play instead of just writing it as a short story, period? Or vice versa--why bother writing the story at all? What is she hoping to accomplish by bringing in this additional mode of writing?

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Discussion of Trifles and A Jury of Her Peers Susan Glaspell has two important works Trifles and A Jury of Her Peers play and short story respectively The discussion compares and contracts the two wor... View the full answer