Protest is defined as “a statement or action expressing disapproval or objection of someone or something.” At first glance, most view a protest as a physical act, like marching in the streets toward a noble goal. A monumental event, such as the women's suffrage movement, constitutes the archetype of protest for most people. Susan Glaspell, author of the play Trifles and the short story “A Jury of Her Peers,” proves that a protest can be something as simple as asserting one's own importance within the confines of the home. As one of the few progressive authors of the early 20th century, Glaspell's works touched many women who were too afraid to speak out about the abuse they had suffered. Mrs. Hale, the progressive, and Mrs. Peters, the traditionalist, are perfect examples of how contrasting viewpoints are shaped by life at home. Women like Ms. Peters had almost no voice left, but with the help of a progressive friend to encourage her, Ms. Peters was able to break away from the status quo and form her own opinion. Glaspell describes Mrs. Peters' progression from an oppressed housewife to a free thinker, to provide 20th-century women with a model for resisting the subjugation of domestic violence. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay Being married to a man of authority, Mrs. Peters had never considered herself anything other than a housekeeper, representative of traditionalist women of this time. We immediately see the authority that men have over women, simply by the way they address them. The sheriff, Mr. Peters, refers to Mrs. Peters by her full name, never by "my wife" or even by her first name. Such a concrete and insensitive descriptor makes men's position of dominance very firm. Mrs. Peters will never be seen as anything other than married to a man of authority, something she never thought to question before. Accepting her position as nothing more than the sheriff's wife, Mrs. Peters embodies the qualities required for the role: she is meek, submissive and unprotesting. She was so involved in defending her husband's work that she hadn't thought about what he was actually doing. Even if unworthy people end up behind bars, Ms. Peters believes she must recognize that “'the law is the law'” (para. 145). All of Glaspell's works take place in a kitchen, the "women's room", where Mrs. Peters evokes the tragedy of Mrs. Wright's canned goods destroyed by the cold. Mrs. Peters, being a housewife herself, knows how much work goes into making and preserving these fruit preserves: "'Oh, its fruit,' she said... Mrs. Peters' husband burst out to laugh. 'Well can you beat the woman!' » (p. 1036). This interaction describes the lack of consideration Mr. Peters has for his wife and all the hard work she puts into her "wifely duties." This lack of recognition directly explains why Ms. Peters' voice is ignored. Ms. Peters is established as a traditionalist not by choice, but by necessity. Thanks to her lifestyle of following her husband and forgoing the duties of motherhood, this sheriff's wife was not challenged in her thought process until she entered the scene of the “tragic” death of John Wright. By being exposed to a progressive mindset, Mrs. Peters is able to empathize with Mrs. Wright and she begins to question her blind acceptance of the law. Throughout the story it becomes very clear that Mrs..