In this play the setting is 1900. Women did not have the right to vote nor did they have a voice. There was no women's rights nor equality. The setting took place on a farm inside of an old house. Telephones were invented still being invented in the early 1870's and were not marketed until the end of the 1870's. 1885 is when the modern gasoline engine care was created although steam powered car were around since 1769. TV's were invented in in 1908, 8 years after this story took place. So this gives you an idea of the times. Things were not modern. People farmed for a living and life was not simple. People worked hard.
Mrs. Wright although innocent until proven guilty. Is guilty of strangling her husband to death with a rope while he slept. No matter if she was or not according to the men in this story she was guilty. Actually the women knew she was guilty also but sympathized with her.
The Rope itself is a symbol of the abusive husband choking the life out of Mrs Wright. Apparently Mrs. Wright had a good singing voice. She could stitch or knot and was beautiful when she was younger. I am sure she imagined a very different life for herself. She wound up living and working on a farm. Being married to a hard and harsh husband. She was social when she was younger but not so much as an adult. She never had kids, and back then you were considered less than a woman if you did not have a boy. To not have kids at all was worse. Even Mrs. Hale mentions that without kids lead to a quiet house.
The men thought what kind of woman could do such a thing? Not have any remorse for her actions and she is lying about it. They criticize her home cleaning for not being up to par. They also mention how they let the preserves go bad. How can she be a house wife and knot (stitch so poorly), keep a filth house, and an empty bird cage? The bird was assumed to be killed by having his neck broken by Mr. Wright. Also.
The women. Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale find the bird dead inside the box, wrapped in cloth. I think the bird represents not Mr. Wright but Mrs. Wright. Although Mrs. Wright retaliated by strangling her husband neck because he broke the birds neck. The bird however is Mrs. Peters. She is in the cage. She is finally free out of the cage when her husband dies. He sucked the life out of her and finally she is free of his beatings and his cage. Mrs. Hale regrets not visiting, and realize she is also lonely. Even with kids, she longs for female company. She also may have a harsh or non communicating husband.
I re read your post because I had not read story when I had seen your post. I think you do a good job on your post about the story. It made me realize or feel like hmm I was a bit judgmental when I wrote about the wife in the story. The thing is that I liked that I could catch that because I dislike people who are judgmental or rather who have judgmental attitudes so I try not to be or have one. I just feel too that even if her husband was beating her murdering is not the answer because then the woman looses... and any man who beats a woman is not worth the trials that a woman would have to go through after she kills him. Don't get me wrong I said women but I mean anyone... noone should be beating anyone in any type of relationship. Anyway, I just thought I'de share my view on your post and what it meant to me.
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