Do you think Mrs. Wright was abused? Explain your answer with evidence from the play.

“A Jury of Her Peers” is a short story by Susan Glaspell, adapted from her play Trifles. In both works, Minnie Wright is suspected of having murdered her husband, who has been found dead in their home. Her behavior and statements suggest some kind of mental breakdown. She seems to think that her husband was killed while she was sleeping beside him.
One item pointing to her being a victim of physical as well as emotional abuse is this detached mental state. Both Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters comment on the isolation that they believe had characterized Minnie’s state. Isolation from friends and family is a common tactic of abusers. Another indication is the body of the dead canary, which the other women conclude that John Wright had violently killed. Although this would not constitute physical abuse, it is consistent with emotional abuse.