Characters are often the most directly influential aspect of literature. Whether a character is compelling or not is often the difference between finishing a story or abandoning it. Susan Glaspell in her story “A Jury of Her Peers” succeeds in crafting memorable characters. But who is truly the main character in the story? Martha Hale is the main character in “A Jury of Her Peers” due to her verisimilitude, the narration in the story, and her dynamic nature. The verisimilitude of Martha Hale deepens her characterization and makes her believable enough to be presented as the main character. Verisimilitude is the idea that “characters in fiction should be true to life” in order to create a realistic and believable story (166). The main character of any story should be grounded firmly in verisimilitude to to ground them in readers imaginations. If a reader cannot imagine a character as believable, the purpose of the story becomes ineffectual. Martha Hale possess verisimilitude, which makes her interesting and authentic to readers. In …show more content…
The point of view is third person limited, focusing on Martha Hale. We only directly get Martha Hale’s perspective due to the limited nature of the point of view. Therefore, Martha Hale’s perspective greatly colors the way the story is presented, further adding to her importance as a character. Had the story been told from any other point of view, it would be have a completely different feel and purpose. It is through Martha Hale’s empathy and perspective on the situation that the key pieces of evidence are uncovered. Without her to tell the story through, the truth of Minnie Foster’s life and motivations behind the murder would have never been discovered. The importance of her perspective in the story contributes to the idea that Martha Hale is the main