Mr. Lewis Hale The Natures of Male Characters
Then, Mrs. Peters tries to ignore the fact again by stating that they still do not know who killed the bird. Mrs. Hale speaks more straightforward. She said that
she knew John Wright, so she assures that it is possible for John Wright to do that. Not only that, Mrs. Hale also adds more information to support her argument.
MRS HALE: her own feeling not interupted If there’d been years and years of nothing, then a bird to sing to you, it would be awful—
still, after the bird was still. MRS PETERS: something within her speaking I know what stillness is.
When we homestated in Dakota, and my first baby died—after he was two years old, and me with no other then— lines: 360-364
Both Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters lament over the stillness that Minnie Foster felt. Mrs. Hale understands that the bird has filled the empty heart of Minnie Foster.
After a long time of nothing without any children and she has a bird with her, a thing that can sing and fill the silent. The bird must be so meaningful to her. Mrs.
Peters also states her feeling of stillness after her first son died in Dakota. She is left with no child and she feels the stillness.
After those things, they realize Mrs. Peters says that the law has to punish crime. Crime here means the things that Minnie Foster did, killing her own
husband, John Wright. She actually has the empathy to Minnie Foster but the reality that they should face is that Minnie Foster has to be punished because of
murdering his husband. Mrs. Peters cannot stand for that reality. According to her, the act of killing the bird which is done by John Wright is a crime too, but no one
is going to punish that. MRS HALE: not as if answering that I wish you’d seen Minnie Foster
when she wore a white dress with blue ribbons and stood up there in the choir and sang. a look around the room Oh, I wish I’d
come over here once a while That was a crime That was a crime Who’s going to punish that? lines: 369-372
The utterances of Mrs. Hale ensure how the bird is so meaningful to Minnie Foster. The Bird is just like the reflection of Minnie Foster herself. The
logic that can be grabbed here is that the bird is the soul of Minnie Foster. John Wright does not like the bird, a thing that sings. According to Mrs. Hale John
Wright does not like the bird and he is the only person who is likely to kill the bird. Moreover, the way the bird is killed is similar to the way John Wright is
killed. Both Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters know that Minnie Foster is the murderer of her own husband. They know that John Wright has killed the bird, the soul of
Minnie Foster so that Minnie Foster dares to kill him in the same way. The passage above shows the beginning of characters’ personality change. The major
conflict in climax leads to the personality change of round character. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters are round characters because their point of view toward law
changes in this part of the play. It is different to the attitude of the women in the beginning of the play
which is careful and standing for the law, the women in this part change to be against the law. They know that the bird is the motive that has been searching for
but they decide to keep the bird instead of telling the truth to the men. MRS PETERS: takes the bottle, looks about something to wrap it in;
takes petticoat from the clothes brought from the other room, very nervously begins winding this around the bottle. In false voice
My, it’s a good thing the men couldn’t hear us. Wouldn’t they just laugh Getting all stirred up over a little thing like a—dead
canary. As if that could have anything to do with—with— wouldn’t they laugh
[The men are heard coming down stairs.] MRS HALE: under her breath Maybe they would—maybe they
wouldn’t. lines: 380-386 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
The women have known that they have found is the motive that the men have been searching for. By saying “maybe they would maybe they wouldn’t”,
Mrs. Hale realize about it and they do it consciously.