Justice

Question 1

Quote 1:
“They will see the whore, the madwoman, the murderess, the female dripping blood into the grass and laughing with her mouth choked with dirt. They will say ‘Agnes’ and see the spider, the witch caught in the webbing of her own fateful weaving. … But they will not see me. I will not be there.”

Answer 1

Argument:
Justice system utilises prejudice to dehumanise individuals, perpetuating systemic injustice.
Analysis:
- Negative labels “madwoman”, “murderess”, “witch” - suggestive of someone who is inherently evil and insane- Society views Agnes through a lens of fear, prejudice, and condemnation, stripping away the complexity and humanity of her true identity. This manipulation allows the justice system to judge and condemn individuals based on superficial perceptions and biases that serve to justify their harsh treatment.
- Metaphor comparing Agnes to a “spider”, an animal that evokes a sense of terror, further exemplifies how society views Agnes as an inhumane creature as a means to rationalise their unjust actions. This positions readers to recognise how easily the perception of marginalised individuals can be manipulated to facilitate their injustice.
- Agnes being caught in her own “webbing” illustrates how she is confined within the weave of these derogatory labels, unable to escape the roles that have been forced upon her while society refuses to take responsibility for her mistreatment, blaming her for bringing this fate upon herself.
- Imagery of Agnes “dripping blood” and “choking on dirt” evoke notions of death, implying that the justice system’s prejudice and failure to acknowledge her humanity not only dehumanises her but also contributes to her ultimate death, highlighting the devastating consequences that arise in societal structures that perpetuate such injustice against the vulnerable.

Question 2

Quote 3:
“Sigga is dumb and pretty and young, and that is why they don’t want to see her die…. They see I’ve got a head on my shoulders and believe a thinking woman cannot be trusted. Believe there’s no room for innocence.”

Answer 2

Argument:
Kent condemns a society in which women who step outside of societal expectations face injustice due to the threat they exhibit to the established social order.
Analysis:
- Characterisation of Sigga as pretty and dumb indicates how Sigga fits the traditional female role. Whereas, Agnes is characterised as intelligent, a supposedly masculine trait which threatens the power of men within society.
- ‘Thinking’ - smart and knowing, and not ‘trusted’ underscores how the justice system equates female cleverness with guilt, only perceiving those who abide by societal gender roles as innocent. This dynamic reflects a deep-seated injustice in which women who display intellect or independence are more likely to be vilified and condemned.
- “No room” - society is unwilling to even consider the possibility of Agne’s innocence, positioning readers to recognise the inequality of a justice system that punishes those who transcend ingrained gender roles, purely out of fear of losing masculine superiority.

Question 3

Quote 2:
“At Hvammur, during the trial, they plucked at my words like birds. Dreadful birds, dressed in red with breasts of silver buttons … looking for guilt like berries on a bush. Everything I said was taken from me and altered until the story wasn’t my own.”

Answer 3

Argument: The distortion of truth directly creates injustice by allowing those in power to control and manipulate the narrative to fit their own agenda.
Analysis:
- Metaphor comparing the authorities to birds presents the officials as scavengers, pecking at Agnes’ words without care for their authenticity, reflecting their predatory and demeaning approach to Agnes’s testimony.
- Simile likening their search for guilt to looking for berries on a bush – emphasises the superficial and mechanical nature of their quest, driven more by a desire to condemn rather than a genuine pursuit of truth. This dehumanising approach degrades Agnes to an object of suspicion and denies her any genuine opportunity to present her side or receive fair justice, as the system is already predisposed to condemn her.
- “Pluck” – selective and deliberate - authorities carefully choose which parts of Agnes’ story to focus on and which to distort, thereby creating a distorted version of the truth that is weaponised against her, exacerbating the inherent injustice she faces.
- “wasn’t my own” - underscores how her voice and agency are systemically stripped away. This manipulation reflects the broader societal structure where the lower classes, like Agnes, are rendered voiceless, their narratives rewritten to maintain existing social hierarchies.
- The birds’ “red” clothing and “silver buttons” symbolise their wealth and power, a stark contrast to Agnes’ lower social standing, emphasising how the justice system distorts the truth to ensure those like Agnes remain marginalised and powerless, perpetuating cycles of injustice.