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My Sister In Trifles By Susan Glaspell's

Decent Essays

Violence Within a Woman
The idea of women committing violent crimes brings fascination like any crime would. However, women being known as delicate and non-violent creatures brings even more curiosity to the topic. Along with curiosity, there is also much dismay that women have partake in violence. Although society is fascinated and appalled by women committing violence crimes, I believe that society is more fascinated than anything. Using “Murder She Wrote: The Genesis of Susan Glaspell’s Trifles” by Linda Ben-Zvi, we observe that from society's standpoint during the early 1900s, femininity was comprised of “passivity, restraint, and nurture” (Ben-Zivi, 141). All qualities that would not be used to describe a violent person. I believe this …show more content…

Men are given societal stereotypes that label them as aggressive and controlling, descriptions that correlate with those who commit violent crimes. As mentioned before, women weren't given similar stereotypes that men had. Women were given labels to be seen as fragile and obedient towards men. With this in mind, it’s no wonder why men were always the first to be suspected when crimes occur. Especially during this time period women were still being somewhat controlled by their Ben-Zvi states that in the story My Sister in this House implicates “the rage of all women condensed to the point of explosion”(Ben-Zvi, 142). In other words, it shows the built up anger all women felt towards men for oppressing them. To the point that they explode and act on their anger. In this case, killing men. husbands. Their obedience to following what men said gave women the appearance that they could not do much for themselves. What makes the mysteries interesting is discovering the woman is capable of more than everyone thought. Of course many may be appalled at first, but it soon turns into fascination when many begin wondering how a woman could be so deceitful and capable of committing such a crime, especially against a

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