Though numerous strides have been made to eliminate the equality gap between men and women, there are fundamental ideals in our culture that are detrimental to women. In 1916 Susan Glaspell attempted to expose, and shatter the male dominating norms in her one-act play Trifles. By juxtaposing the misogynistic, dismissive behavior of the men in the story with the reserved and intelligent demeanor of the women, Glaspell successfully portrays women as the strong and empowered people they truly are. It is an unfair truth that men have held positions of power in western society. Many men believe themselves to better than women, because of their gender. This philosophy was even more prevalent in the early 1900s, when this play was written. Susan …show more content…
Women, at the time the play was written, were generally thought of as submissive to men, as well as less intelligent. Glaspell intricately, and subtly writes these female characters in as the exact opposite of that stereotype. Although in the very beginning of the play, the women are shown as timid, and subordinate to the men, as they put together the clues of the murder of Mr. Wright, their innate intelligence emerges. “Mrs. Peters: … Why, here’s a birdcage… Did she have a bird, Mrs. Hale? Mrs. Hale: … There was a man around last year selling canaries cheap, but I don’t know as she took one; maybe she did. She used to sing real pretty herself.” (Glaspell 1159). Within a few minutes, the women discover more evidence than the men did throughout their entire investigation. After discovering the corpse of a dead canary, it’s neck snapped by the hands of the abusive Mr. Wright, the women conclude that Mrs. Wright snapped the neck of her husband as a quasi-poetic justice. When the men return from their investigation, the women become empowered by relating to the motives behind Mrs. Wrights actions, “(Their [Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters] eyes meet. A look of growing comprehension, of horror. Steps are heard outside, Mrs. Hale slips the box [containing the canary] under quilt pieces and sinks into her chair).” (Glaspell 1161). Despite the men’s harsh words, and belittling attitude toward the women, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters remain strong and resilient. Compared to the men,
The play ?Trifles?, by Susan Glaspell , is an examination of the different levels of early 1900?s mid-western farming society?s attitudes towards women and equality. The obvious theme in this story is men discounting women?s intelligence and their ability to play a man?s role, as detectives, in the story. A less apparent theme is the empathy the women in the plot find for each other. Looking at the play from this perspective we see a distinct set of characters, a plot, and a final act of sacrifice.
“Trifles” by Susan Glaspell is a play that is largely based on stereotypes. The most prevalent one is the inferiority of women over men, though the play also explores the differences between genders in general.
Trifles, a one-act play, written by Susan Glaspell, has an interesting plot about an abusive husband?s murder at the hands of his abused wife on a secluded farm in the Midwest (Russell, pg. 1). The opening scene of the play gives us a great deal of information about the people of the play and their opinions. The play portrays the ways in which men treated women during this time period. The men in the reading reflected a male-oriented society, which caused the women feelings of repression and unappreciation. Throughout the play the actions of Mrs. Wright, Mrs. Hale, and Mrs. Peters resemble that of Greek mythology, where three sisters controlled the fate
In today’s society, we generally view upon everyone as equal; however this view did not exist for decades. Throughout history, there were many instances showing that men dominated women and women were often seen as left with less important or treated as an inferior being. Women were often expected to be good mothers to their children as well as caretakers to their husband. After reading the play “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell, I was able to grasp the important facts about social views of women and their domestic roles. Glaspell’s play depicts the gender inequality which exists in the society, drawing significant attention to the societal values of women at that time. Although women’s roles are treated as unimportant, she depicts women’s
Glaspell writes the poem using a gender defender style. As the title of the play by Susan Glaspell, “Trifles” suggests, the concerns of women are often considered to be simple trifles, unimportant issues that bear little or no importance to the true work of society, which, of course, is being carried out by men. Glaspell questions, and in so doing calls the reader or viewer to also question, the value of men’s and women’s perspectives and work by setting up a tension-filled drama that unfolds through the development of two distinct narratives, one male and one
One striking characteristic of the 20th century was the women 's movement, which brought women to the forefront in a variety of societal arenas. As women won the right to vote, achieved reproductive freedom through birth control and legalized abortion, and gained access to education and employment, Western culture began to examine its long-held views about women in a world controlled by male dominance while developing their individual personalities. However, before the women’s movement of the 20th century, women’s roles were primarily of a domestic nature. Trifles by Susan Glaspell indicates that a man’s perspective is entirely different from a woman’s. The one-act play, Trifles, is a murder mystery which examines the lives of rural, middle-aged, married, women characters through gender relationships, power between the sexes, and the nature of truth. The play, written in the early 1900s, long before the women’s movement and while men considered women their possessions. In the story of Trifles, it is easy to recognize the role of men and women portrayed in society during this time. The play illustrates the lines between the gender roles of early twentieth century Americans. The drama describes the differences between men and women. The men seem to take over the woman 's world, they dirty her towels, ridicule her for knitting and mock her for making preserves. Glaspell’s play delivers a message to women that they are as capable as men at completing any job, the play encourages
“Trifles” is a perplexing drama that begins with a murder in a midwestern farmhouse. John Wright is found dead with a knot tied perfectly around his neck. In this one act play, Susan Glaspell, reveals the truth of women's suffrage during the early twentieth century. Women are restricted when it comes to individual rights. Without being able to vote, be a part of a jury, and working mostly out of their home, women have the unfair disadvantage in life. “Trifles” shows the treatment women undergo. The main theme of “Trifles” is the contrast of genders, stereotypes, and how view each other’s role.
Trifles, Susan Glaspell’s play written in 1916, reveal concerns of women living in a male dominated society. Glaspell communicates the role that women were expected to play in late 19th century society and the harm that can come of it to women, as well as men. The feminist agenda of Trifles was made obvious, in order to portray the lives of all women who live oppressed under male domination. John and Minnie Wright are two main characters who are never seen; however provide the incident for the play. In this play women are against men, Minnie against her husband, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters against their husband’s, as well as men in general.
Gender inequality has been a problem all throughout history. Women are expected to clean, cook, have children, and submit to their husband’s every need without question. The feeling of being controlled and smothered over time can have drastic effects. In Susan Glaspell’s Trifles, gender inequality is the main conflict and is made clear through symbolism and dramatic irony.
In the Susan Glaspell 's play Trifles, gender plays a huge roll in everyday life. Trifles is an exemplary example of the war between male and female. It creates a scene where women are less deserving than the men. Women are used as stepping stones or told to remain dedicated to the male power. Females are the lesser creatures compared to the men who have the power. The play paints a scene where women are in compliance to this unwritten code of conduct expected for them. Towards the end of the play, the star women, lessen their dedication to the understood male power and begin their loyalty to their own gender.
“Well, women are used to worrying over trifles” one of the husbands in Susan Glaspell’s play Trifles states when the women try to give their interpretation of a crime scene. This is just one example of how women tend to be respected much less than their male counterparts in a male-dominated society. Although the play Trifles was written in the year 1916, many of the feminist themes found in this play can be found in today’s society still. Michael Hollinger wrote the play Naked Lunch in the year 2003, and the female role is still written as the weaker more vulnerable character. Just as they were then, women are often portrayed as victims and do not receive the same respect that men do in our male-dominated world.
"We hold these truths to act naturally clear, that all men are made equivalent, that they are invested by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, which among these are Life, Liberty, and the quest for Happiness." (United States Congress, the Declaration of Independence: A Transcription). In the play “Trifles”, Susan Glaspell portrays ladies as if no say in this story as far as the men are concerned, but in reality they have all the power and say so. The United States as a nation has been through a significant stretch of time to embrace these positions for all people (especially women). Susan Glaspell is known for these types of plays that overall give women power. In her play “Trifles", is told in 1916 and is a one demonstration
Susan Glaspell’s one-act play “Trifles” was written in 1916. It was written based on real events. When Glaspell was a reporter, she covered a murder case in a small town in Iowa. Later, she wrote this short play which was inspired by her investigation and what she observed. Glaspell used irony, symbolism, and setting in her creation of the authentic American drama, “Trifles”, to express life for women in a male-dominated society in the early nineteen hundreds.
The men in the play showed lack of respect and concern for how difficult it was for women to keep the house clean and running smoothly. During the play the men did nothing but criticized everything the women said about Mrs. Wright, they would
It’s a hot, sticky summer afternoon in Iowa in 1910. A woman stands in the kitchen cleaning the grease from her husband’s daily work. After finally managing to make her newborn lay down for a nap, her husband busts through the front door, waking the baby. While comforting the baby, she asks her husband what his reason is for making such a ruckus. Ignoring the question, he asks for his cigars. She hands them to him as he walks out the front door. He says that he is going back to town to fetch some things. She asks if she can go with him since she’s been at home all day, but he denies her request by saying that she needs to be at home with the baby and not busy with other unimportant things. This is what women of that time and even some women now would experience in their daily life. Gender inequality has always been occurring, and it is a major obstacle being tackled today. Problems with the education system, workforce, and marriages have existed for many years, and the feminist movement was created to combat these problems. Susan Glaspell’s Trifles is one of the first feminist pieces of literature. Many themes arise in the one-act play, but the most important theme is the idea of gender separation. In the play Trifles, Glaspell uses mystery to display the theme of gender separation and to uncover an implicit conflict.