Susan Glaspell Trifles
Trifles by Susan Glaspell Essay
Trifle By Susan Glaspell Essay
Susan Glaspell s Trifles Essay
Trifles By Susan Glaspell Essay
Trifles By Susan Glaspell Essay
The Trifles By Susan Glaspell
Essay on Trifles by Susan Glaspell
Trifles By Susan Glaspell Essay
Trifles Susan Glaspell
Critical Analysis Of Trifles By Susan Glaspell
Trifles, By Susan Glaspell Essay
Trifles By Susan Glaspell Essay
Trifles By Susan Glaspell
Trifles By Susan Glaspell Essay
Trifles by Susan Glaspell Essay
Essay On Trifles By Susan Glaspell
Susan Glaspell Trifles
Susan Glaspell s Trifles Essay
Trifles, By Susan Glaspell
Q-Factor General Quiz-7th April 2024, Quiz Club NITW
Essay On Trifles By Susan Glaspell
1. Susan Glaspell Trifles
For my research paper assignment, I was stuck between two works that seemed equally worth
spending time on and analyzing thoroughly. I have decided to use Trifles by Susan Glaspell for
my paper. As a person who loves literature, I tend to gravitate more towards the seemingly simple
but very complex plots. I ended up loving the concept and the base for the short play. Not only is the
play packed with symbolism, but the play is based on a real life murder case; just like the ending of
the story, Kilifi Creek, was based on a real accident. I liked the creativity Susan Glaspell uses to
depict the themes she wants readers to focus in on. The major concept of the simple story is about
men overlooking what women may have to offer and unification
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2. Trifles by Susan Glaspell Essay
Susan Glaspell's most memorable one–act play, Trifles (1916) was based on murder trial case that
happened in the 1900's. Glaspell worked as a reporter, where she appointed a report of a murder
case. It was about a farmer, John Hossack who was killed while he was asleep in bed one night.
His wife claimed that she was asleep next to him when the attack occurred. No one believed in her
statement, she was arrested and was charged on first degree murder. In Trifles, the play takes place
at an abandon house at a farm where John Wright and his wife, Minnie Wright lived. John was
killed with a rope around his neck while his wife was asleep. The neighbor, county attorney and
sheriff came to the crime scene for investigation. Along with them...show more content...
The women empower themselves through silence, particularly in the kitchen communicating and
reflecting upon things around them in the limited space they were given. The men dismiss the
kitchen finding nothing that is relevant to the murder case. The men keep crisscrossing through the
kitchen, ignoring and not realizing they could find the vital evidence through trivial details. Even
though they were having difficulty in finding clues that lead to the murder. While the women were
alone looking through Minnie's kitchen they found the most valuable evidence the "missing piece to
men's puzzle" (Holstein 283). Mrs. Hale found the dead bird strangled in the sewing box telling
"Mrs. Peters–look at it! Its neck! Look at its neck!" (782). Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters recognize the
bird was strangled brutally "their eyes meet. A look of growing comprehension, of horror"
(Glaspell 782). Both of them realized the bird was killed the same way as Mr. Wright with the rope
around their neck. The strangled bird represents Minnie Foster how her freedom and joy was
strangled to death. When the men came in the kitchen, the county attorney noticed the bird cage,
wondering if the bird flew away, but Mrs. Hale lied and said "we think the– cat got it" ( Glaspell
782). The county attorney seek only visible evidence for murder he was wasn't thinking critically
what it may mean. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters covered the evidence keeping it between themselves
for their own knowledge. They
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3. Trifle By Susan Glaspell Essay
Among every story there is always a hidden truth, and "Trifle" is no exception. Written in 1916 by
Susan Glaspell the play narrates the story of Minnie Foster and the serious of events that led her
to murdering her husband. Symbols such as the house, a canary and a birdcage are applied to
significantly emphasize Minnie Foster isolation. The house is a major symbol. Even though the
home is the closest to town, it is located down in a hollow and can not been seen from the road. "
Trifles focuses on the death of an oppressive husband at the hand of his emotionally abused wife in
an isolated and remote farm in the midwest."(Barlow 70–86) The seclusion of the home constructs a
lonely environment.Thus Minnie Foster is separated from the world,...show more content...
Mrs. Hale compres Minnie to a canary "She was kind of like a bird herself–real sweet and pretty, but
kind of timid and–fluttery" (Glaspell 1011) Birds are a symbol of freedom. They are meant to fly
and be in constant movement. Their spirits are wild, and can not be contained. Their home is the
endless skies and the comforts of the clouds. The comparison is ironic since Minnie Foster's spirit
is isolated and has been contained in a unpleasant marriage. "Glaspell paint quickly establishes that
the canary symbolizes the particular cheerful side of Mrs. Wright destroyed by the oppression of her
marriage." (Sutten 170–178) Canaries are full of life and brightness. After her marriage the
oppression of her husband has killed her cheerful side and raped her of her life. The canary is
known for its beautiful voice. The bird's song is a replacement to the silence of a marriage
without children. " Love, particularly maternal is associated with sound and in its absace with
silence"( Makowsky 61) Minnie is a caretaker with no children to take care of. Beyond being isolated
she is lonely and deprived from her true desires. The bird just like herself has been trapped and
condemned to live in
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4. Susan Glaspell 's ' Trifles ' Essay
An Analysis of Susan Glaspell Trifles The play, Trifles by Susan Glaspell shows her
preoccupation with gender and sex roles as notions of culture. The author is spells out the
treatment of women as mere trifles in the society, as less important when compared to men. This
calls for the questioning of the role of both men and women in the society with regard to the
value and devalue given to perspective and knowledge. The reader should thus realize that women
have an important role to play in the society and should be treated with equality to men. The play
takes place in the house of Mr. and Mrs. Wright, which is seen to have dirty dishes and a loaf of
bread on the counter creating the impression that the owner of the house left hurriedly. Moreover,
the setting is made in terms of time, domain and region to show the ideals, values and attitudes of
the characters to give the play a deeper meaning. The ideals, values and attitudes of people change
with times and depending on circumstances. During the time the play was written, women had no
equal rights with men, for instance the right to vote or sit in juries. Men dominated all aspects of
life in the society at this time, with women's work being housekeeping. However, as the playwright
intelligently spells out, women have the ability to solve the murders, which is ironically done by
men in women's domain – the kitchen. The men however, do not ask for the women's ideas with
regard to the investigation and dismisses the women
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5. Trifles By Susan Glaspell Essay
Trifles, written by Susan Glaspell, presents numerous overarching themes thoughout the course of
the play, including duty, justice, loneliness, revenge, empathy, identity, and personal transformation.
Glaspell also penned this, her first play, with numerous symbols including the canary, the quilt, the
rocking chair, the canned fruit, and the apron to fuel her themes. Among a plethora of themes and
symbols, Glaspell focuses her writing on one prominent theme and one protuberant symbol that adds
abundant depth to both her storyline and its characters. Glaspell masterfully develops the theme of
patriarchal dominance and pairs it with the powerful symbol provided by the baffling empty
birdcage. Patriarchal dominance plays a pivotal role when the audience is introduced to three male
...show more content...
Most of their dialogue exemplifies this belief, including Hale's comment when he is recounting
his visit on the morning of the murder saying, "I said to Harry that I didn't know as to what his
wife wanted made much difference to John." (Glaspell). Correspondingly, the County Attorney
feigns chivalry when he rushes past the women to be the first to feel the warmth of the fire and
later invites the ladies to join the egocentric men by the heat. When the men go upstairs to
investigate, Glaspell draws the audience to an empty birdcage. Immediately, it is evident that this
framework of bent metal symbolizes the suppressed life of Mrs. Wright. Once a vivacious young
woman, she has been transformed into an object to be used and put aside by her tyrannical
husband. All her opinions, hopes, and desires are imprisoned, caged like an inconsequential animal.
Similar to the canary, Minnie's freedom, lively spirit, and song were wrung from her life. Her
friend, Mrs. Hale, recounts the once beautiful woman who wore a delicate white dress and
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6. Trifles By Susan Glaspell Essay
The 1916 play Trifles by Susan Glaspell is a one act murder–mystery that showcases a range of
characters that help to portray the undervaluing of women, their work, and their interests in society.
The main plot revolves around farmer Lewis Hale, his wife, Sheriff Henry Peters, his wife, and
county attorney George Henderson trying to figure out who could have strangled farmer John
Wright in his bed and, more importantly, why. The true culprit is clear from the moment Hale begins
to recount what occured the previous day. "...I opened the door––this door and there in that
rocker––sat Mrs. Wright" (940). It isn't until near the end, however, that Mrs. Wright's motive is
revealed. It is evident that Mrs. Wright did not enjoy her life with Mr....show more content...
Wright. The sheriff and county attorney reflect these values as well, but with their elevated status in
the community, it makes their remarks even more impactful, which can be seen in the way the
women act around the men. As the scene starts, the women stay close to the door rather than
huddling around the fire with men, showing that they are uncomfortable to even be near them. The
women stick together because they are support for each other. When the men verbal attack them with
comments and bites at their gender, the women instinctively huddle together, which is seen after
Hales remark when "The two women move a little closer together," (942). They despise the men, but
what can they do but stand together, silently showing solidarity with each other. It is also worth
noting that the entire play takes place in what would have been seen as a woman's sphere in the home
at the time, the kitchen. The kitchen in this house is in complete disarray, with unfinished
furnishings sitting front and center in the scene. This is a reflection of the relationship that occured
within the home, which is absolutely lost on the men, as they see nothing but a mess and, "kitchen
things," (942). The irony in this case is that as the men walk from room to room, from the house to
the barn, back and forth, they are trying to find a motive. What they can't see, however, is that
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7. The Trifles By Susan Glaspell
The play Trifles written by Susan Glaspell is set in the 19th century during the women suffrage era.
Trifle means something that is small or not very important. It's a story about a woman Mrs. Wright
who killed her husband. It's also a story about the relationship about men and women. There are
many strong symbols used in the play. When the attorney, sheriff and the two women were at the
house they noticed that though all of the preserves in the kitchen were broken as the result of the
cold condition of the house. They preserve symbolizes fruitfulness, youth and sweetness. When fruit
is preserves it is meant to be kept in a sweet condition indefinitely. The coldness of the kitchen
busted the glass and preserves were ruined. Miss Wright was
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8. Essay on Trifles by Susan Glaspell
Trifles was written in the early 1900's by Susan Glaspell. This occurred far before the women's
movement. Women were generally looked upon as possessions to their husbands. Their children, all
wages, and belongings were property of their husbands. In Glaspell's story it is easily depicted as to
what role the men and women portrayed in society at this time.
Glaspell proves her point by a conversation between two women in this story. The women, Mrs.
Peters and Mrs. Hale, are at the scene of the murder of John Wright. The women accompanied the
County Attorney, theSheriff, and Mr. Hale to the house. Mr. Hale describes everything that he saw
the morning he discovered Mr. Wright's body. The men have come to the house looking for evidence
to...show more content...
All the men notice is clutter. The men do not look deeper behind the meanings of this disarray.
However, the women do. The women understand that the reason that things such as the towels are
not clean is because she more than likely was busy doing her many other chores of the household.
They also considered how much trouble Mrs. Wright went to fix the preserves. The women reason
that the uncaring concern John had for Minnie and the attention he paid to the house perhaps forced
Minnie to resort to killing. Even the County Attorney, Sheriff, and Mr. Hale could not understand all
the difficulties women go through. They criticize Mrs. Wright as well as insult all women. Mr. Hale
says, "Well, women are used to worrying over trifles." The actions of just these men
show how women were taken for granted in this era. Inevitably, the men are unable to prove that
Mrs. Wright murdered her husband but are going to convict her anyway. However, the women have
solved the case. They come to the conclusion that Mrs. Wright was not treated very well by her
husband and was not able to withstand the mistreatment anymore. They could tell the lack of
attention he paid to his wife. The men still have a hard time accepting this concept because they do
not believe that men treat women badly.
The title, Trifles, as well as the examples all represent how men view women. A "trifle"
is something
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9. Trifles By Susan Glaspell Essay
In Trifles, Susan Glaspell combines the concepts of sentimentality and Modernism into a perfectly
blended masterpiece that shows the importance of both the masculine Modernist and the feminine
sentimental perspectives. Sentimentality and femininity are shown to be more important than they
are assumed to be. They act as a direct dichotomy with Modernist literature, a field dominated by men
that emphasizes minimalism and reveals reality to be harsh and unforgiving. The use of Modernism
and sentimentality together highlights the gap between the masculine and feminine. These
dichotomies are essential to Trifles because they convey the importance of a dual perspective
approach. The combination of Modernism and sentimentality is shown through the setting, the use
of trifles as evidence, and the characterizations of men and women....show more content...
They persist in avoiding the murder mystery until they find the dead canary, at which point the
evidence is too strong to ignore. Due to this discovery, they build a bond of female solidarity
between themselves and the absent Mrs. Wright. This is an act of sentimentality because it arose out
of sympathy for Minnie's plight with her late–husband. The women express sympathy for the
unfortunate circumstances of her marriage, Mrs. Peters when she describes knowing the pain of
losing her cat as a child and Mrs. Hale when she says: "I know how things can be–for women. I tell
you, it's queer, Mrs. Peters. We live so close together and we live far apart. We all go through the
same things–it's all just a different kind of the same thing" (Glaspell 84). This acknowledgement of
the harsh reality of women's lives in the domestic sphere is the women's acceptance of the Modernist
concepts into their lives, but it does not negate the sympathy they feel for each other, it strengthens
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10. Trifles Susan Glaspell
Trifles by Susan Glaspell This compelling play is about the investigation at the farmhouse of John
and Minnie Wright after his murder. The sheriff, county attorney, and neighbor discuss the evidence
and look at the crime scenes to try and discover the murderer and motive. The sheriff and neighbor's
wives remain in the kitchen where through looking at Mrs. Wright's sewing basket and cupboards
they discover the truth of the crime. The setting is a small rural farmhouse that appears isolated
from its neighbors. The isolation is a theme of the story. The broken birdcage, quilt, bread, and
cherry preserves are all important images within the play for understanding Mrs. Wright and her life.
Mrs. Wright, although absent from the play, becomes a
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11. Critical Analysis Of Trifles By Susan Glaspell
Perspective: Readers Response Criticism to "Trifles" by Susan Glaspell
The play written by Susan Glaspell in 1916 is based on the murder of John Wright where the prime
suspect is his spouse; Minnie Foster. "Trifles" is fixated on the investigation of the social division
realized by the strict gender roles that enable the two men and women to have contending points of
view on practically every issue. This is found in the way the men view the kitchen as they consider it
as not having anything of significant worth. From the earliest starting point, the two women and
men possess distinctive positions. For instance, the women are unimportant guests to Minnie Foster's
home while the men have desired authority obligation. Moreover, the men are...show more content...
It comprises of one act. In the content play of "Trifles", male and female characters are plainly
introduced as a binary pair of 'unrivaled' vs. 'substandard'.
"Trifles" portrays the story of two examinations concerning the murder of John Wright. The male
characters bear on the official investigation while the female characters carry on an unofficial
investigation. As the title of the play, "Trifles" indicates the worries of women are thought to be
simply waste of time and insignificant issues that bear practically no significance to the genuine
work of society, which, obviously, is being done by men. The sex generalizations are seen through
the part of male and female characters which demonstrate the refinements between the two characters
which are unequal and are developed by the societal values.
In Susan Glaspell's "Trifles", the male characters are depicted as being more sensible, logical and
all–knowing gender. It is the men in the play who hold the most noteworthy positions, for example,
the county attorney and sheriff. They esteem finding the quickest response to Mr. Wright's murder.
They would prefer not to squander in attempt to find the mystery, thus they neglect critical subtle
elements, for example, the messy kitchen. They expect that it is more critical to assess the room
where Mr. Wright was murdered than to break down how Mrs. Wright kept her home or the couple's
relationship. In the earliest reference point of the play, the County Attorney
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12. Trifles, By Susan Glaspell Essay
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
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13. Trifles By Susan Glaspell Essay
Repression of Women "Trifles" by Susan Glaspell is situated in 1916 and is a one act play which
incorporates essential components of what the women's rights movement was about. After moving
on from Iowa's Drake University in 1899, Glaspell commenced her writing vocation of composing
short stories and books. The play from Glaspell recounts the story of a homicide mystery involving
the married couple of Mrs. Wright (Minnie) and her spouse, the murder victim, John Wright; this
story also incorporates the outlook of society towards women being viewed as beneath men. "Trifles"
demonstrates the unfair mentality regularly acknowledged among men towards women in 1916. In
addition, it showcases the big role comradery plays for women in becoming equal represented...show
more content...
The county attorney does not give a second thought about how John may have treated his wife.
Instead, he's focusing on Mr. Hale's testimony regarding the alleged "scared" look on John's face.
The men's bias is often and openly expressed to the women verbally. In accordance to the dialog
of the play, the men show they don't consider what women say vital or pertinent. The Sheriff fires
back, identifying with his partners, "Well, can you beat the woman! Held for murder and
worryin' about her preserves." (Glaspell 1412). The men agree in general about the sheriff's
remark. Mr. Hale comes along and says, "Well, women are used to worrying over trifles."
(Glaspell 1412). The dialog of the play demonstrates the obliviousness and general absence of
appreciation given to women's comments. Even the sheriff addresses his wife openly as if a
woman's role in the home was insignificant. The prejudice from the men is evident and once a
reader or audience starts inquiring about how the men treat women, a pattern is seen regarding the
men's standards. The court attorney kicks his foot against the pots and pans below the sink in the
wake of discovering no clean towels, telling the ladies "Not
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14. Trifles By Susan Glaspell
Nowadays, people are constantly talking about law and justice since they seem not to work
properly in our society as they should. Both concepts are closely related in legal terms and have one
shared aim but they are also quite different. In the play "Trifles", by Susan Glaspell, both terms are
implicitly contrasted.
Law and justice are two different concepts but have a similar aim. They both form part of society,
and they are supposed to keep an order among people. If they coexisted as they should, there will
be no problems since if there was a crime, laws would apply a punishment and thus there would be
justice.
Apart from their goal, both concepts are different in literal terms and application. Law is a system
of rules applicable to people
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15. Trifles By Susan Glaspell Essay
The play 'Trifles written by Susan Glaspell can be mediated a radical writing in it its advancement
of the feminist changes. This season in American History of the feminist progress taking stem,
with it's ideas of a bigger fairness across genders, was a time that should always be evoked and
anecdotal in any style. Since this play was written, the feminist action has been grasped, and
America is much replaced, yet it is all the more critical to know where we as a community came
from so we can acknowledge the sovereignty and power we have now. Trifles was ambigous but
alluring. On this basic reading the focus of the play is not fair. The play looks to be about two men
trying to acquisition a cause for a murder while two women, who are demanding to attend their time,
...show more content...
Though, I still do not know what Monster's Ball is about, reading Trifles for the second time
settled to be different. Glaspell's crooked focus became possible to me in my further reading. The
symbolism is a good facet of the play. The dead bird that Ms. Hale and Mrs. Peters observe is a
symbol of Minnie Foster's enclosed death. The open birdcage exemplify the wife's new found
ability through the death of her husband. In resemblance to phenomenon, we use actual items to
symbolize abstract things everyday. The author diffuseness confirms to be a plus as follows far.
Glaspell argues women's place in community over the play. The men, who clinch the extraordinary
titles of county sheriff and deputy, spend time looking for corporeal clue and using deluxe methods
to clarify the murder but come up with a zero. The women, who I fishy were housewives, deal with
the case softly and carefully. The women use their particular awareness about Minnie Foster to
assumption reasons why she would have slayed her husband. They use the off–focused joining in the
blanket to speculate that she was annoyed about
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16. Trifles by Susan Glaspell Essay
Trifles by Susan Glaspell
In the short play "Trifles," by Susan Glaspell, various questions and issues originate concerning
with the bond between women, the difference between male and female, and what life was like in
the early nineteen century for women. In addition, the importance and development of symbols are
crucial. Throughout the play, Glaspell uses symbols to further and support Minnie's isolation and
lack of happiness in her life. Although the answers may be evident there is room for guesswork
and doubt. The play is cleverly written because we are never introduced to Mr. and Mrs. Wright, to
whom the entire dialogue and mystery is surrounding. This lack of the main characters makes it hard
to know what really went on and...show more content...
The play is filled with symbols, especially the broken cage and the dead bird, which could have
represented Minnie Wright herself, a woman whose zest for life had been squeezed out of her by
her tyrant of a husband. The women discuss Minnie's life. Mrs. Hale remembered Minnie Wright
as a happy, beautiful, gifted young girl before the years of toil and mistreatment by John Wright had
turned her into a sad, lonely and perhaps, battered woman (1624). Mrs. Hale was sympathetic
because she also was a farm wife but at least, she had her children to keep her company. Mrs. Hale
felt guilty that she hadn't taken the time to visit Minnie Wright but she excused herself saying that
their was so much work to do on the farm and the Wright place never looked cheerful. Moreover,
we must notice that neighbors were few and far away from each other. Houses were miles apart
separated by farmland and rough country; therefore visiting was a daylong trip.
In addition, we can presume that the party telephone was a threat to Minnie's husband growing
sense of possession of his wife. He refused by saying that " folks talked too much anyway, and all
he wanted was peace and quiet..." Minnie was a caged bird living a very lonely life, with no
children, no family except for her husband, and no friends. The cage represents her home, which was
found broken. To some, these dreary conditions, might have seemed to lessen people's pride,
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17. Essay On Trifles By Susan Glaspell
Susan Glaspell's one–act story "Trifles" is one of the earliest feminist dramas in American theatre.
Glaspell's play was first performed in Massachusetts in 1916, during a time where women did not
have as much equality as they do today and were confined to traditional stereotypical gender roles.
"Trifles" ultimately shows the way women in the past are controlled and degraded by men, thus
lessening a woman's role in society and how feminism helped bring the women together.
Women throughout history have been perceived less equal then men. It has not only been American
history it has been human history. Countless civilizations have viewed women lesser than men,
whether that being physically or mentally. Look at politics and philosophy for example,...show more
content...
Instantly the men begin belittling the women in the investigation when the men claim "women are
used to worrying over trifles." (Glaspell 1007) When it was, the men worried about trifles when they
start looking around the investigation in pointless places where men would be when they should
have considered the places Mrs. Wright would have been. The men throughout blatantly look down
on women subjecting them to the traditional gender roles. It is when the men leave to those
pointless places and the county attorney makes the remarks "Dirty towel! Not much of a
housekeeper, would you say ladies?" (Glaspell 1008) when the women, Mrs. Peters and Mrs.
Hale began to come together in the kitchen and relate because how they are treated and put into
gender roles by men. Eventually due to the women looking in relevant places they find a cage
then a dead bird with rope around its neck the same way John Wright had it. They had all the
evidence the County Attorney and Sheriff needed but they instead sympathize with Minnie Foster
(Mrs. Wright) and realize why she may have done it and end up not giving the evidence in hopes to
protect Mrs. Wright. They realize Mrs. wright was a product of oppression and relate to what her
original motifs were which is an act of feminism.
Since its first performance in 1916, Susan Glaspell's "Trifles" still stands today as a testament to
feminism. A play that conveyed
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18. Susan Glaspell Trifles
Trifles, a play written by Susan Glaspell takes place in the home of Mr. and Ms. Wright. County
attorney Henderson, Sheriff Peters and his wife, and Mr. and Mrs. Hale, neighbors of the Wright
family, investigate the Wright home after Mr. Hale came across Mr. Wright's carcass. Mr. Hale
went to visit Mr. Wright in hopes he would come into town with him. While investigating the
house, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters discover multiple tiny clues that could seal the deal for Mrs.
Wright's prosecution such as the fruit preserves, the dead canary, and the fact that Ms. Wright
did not wake during her husband's rendezvous with death. Based on their own intuitions and
knowledge of Mrs. Wright, the women agree to keep these clues hidden to prevent Ms. Wright
from being proven guilty. Early on, the two women notice the broke jars of frozen preserves in
the pantry. "Here's a nice mess", the court attorney says sarcastically referring to the fruit
(Glaspell 1388). Ms. Wright was so worried about her preserves and keeping them warm. It is
concluded by the women that she failed to care for preserves as she was preoccupied with other
things. Mr. Hale explains, "Well, women are used to worrying over trifles" (Glaspell 1389). If Mrs.
Wright wouldn't have been preoccupied with killing her husband she could have built a fire to keep
the preserves...show more content...
Wright is clearly the reason for her husband's death, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters both keep secrets
that they find from the house hidden from the attorney and the sheriff. They both believe that Mrs.
Wright is not the reason, but it is not the women's place to be deciding what happens to Mrs.
Wright. Amidst observing the Wright house after Mrs. Wright is taken into custody, Mrs. Hale and
Mrs. Peters find small clues around the house that could send Mrs. Wright straight to prison such as
the broken jars of preserves, the fact that Mrs. Wright did not wake while her husband was being
murdered, and the dead
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19. Susan Glaspell 's ' Trifles ' Essay
"fiction depends for its life on place. Place is the crossroads of circumstance, The proving ground
of, what happened? Who's here? Who's coming?" (Welty qtd. In Literature ). Trifles is a short
play, by Susan Glaspell that was written in the 20th century when women were possession of the
husband. The division between men and women in the play not just mentally or emotionally but
it was also physically , and that symbolizes the different between genders at this time. Susan
Glaspell shows that through her characters in this play. Glaspell uses the characters (Mr. Wright
and Mrs. Wright) to prove how men were so dominant and how women were suffered a lot.
Glaspell's play presents one drastic women rebel. Mrs. Wright, who goes to the extreme to free
herself of made dominate. It also presents two quiet reformers, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, who
side with Mrs. Weight and with hold evidence that the Sheriff need to establish for Mr. Wright's
crime(Glaspell). Susan Glaspell uses patriarchal dominance as a major theme to stress on ill
treatment toward women at that time. She also uses elements of irony to implicate her
evident(Glaspell). The first important character is Mrs. Wright, who plays an important role in the
play, although she is unseen and doesn't appear on the stage through the actions of play. She is the
main character. Minnie Foster Wright is a wife of John Wright, who made life miserable for his
wife. Mrs.
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20. Trifles, By Susan Glaspell
During the 1900's women were still in the process of fighting for their rights as citizens. Therefore,
women supposedly are less intelligent than the average man, according to the government during
the 1900's. The men were usually responsible for being brave, strong and fearless. Along with
having the benefit of their word or what men say goes. The 1912 play Trifles, by Susan Glaspell, who
was inspired to write this play from a story she covered as a reporter. A murder case is being held
and authorities are getting down to it suspecting a woman of killing her husband in his sleep. The
character Mrs. Hale who is neighbors and friends with Mrs. Peters, the sheriff's wife and Mrs.
Wright, the woman accused of the murder of her Husband, Mr....show more content...
She continues to examine the crime scene collecting evidence to pleat to the convict, Mrs. Wright,
as guilty or not. The entering and exiting of characters within the play help emphasize on the
details happening during each scene. Along with that, Mrs. Hale also pointed out the birdcage in
the cupboard that was damaged. Mrs. Hale assumed the bird cage belonged to a singing canary due
to living in a giant house with no kids, which could possible become boring.
Now, during the middle of the play the focus of it starts to shifts the attention to the women, Mrs.
Hale and Mrs. Peters. Mrs. Hale made a connection between how Mrs. Wright previously acted
from the way she dressed to the attitude she expressed. Mrs. Hale explains that Mrs. Wright used
to be into singing which Mrs. Hale recommended why Mrs. Wright got the singing bird. In the
mysterious house, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters were searching for clues to unveil the truth and the
reason why Mr. Wright was murder. In the play, Mrs. Hale was having a conversation about the
birdcage that was found in the cupboard. Mrs. Hale reflects on the perspective of Mrs. Wright
who was the owner of the house that Mrs. Hale described as "quiet and lonesome" based on the
location which was hidden to where you were unable to see the main road from the house, along
with, the looks of it according to Mrs. Hale. She then does more snooping around and finds what
she claims to be a fancy sewing box according to the play. The
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