Gender Role in the “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell

Contemporarily, people are equal regardless of their gender courtesy of the different constitutions across the world. This perception did not exist earlier, especially at the start of the 20th century and earlier centuries. In the past, the society was mainly male-dominated and women were treated with little importance.

For instance, the woman’s place was in the kitchen and she played the role of a good mother to her children while at the same time taking care of her husband. Literature materials published before late 20th century mainly deal with roles based on the gender of an individual.

The 19th century was characterized by the emergence of female literary figures and writers who wrote exemplary works on inequality on both sexes, while paying attention to women’s inability to be independent and their overreliance on men. Several female literal writers paved the way for other female writers in the 20th century. Susan Glaspell was one of the 20th century writers and she came up with literal works that addressed various issues in the society. One of the most outstanding literal works by Glaspell is Trifles.

In the play, Trifles, Glaspell shows a reflection of gender and sex roles bound on cultural notions with greater emphasis on women. Women were treated with lesser dignity as compared to men and to the society; they were of little or no importance, as they presumably contributed very little to important issues within the society. In her play, Trifles, Glaspell uses two parts of the play, one distinctive narrative on men and the other on women, in order to trigger the reader into evaluating the value of both genders to the society.

In this piece of literature, Glaspell not only demonstrates the role of women, but also depicts knowledge and valuation or devaluation of perspectives on women within various contexts. This paper aims at discussing conveyance of the feminist perspective as depicted in Susan Glaspell’s play, Trifles. Trifles is a feminist play where feminism means the act of agitating for women rights by any means.

Glaspell goes into details to show how Mrs. Wright is an object of abuse to her husband and thus arouse sympathy from readers who would in turn support the feminism agenda of liberating women, which started in the late 19th Century. Mr. and Mrs. Wright, the two main characters in the play Trifles, bring out the challenges faced by women as at that time.

For instance, Mrs. Wright is subjected to mental suffering as a result of endless abuses from her husband, who also imposes quite a number of restrictions to her; hence, limited access to the outside world. The play presents men as uncouth creatures who never want peace in the house. Mrs. Wright spends a considerable amount of time in the kitchen, which is a symbolic representation of marriages where most women of the time spent a significant portion of their lives.

In addition, Glaspell incorporates five people in the play, two of whom are women, a symbolic representation of women as a minority. The timing of this play is not coincidental. Glaspell did not just choose to address women plight and probably suggest ways of how to overcome men dominance at a time when feminism was being rooted in the society. Glaspell simply embraced the opportunity presented by the writing space to propagate feminism because she could reach a wider audience via writing.

Mrs. Wright’s intentions to kill her husband depict women oppression by men in society. The play takes place in a cold gloomy house representing the cruelty of Mr. Wright who is adamant in his pursuits and thus a nuisance to those who do not like his way of life.

As the play begins, all characters enter the farmhouse, but women distance themselves from men, thus showing the rift that exists between the two sexes in the society. The two women in the play are aware of their disregard in the community, a fact that strengthens the bond between them.

Through this bond, they gain power that assists them to protect Mrs. Wright who is accused of trying to murder her husband. Through staying together, as illustrated in the play, women can achieve indomitable power. However, this power comes with the assumption that women live as individuals and it is only through bonding that they can gain power, strength, and success. Through this argument, Glaspell seeks to give women tips on how to overcome chauvinism and tame men through the power of staying together.

According to the play Trifles, in a society dominated by male chauvinism, women take advantage of their lack of recognition to destroy the power of law coupled with influencing and effecting justice. Within the play, power of women is illustrated indirectly; for instance, Glaspell uses bonding to show that women have a higher level of power than they know. In addition, once a woman gains access to knowledge, she implements the knowledge in making significant decisions in life. For instance, Mrs. Peter and Mrs.

Hanes research on ways to relieve Mrs. Wright of her abusive marriage, rather than paying attention to the violent and abusive moments she faces in the marriage. Instead of letting their emotions and sympathy dictate their course of action, they become proactive and come up with ways of freeing their friend for once and for all. Knowledge is also one of the ways that people can achieve power. Together with their bonding, women in the play use knowledge to come up with ways that see the murder case against Mrs. Wright dropped.

Women also tend to come together and form alliances since they are highly sidelined in the society. Clearly, by writing this play sometimes before August 1916 (when it premiered), Glaspell was simply promoting the feminism agenda, which was launched in the Seneca Falls Convention on July 19, 1848 where western women right’s champions met for the first time ever to push for equal rights.

Trifles is a feminist play as explored in this paper. Women live in gender discrimination in the society where males dominate and control almost all sectors of society. However, in a feministic move, Glaspell illustrates how women can come together to help one another and achieve power in unity.

For instance, Mrs. Peter and Mrs. Hanes form an indomitable force through which they manage to free Mrs. Wright from the claws of life imprisonment due to murder charges. Even though the play fails to call for entitlement of equal rights to men and women openly, from a critical point of view, it is agitating for the same rights. Therefore, Glaspell simply uses the writing space to promote feminism as shown in this feministic play.

“Trifles” by Susan Glaspell

In “Trifles,” Glaspell gives the unfolded panorama of dynamic and complicated relationships between people, especially different sexes, in society. In particular, the author poses the issue of dominating, arrogant, contemptuous, and even brutal attitudes of men towards women, their personalities, and abilities. This phenomenon is primarily evident in John Wright’s heartless actions, who killed Mrs. Wright’s beloved canary, as well as in the county attorney’s and the sheriff’s behaviors, mocking the women for their concentration on “trifles.” Glaspell tries to convey this idea via various symbols, pathos, and logos. For instance, the author depicts the abandoned farmhouse as a cold, isolated place, which is a specific cage for Mrs. Wright who feels like her bird strangled by the husband. Besides, the writer demonstrates women’s capacities to investigate the case in detail.

At the end, Glaspell shows that Mr. Wright is guilty that her wife murders him since he abuses and hurts her continuously and even dares to kill her last consolation, that is, the bird. Herewith, the author does not justify the suspect slayer since Mrs. Peters states, “the law has got to punish crime” but indicates the personal responsibility of the murdered, namely, John Wright (Glaspell, 1916, p. 8). In this regard, the women decide to cover the offense without telling their findings, such as the canary in the box. They believe that individuals are inclined to take extreme measures when they are entrapped in a cold, loveless marriage and a society that does not appreciate them.

In my life, I face different controversial issues when attitudes towards women were prejudiced and unfair. For example, one teacher tended to underestimate the grades from history for girls frequently, especially for exams, thinking that women possess lower ability to study this subject. Nevertheless, one female student, who performed well throughout the whole course, suddenly passed the examination unsuccessfully. Disagreeing with this decision, she appealed to the headmaster to manage the conflict even via retaking exams. The director examined the problem thoroughly and concluded that the student had not to retake the exam because the passed results deserve a much better mark. Such biases are prevalent in society, particularly in the work where males are often preferred for particular positions, including CEO or upper managers. In this context, employers should impartially evaluate the situation and give priority to those who display better outcomes.

Reference

Glaspell, S. (1916). One-Act-Plays.com. Web.

Susan Glaspell’s Biography and Historical Context in Relation to Trifles

Introduction

Written by Susan Glaspell, Trifles is a masterpiece rich in both historical and biographical elements. Glaspell hinges this story on a murder story she had to cover as a journalist and this offers the biographical part of it. The historical element of Trifles sprouts from some of the themes presented in this play. Therefore, Trifles is both a biographical and historical play.

Short Synopsis

As the play opens, police are investigating the murder of John Wright in his farmhouse. More people arrive amongst them the Sheriff, his wife, the county attorney, his wife and a witness. Controversy surrounds Mr. Wright’s death, whilst the attorney and police officers believe Mrs. Wright’s story that someone murdered Mr. Wright, as she was sleep, the women in this play suspect that Mrs. Wright was involved in the killing after collecting some ‘trifle’ evidence from this farmhouse.

The men in this play cannot understand why women are always concerned about small things. For instance, they cannot understand why these women are so concerned about a guilt they have found in the house.

In turn of events, these women find an empty birdcage, and after continued search, they discover a dead bird in a box; strangled just like Mr. Wright. At this point, Mrs. Hale reminisces how felicitous Mrs. Wright was, as a kid; how she loved singing and how miserable she became after marrying Mr. Wright.

It appears that Mr. Wright killed his wife’s bird and in retaliation, Mrs. Wright murdered him. Nevertheless, these women sympathize with Mrs. Wright’s sufferings as a wife and they decide to hide this information from the police officers to cover Mrs. Wright’s guilt. Nevertheless, as aforementioned, the biographical and historical context of this play can give a better interpretation.

Biographical Interpretation

Written in 1921, Trifles is a chronicle of John Hossack’s controversial murder, which Glaspell happened to cover as a journalist “with the Des Moines Daily New” (Holstein 2003, p. 29).

On December 2, 1900, John Hossack was murdered. According to his wife of 33 years, “…was sleeping beside him and awoke to the sound of an axe twice striking something that turned out later to be her husband’s head. She leapt out of bed and ran into the living room, where she saw a light and heard the door closing…returned to her bedroom with her children and discovered him to be mortally injure” (Reuben, 2008, p. 13).

The coroner’s results could not find any crucial information about the death. However, after rigorous investigations, police officers arrested Margaret Hossack after finding the murder weapon hidden in a maize garner. Moreover, a neighbor indicated that the Hossack’s marriage was strained.

Glaspell played key role in profiling this murder. She, “provided thorough coverage of the case…she often made use of a lurid combination of gossip, rumor, and truth to report her stories. Glaspell’s descriptions of Margaret generally painted her as an insane murderer until her visit to the farmhouse in mid-December, after which her depiction softened Mrs. Hossack into a meek, elderly woman” (Reuben, 2008, p.16).

Unfortunately, Mrs. Hossack was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, her judges appealed for a second trail and after reaching no verdict, Mrs. Hossack was released on for lack of evidence.

Margaret’s initial conviction was inevitable for she could not be trusted because; for one, she had a child out of wedlock and she acted inappropriately and disrespectfully by exposing her marital problems. On the other hand, men involved in this case defended Mr. Hossack as an honorable citizen and a good person.

Trifles offer women’s perspective towards this case and their different point of view in domestic troubles and marital strife. The fact that the women in Trifles did not divulge the crucial information leading to Mrs. Wright’s acquittal, it shows that their ‘trifles’ are significant as opposed to men’s view of the same. Glaspell simply chronicled the events surrounding Mr. Hossack’s death by changing character’s names.

Historical Interpretation

Trifles” is essentially a presentation of challenges that women faced in late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. Born in 1876, Glaspell was among the first women to pursue higher education and a profession at a time when this was a preserve of the men.

By writing Trifles, Glaspell sought to address issues like, “women’s suffrage, birth control, socialism, union organizing, and the psychological theories of Sigmund Freud” (Godwin, 1999, p. 46). At this time, women could not participate in juries or even vote. Women earned way below their male counterparts; moreover, as aforementioned most women qualified as ‘housewives’ and nothing more.

The same case applied to urban women; a subject that Trifles addresses. Women were not recognized as important figures in the society; something that Mrs. Wright experienced. Nevertheless, Glaspell finally manages to show that women were significant after all. Their ‘trifles’ were significant if only men would recognize it. For instance, their ‘trifles’ led to discovery of a strangled bird; something that would convict Mrs. Wright; therefore, women would sit in juries, if given opportunity.

Mrs. Peters explicates how women suffered and lived at the mercies of their ever-busy husbands. She remembers how Mrs. Wright would sing melodiously as a bird during her childhood; however, she bemoans that things changed the moment Mrs. Wright married. She notes that Mr. Wright “first killed the song in her and finally killed the song in her bird” (Glaspell, 1951, p. 14). Loneliness was consuming many women including those who did not face marital strife.

For instance, Mrs. Peters painfully recalls, “…we were homesteaders in the Dakota Territory, when our first baby died leaving me alone in the house most of the day while my husband worked outside…” (Glaspell, 1951, p. 18). Glaspell sought to highlight these historical issues that affected women relegating them to insignificant figures in society. This theme offers the historical interpretation of this play.

Conclusion

By writing Trifles, Glaspell had two distinct issues in her mind. First, she wanted to chronicle her experience as a journalist and two, she wanted to highlight historical challenges that women faced in her era.

The events surrounding Mr. Wright’s death in Trifles are similar to those, which surrounded the murder of Mr. Hossack on December 2, 1900. Glaspell changes the names of the characters but the incidences are the same. Even though she tried to paint Mrs. Hossack as a murderer, her stance changed when she visited Hossack’s house only to realize what Mrs. Hossack went through as a wife.

Therefore, Trifles is a dramatized personal experience touching the life and career of Glaspell as a journalist. Historically, women were not recognized in the society. Most of them lived miserable lives, something that Glaspell highlights in this play. Urban women lived lonely lives, as their husbands were ever busy. Therefore, Trifles is both a biographical and historical play.

Reference List

Glaspell, S. (1951). Trifles: A Play in One Act. New York; Walter H. Baker.

Godwin, L. (1999). Preface to Fidelity. New York; Persephone Books.

Holstein, S. (2003). Silent Justice in a Different Key: Glaspell’s Trifles. The Midwest Quarterly. 44(2); 282-290.

Reuben, P. (2008). Susan Glaspell. Perspectives in American Literature. Web.

Wrong World of Mrs. Wright in “Trifles” by S. Glaspell

Beginning of the play

At the beginning of the play we see a very depressing room, and the disarray of the kitchen is one of the classic signs of depression. Dishes are not done and food is out, and the place is generally in a mess. Considering the time and place described at the beginning of the scene, it would have been unusual for the kitchen to be in such a state, because women generally did not work, and identified themselves as homemakers. We get further clues as to the period from the fact that there is a fire going in the stove and most of the fruit jars have burst from being frozen when the place was left without a fire. From these clues and the identities of the men plus the apparent hesitation of the women on entering, we know that something is wrong.

Mrs. Wright’s role

Mrs. Wright is the tragic protagonist in this play, but she never comes on stage. She is almost what we know as grotesque, having been nearly destroyed by her environment. We hear about her first from the statements of the witness who discovered Mr. Wright’s body. He describes her as sitting in her rocking chair and pleating her apron. The actor probably makes hand movements in imitation to illustrate his point. The women give more information about Mrs. Wright as they discuss what to take to her in jail. As they are looking around, they discover a quilt in progress and one of them wonders if Mrs. Wright had been going to quilt it or knot it. The men overhear and make light fun of such a trivial “woman’s” conversation.

As the ladies are chatting about Mrs. Wright, Mrs. Hale, wife of the witness who discovered the body, laments that she did not visit often, because the house was sad. She feels that she might have been some help to Mrs. Wright, who was probably abused. They talk about how she used to sing, but was quiet and shy in high school, though quite pretty. When they discover the broken fruit jars they are discussing all the wasted work in the heat of the summer and what a shame it is. The men make off-handed fun of the woman worrying about her canned fruit when the woman is in jail for murder. “Well, women are used to worrying over trifles.” When the county attorney comments on Mrs. Wright’s poor housekeeping, Mrs. Hale mentions that there is a lot of work to be done on a farm. Finally, when they wonder if Mrs. Wright was going to quilt or knot her work, the men laugh. Each time the men laugh, the women move closer together for mutual support.

Erratic sewing

As the women examine the sewing, they note that the sewing on the last block was quite erratic, as if the woman had been quite upset, while the rest of the blocks are quite neatly stitched. Then they find the birdcage and notice the bent door and wonder about this. When they find the little bird in a fancy box with its neck wrung, they understand what happened. They talk about silence and loneliness, space that the songbird would have filled.

The sheriff’s wife, Mrs. Peters, asks the County Attorney to look at what the ladies are taking, and he takes a very quick look as Sheriff Peters makes a statement that his wife is married to the law and would never take evidence. They are about to leave when the men are discussing that they have found no evidence for motive, which would be necessary for a conviction. Mrs. Hale pockets the bird when Mrs. Peters cannot make it fit into the sewing box.

The County Attorney makes one last little jab at the women when he says as they leave that they at least found out if Mrs. Wright was going to quilt or..and they supply the word “knot” as Mrs. Hale pats her pocket. Saying, “she knotted it” (meaning the rope around Mr. Wright’s neck). She had not done either to the quilt.

Conclusion

The play shows us how women are held in contempt as silly brainless housekeepers and how men talk about and do important things. It is apropos that Mr. Wright is strangled in his sleep with a rope, because of how he killed the bird. Only one scene is needed for this play and it should be a little dark and narrow, almost claustrophobic. The ladies are separated from the men. The sheriff’s wife comments that she is glad of Mrs. Hale’s company. The men run around seeking important evidence while the women discover everything, and take action to see that Mrs. Wright’s motive is never found.

Aristotle’s Poetics Ideas in Trifles by Susan Glaspell

Drama is one of the oldest literary genres, characterized by specific regulations, rules, and standards. Aristotle’s Poetics provides an overview of the particularities and obligatory features that a dramatic piece should contain to serve its purpose of impacting human emotions and triggering catharsis. However, while following conventional regulations, some dramatic authors might modify particular aspects of drama to emphasize their argument or main ideas. In particular, this posting will focus on Susan Glaspell’s following of Aristotle’s spectacle, sound, text, and ideas while modifying the plot and characterization to emphasize the gender stereotypes in Trifles.

The play Trifles is designed conventionally as outlined by Aristotle in Poetics. It contains descriptions for stage presentation, has a limited number of characters, a problem of gender inequalities, and an emotionally colored plot that necessitates’ audiences’ catharsis. The visual representation of the stage and characters, sounds, text of the play, and ideas agree with the drama regulations. However, the writer deliberately changes some of the rules presented by Aristotle to deliver the argument of the importance of seemingly unimportant women’s roles more vividly. In particular, the play’s plot does not precisely follow the regulations since it omits the actual event of the murder but develops around the incident. The very title with the description of the dramatic piece implies the unconventional approach of the author. Indeed, since it is a one-act play, Glaspell modifies Aristotle’s idea about the full-scale development of a plot, which should be delivered in a medium-length literary form. Furthermore, the characterizations of the main characters are unconventional since male roles lack a description of their feelings and temperament. In contrast, female roles, although without first name identification, are assigned empathetic features.

In such a manner, Glaspell manages to construct a distinctive play that emphasizes women’s centrality to the story while being deprived of first names and the explicit importance of their roles acknowledged by men. The author follows almost all conventional regulations, purposefully modifying the plot, structure, and characterization. Such a method helps Glaspell enhance emotional appeal to the audience and reinforce the argument of the necessity of gender equality.

“Trifles” by Susan Glaspell and Solidarity Between Women

In Susan Glaspell’s Trifles one of basic themes is solidarity between women. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters show compassion towards Mrs. Wright, who is accused of killing her own husband. This points to an unconditional and sincere support of representatives of their gender.

While men treat Mrs. Wright as a cruel killer, women found a way to justified her from a solely woman’s position: “I might have known she needed help! I know how things can be — for women” (Glaspell 323). Moreover, the women decide to hide the evidence (a dead bird). When the men asked about the bird, women replied: “We think the — cat got it” (Glaspell 320), even though they knew that there could be no cat: “… she didn’t have a cat. She’s got that feeling some people have about cats — being afraid of them” (Glaspell 318).

Among the characters, I found Mrs. Hale very interesting. Mrs. Hale shows a rare ability to sense the emotions of other people; in addition, she is very compassionate and sentimental. Mrs. Hale even feels guilty of not helping Mrs. Wright when she needed her: “I wish I had come over to see Minnie Foster sometimes” (Glaspell 319).

One of the central issues opened in Ibsen’s A Doll House is confrontation of selfishness and altruism. Torvald, a personification of selfishness and narcissism, cares only about his reputation.

Thus, he fires Krogstad because he dares to “adopt a familiar tone with me” (Ibsen 190). In addition, he views himself as a savior and master of his wife, who is totally helpless without him. At the same time, Nora is fighting her own dissatisfaction with her life, and is even ready to sacrifice it in the name of her husband’s reputation, which is a paramount example of altruism.

Undoubtedly, Nora is the most important character of the play, as the whole story is connected to her inner world, her emotions and discoveries. The culmination of the play, when Krogstad’s letter to Torvald is revealed, is also a culmination moment of Nora’s life, as she realizes the true nature of a person she spent her life with: “It was tonight, when the wonderful thing did not happen; then I saw you were not the man I had thought you were” (Ibsen 249).

The Importance of Being Earnest is one of the most popular works ever written by Oscar Wilde. One of the themes discussed in this incomparably ironic play is the issue of hypocrisy.

Two young men, Jack and Algernon, have true feelings for women and sincere intentions to win their hearts, but these benevolent principles compel them to behave not honest enough to even reveal their true names. Jack’s attempt to catch Algernon lying points to his pretentious honesty and morality: “My dear Algy, you talk exactly as if you were a dentist. It is very vulgar to talk like a dentist when one isn’t a dentist.

It produces a false impression” (Wilde 261). In fact, at the end of the play it occurs that revealing one’s nature and being himself is the only condition needed for reaching the target. As for the character that I found very interesting, it is Gwendolen, Jack’s fiancé. Her elitism, arrogant tone and whims prevented Jack from showing his real face. She always points to the class differences: “I am glad to say that I have never seen a spade.

It is obvious that our social spheres have been widely different” (Wilde 295); “Cake is rarely seen at the best houses nowadays” (Wilde 310). Even in the end, when Jack’s true identity is revealed, the only condition of Gwendolen’s love to him is him being named Earnest (another whim). All in all, I think Gwendolen is a special and well-designed character.

A Raisin in the Sun is a play written by Lorraine Hansberry, which discusses a number of themes. From my point of view, one of the most important issues covered by the play is the conflict of expectations.

Thus, Walter expects to become a successful businessman and provider of his family: “I want so many things that they are driving me kind of crazy” (Hansberry 479), but his dreams are juxtaposed to Mama’s wish to live a stable and honest life. Beneatha wants to become a doctor, but this expectation is confronted by the racial prejudices and financial hardship, which makes her sarcastic and disappointed: “…forgive me for ever wanting to be anything at all!” (Hansberry 482).

As for the most important character in the play, I believe it is Mama. She is a personification of wisdom, rationality, and care. She tries to find a balance between her obligations in the family, her own dreams, and the dreams of other family members. She also seems to be the only character in the play who realizes that money does not hold the key to all human needs: “Money is life. Once upon a time freedom used to be life – now it’s money” (Hansberry 471).

Works Cited

Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. In:The Seagull Reader: Plays. 2nd ed. Ed. Joseph Kelly. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2009. Print

Hansberry, Lorraine. Raisin in the Sun. In:The Seagull Reader: Plays. 2nd ed. Ed. Joseph Kelly. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2009. Print

Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll House. In:The Seagull Reader: Plays. 2nd ed. Ed. Joseph Kelly. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2009. Print

Wilde, Oscar. Importance of Being Earnest. In:The Seagull Reader: Plays. 2nd ed. Ed. Joseph Kelly. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2009. Print

Trifles: A Play in One Act

By showing how oblivious the men are to the challenges and accomplishments of women’s lives and women’s work, Trifles forces us to question how we perceive the world. The male characters enter a house filled with clues to a desperately unhappy situation, and do not even notice. If this is possible in the setting of the play, what important hints to the truth are we, the viewers, missing and overlooking in everyday life?

The male characters assume that anything that the women do or think is trifling compared to the work of men. They assume, simultaneously, that the maintenance of domestic comfort is women’s responsibility, no matter what the obstacles. For example, they expect a clean towel, but ignore the difficulty of effective laundry in a house so cold it freezes jam.

They mock the women over quilting versus knotting, or the state of the preserves, but undoubtedly expect a warm bed and sweet spread for their own flapjacks (Glaspell). The sheriff’s wife is said to be “married to the law” , and to need no supervision, as though she does lacks an independent mind and will (Glaspell).

On the other hand, the women defer to the men, suggesting that their judgment is more valid somehow, at least in their own minds. When the two women find the canary with its neck broken, Mrs. Peters says, “My, it’s a good thing the men couldn’t hear us. Wouldn’t they just laugh!” (Glaspell).

She recognizes that their feminine inferences might seem ridiculous to the men, but also could potentially send Mrs. Wright to her execution. Their concealment of the evidence they find is thus a brave act of solidarity with Mrs. Wright’s rebellion against loneliness and abuse.

The Hairy Ape‘s naturalistic dialogue is mild in comparison with what the viewing public hears regularly in reality TV shows, but it must have seemed shocking when it premiered. The cruelty of the other laborers after Yank is insulted by Mildred as a “filthy creature”, seems a bit artificially extreme, but is perhaps accurate for the era (O’Neill).

The play aims to make political points about class boundaries. Thus, the conflicts, for example, between Yank and the Gentleman walking on 5th Avenue, are heightened for dramatic effect. If the viewer accepts this premise, as I do, then these artificialities work.

The social and spiritual distance that Yank perceives, between himself and his fellow laborers, Mildred, the wealthy New Yorkers, the other prisoners, and finally, the Wobblies, all makes Yank feel totally alienated. His sense of isolation leads him to take a hideous risk that ends with him being crushed and thrown by a gorilla in the zoo.

While possibly unrealistic – a gorilla might more likely bite and pull limbs off – this makes a powerful visual pun. Yank is embraced by a hairy ape, exactly what Mildred visualized when she watched him lose his temper. He has found his soul mate, he imagines.

Yank’s death is presented as resulting inevitably from his not fitting in anywhere. He is too thoughtful and proud for the drunken stokehold laborers. His speech is too shamelessly uncensored for the refined, hypocritical Mildred. He impulsively roughs up a socialite. He is too violent for the I.W.W.. Even the gorilla rejects his companionship, dispatching him forever, in irritation with his tone of voice.

Works Cited

Glaspell, Susan. . Ed. Frank Shay. New York: Washington Square Players, 1916. Web.

O’Neill, Eugene. The Hairy Ape. New York: Boni and Liveright, 1922. Web.

Trifles by Susan Glaspell: Play Analysis

The play Trifles by Susan Glaspell talks about a murder. John Wright is killed in his sleep through struggling. Sherriff Peters, county lawman, Mr. Hale a farm man and George Henderson, the county attorney go to his house to investigate the crime. They look around for evidence of a crime, as the main suspect is the victim’s wife Mrs. Minnie Wright.

Two women also join the men in Mrs. Wright’s kitchen- Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters. The characters look at the murder differently and this discussion will focus on the development in terms of roundness and flatness of the characters and the degree to which the characters are stereotypes.

Mrs. Wright the protagonist that we do not meet on stage but learn about from other characters because she is in custody for suspicion of her husband’s murder is a round character. Prior to her marrying her late husband, she was a cheerful young woman. She even wore colorful clothes because she enjoyed life and was a bubbly young woman. In addition, she enjoyed singing and once sang in a choir, this kept her cheerful.

However, after marriage she changed and become another person. Mrs. Hale noticed her personality change because she remembered her as a sweet woman and very beautiful. This contrasts with the bitter woman she came to be that murdered her husband in cold blood. She was also a timid woman according to Mrs. Hale yet the woman we see when Mr. Henderson stopped by to speak to Mr. Wright was not timid because she stood there unmoved and in a composed manner told him, he could not speak to Mr. Wright because he was dead.

Mrs. Hale appears to be timid when we meet her at first. However as the play progresses we see a woman who is empathetic and even agrees to commit a crime by concealing the evidence they find in Mrs. Wright’s kitchen from the men investigating the crime. She is a remorseful person because she regrets not having come more often to visit Mrs. Wright because she knew of her loneliness.

She manages to talk Mrs. Peters into the conspiracy of silence regarding the motive and evidence of Mr. Wright’s murder. Her understanding of the suffering of her fellow woman makes her frustrated with the men’s attitude towards women and thus chooses to protect one of her own.

Mrs. Peters is a round character. When we meet her at first she is of the opinion that the perpetrator of the crime should be apprehended for the crime. She knows murder is a crime and a punishment is order. However, after a conversation with Mrs. Hale after they discover the strangled bird she changes her mind about Mrs. Wright.

They think she might have committed the crime out of frustration and anger of her environment, which they say was lonely and depressing. Mrs. Wright was a lonely woman with no child and her only company was her bird that most probably was killed by her husband. Thus, she killed him in retaliation and Mrs. Peters identifies with her situation as she says how lonely she felt when her two-year-old child died and protects hides the evidence in her coat pocket.

The two women describe Mr. Wright as a good man. This means that he had a dual character because to the outsiders he appeared as a quiet good husband. Yet Mrs. Hale says that he was a hard man and not pleasant to live with and that is why Mrs. Wright must had bought a bird to keep her company. Even though Mr. Wright did not take alcohol and always kept his word, he was not kind to his wife and did not try to make her life cheerful as he was always out working and mean when at home.

His character led Mrs. Wright to loneliness and eventual murder. This character remains flat because his character does not change for the better as Mrs. Wright became lonely and her troubles started soon after she married him. He remained detached from his wife, did not understand her feelings, and killed the one thing that give her company and at least made her cheerful. He also made her withdraw from the society and become lonely.

The other three men, the Sheriff, the County and Mr. Hale do not change their character. These men have a low opinion about women and their thoughts about women only being concerned with trifles remain constant throughout the play. They belittle Mrs. Wright and the women at large with their condescending attitude.

For example we see them criticizing Mrs. Wright’s housekeeping skills. At the close of the play, the men miss an important piece of evidence that might have helped to convict Mrs. Wright due to their lack of keenness in the trifles unlike the two women who see and come up with a motive for the murder, which they conceal.

The characters in the play have some degree of stereotype. The men represent the stereotype that the society has towards women that women cannot handle big things and only good for housekeeping and dealing with little things. Their trifles are not considered harmful and this explains why the men overlook the little things that would have led them to the motive of the crime and hence the perpetrator. On the other hand, the women represent the stereotype that women that they are only good for housekeeping.

For instance, Mrs. Wrights abandons her own life such as singing in the choir or joining other women because she has married. She represents women who stop living their lives once they get married, become lost in their new married live, and eventually become frustrated. To sum up the way men and women view each in the society ought to change, both are equally capable. The men ought to treat women as equals because they too are also capable of understanding ‘big’ things as the two women show by unraveling the murder motive.

Exploring Irony in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and ‘Trifles’

The Element of Irony

It is significant that the play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” uses comedic imagery in the first act. That is, it is the application of a character’s image in one line to represent another. In this way, the character appears comical to the audience. In Act 1, Scene 1, Lysander and Demetrius are fighting over their beloved, and her father expresses the wish of Theseus, Duke of Athens, that Hermia marries Demetrius (Shakespeare, 2022). The play also uses irony to demonstrate humor. For example, when Oberon asks Puck to squeeze the juice of a magic flower over the eyes of rustic wearing Athenian clothes. As a consequence, Puck squeezes this juice into Lysander’s eyes because that is what he is wearing (Shakespeare, 2022). Thus, through irony, a comic situation is created. Furthermore, Shakespeare applies interlude when Quince reads aloud without punctuation or rules of syntax.

The Dramatic Irony

The dramatic irony in “Trifles” heightens the growth of suspense and tension. This occurs when the women find information clues being found about life in the Wright family. The ladies conduct their own investigation and investigate the canary who died with a broken neck. They know that Mrs. Wright loved the bird, therefore, by means of deduction, the viewers already establish for themselves that Mr. Wright killed the bird (Saei Dibavar, 2022). At the same time, there is other evidence that reinforces the viewers’ confidence in the veracity of their own version. For instance, Mrs. Wright’s instability, which is evident through her sewing, leads the women and the audience to believe that Mrs. Wright is to blame (Saei Dibavar, 2022). Accordingly, this situation is a dramatic irony in Trifles because authorities such as the prosecutor and the sheriff fail to notice these clues. Therefore, it indicates that the audience has more information than they receive.

References

Saei Dibavar, S. (2022). . A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes and Reviews, 1-7. Web.

Shakespeare, W. (2022). A midsummer night’s dream. Sheba Blake Publishing.

“Trifles”: Mrs. Peters Character

Introduction

In the historical development of gender relations, the social role of women established in a traditional patriarchal society was that of silent obedience to man. No idea of female independence or initiative could ever be raised, as the overall scope of duties that could be controlled by the influence of women comprised household matters and daily family routine. However wise or insightful a woman might be, any attempt at independent thinking was laughed at and dismissed as ultimately unserious by the dominating male society. Such a situation is described in Susan Glaspell’s play Trifles, where the dynamic character of Mrs. Peters reveals and enriches itself throughout the play: initially embodying the quality of obedience, with time she demonstrates the power of observance and attention to small things and consequently achieves a triumph over the male party.

The development of the character

The characterization of Mrs. Peters’ complex character occurs in Trifles via a whole range of means. The introduction of the play presents the woman’s appearance, which creates the initial impression of timidity and shyness. She appears on the scene together with Mrs. Hale, nestling to her as if seeking protection and support in the company of the other woman. Further development occurs through the character’s speech: by confessing it would have been way too lonesome for her to stay at the crime scene and by recollecting her experience of stillness and solitude when her first baby died (Glaspell 659, 661), Mrs. Peters reveals the abyss of emptiness that fills her soul having no company to share her feelings and ideas with. Another aspect of the tragedy of this suppressed quiet lady is that she should express obedience by duty: she is the wife of a sheriff, thus literally “married to the law” (Glaspell 662). Therefore her obedience has a double nature; she is obedient under the social standards of being a sheriff’s wife and under life circumstances that deprived her of worthwhile company.

A deeper understanding

A deeper understanding of Mrs. Peters’ character is made possible by observing her reaction to objects and events in her environment. However quiet Mrs. Peters may seem, at first sight, there is an inexhaustible source of liveliness in her, the quality of observance. Throughout the whole scene, she demonstrates an ongoing interest in the details of the surroundings, revealing trifles that lead her to logical conclusions which may seem insignificant only to a superficial observer. The woman’s revelation of the quilted plaid, the cage, and the bird gradually add up to a smooth story which can be viewed as an explanation for the whole mystery of Mr. Wright’s death (Glaspell 658–660). Attention to detail is the quality that distinguishes Mrs. Peters from the arrogant men who position themselves way too high to condescend to trifles that are irrelevant in their opinion.

Round, well-developed, and complete character

In this sense, Mrs. Peters appears around, well-developed and complete character: superior to the world of men, she holds the keys to the solution of the crime. Having obtained that priority, she gains the freedom of action, deciding for herself whether to reveal the truth of the murder to the police or not. In choosing the latter option, Mrs. Peters demonstrates solidarity with Mrs. Wright, who figures as her ‘double’ oppressed by a dominating male. A bird once gay, “really sweet and pretty”, Mrs. Wright took revenge on her favorite bird’s death (Glaspell 660); and feeling fully compassionate with the murderer, Mrs. Peters shows her understanding of law and order, without being accountable to any official representatives of law who walk too high to see the essential truth.

Conclusion

The round and dynamic character of Mrs. Peters unfolds throughout the whole playthrough appearance, speech, and reaction, moving from a shy intimidated wife through a shrewd observer to a triumphant champion of the truth who with her effort of mind directed at seemingly irrelevant trifles wins the right of ruling the destiny of her neighbor.