Category: Trifles

Before the 1900s, men dominated society not only in the U.S and Europe but also in other parts of the world, while women were considered inferior to them. Women were discriminated against in all walks of life, be it family, religion, government, education or employment (Eisenberg & Ruthsdotter). The Feminism movement that demanded women should be treated equally as men, having the same political, economic and social rights began only in the 1900s, starting with suffrage or the right to vote, before gradually intensifying during the mid-1900s as more and more women began entering the labor force. Among the famous feminist leaders were Elizabeth Stanton, Catherine Beecher, Isabella Beecher Hooker and Harriet Beecher Stowe. The Feminist Movement, also called the Women’s Movement and the Women’s Liberation Movement, includes a series of efforts by women in the world to fight for the restoration of gender equality. The Movement began mainly in Britain and the United States, and went on to accelerate to a lesser degree in the former and a tremendous degree in the latter. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only that that ever has.” These sage words of famous American cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead (Eisenberg et al.) is an appropriate elucidation of the Women’s Movement as it progressed from its humble beginnings to its stunning world-changing achievements that spanned 7 generations, coordinated by a group of simple, ordinary women gifted with single-minded and dedicated zeal and steely determination to make the world a better place for women to live in (Eisenberg et al.).

Susan Keating Glaspell was born on 1 July 1876 in Davenport in the U.S. Like other Feminist writers, she contributed to the Feminist Movement through her powerful writings where she created female characters who wished to be liberated from the typical restrictive roles that society had created for them. Glaspell was also instrumental in the formation of ‘Heterodoxy,’ a feminist organization that actively featured in the Feminist Movement particularly between the years 1910 and 1920 (Itech.fgcu.edu). Glaspell’s play ‘Trifles’ was published in 1916, during the peak of the Feminist Movement.

In ‘Trifles,’ a farmer is murdered in a farmhouse. Three male investigators gather to try and solve the murder. Strong indications of female discrimination are soon apparent. The first indication is in the title of the play. ‘Trifles,’ meaning something trivial and of no importance, is what males thought about females during those days in that patriarchal society. Secondly, the 3 male investigators are convinced that it is Mrs. Wright who killed her husband. They do not bother to consider any other alternative and merely go about trying to prove their conviction correct. Thirdly, as the male investigators feel demeaned to do the lowly task of gathering the few belongings of Mrs. Wright, the sheriff and farmer bring their wives along to do the menial task (McGrath). Fourthly, the condescending male attitude is apparent when Hale, noticing the women’s dismay on seeing Mrs. Wright’s ruined fruit, dismisses the female gender in general by saying: “Well, women are used to worrying about trifles” (Itech.fgcu.edu). Fifthly, the attorney belittles Mrs. Peters , saying “No, Mrs. Peters doesn’t need supervising. For that matter, a sheriff’s wife is married to the law” (Itech.fgcu.edu), meaning that she is just an extension of her husband with no individual identity of her own. Lastly, the tendency of females to meekly acknowledge their suppressed identity is shown in several remarks of Mrs. Peters to Mrs. Hale such as acknowledging male dominance with the words “the law is the law,” and excusing the male investigators for having other “awful important things on their minds” (Itech.fgcu.edu).

Glaspell gets her female characters to resist the male tendency to demean and suppress their gender. It begins in response to Hale’s disparaging remarks about women worrying about trifles. The two women “move a little closer together” not only physically, but also psychologically as they prepare to defend their gender in general while silently showing unity with Mrs. Wright in particular (Itech.fgcu.edu). The two women gradually put forth their views that the male investigators look, interpret and judge things from a broader, unbiased perspective. They succeed in their mission by exposing the killing of Mr. Wright as the act of a person done in desperation born of the need for sheer, basic survival (McGrath).

In conclusion, ever since Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s innocuous tea party launched a revolution called the Feminist Movement on 13 July 1848, the Women’s Movement today has achieved all the targets laid down in the original Declaration of Sentiments. Victory was finally and fully achieved n 1964 when the Civil Rights Act was passed by Congress banning discrimination in employment on grounds of gender. Women have now crossed each and every threshold, be it employment , military, clergy and newsroom. Women have achieved all this because they have contributed wholeheartedly and unselfishly to create the famous ‘completed mosaic’ earlier envisioned by Alice Paul: “I always feel the [Women’s] movement is a sort of mosaic; each of us puts in one little stone, and then you get a great mosaic at the end (Eisenberg et al.). Susan Keating Glaspell was one of those who did her bit by putting in several little stones, most of them through her powerful literary contributions, one of them called ‘Trifles.’

References

Eisenberg, Bonnie & Ruthsdottter, Mary. “Living the Legacy: The Women’s Rights Movement 1848 – 1998.” Legacy98.org. 2002. Web.

McGrath, Fiona. “Commentary: Feminist (Gender) Criticism is Still Necessary.” Helium, Inc. 2009. Web.

“Susan Glaspell: Trifles.” Florida Gulf Coast University. 1996. Web.

www.helium.com

www.associatedcontent.com

www.legacy98.org

Susan Glespell’s ‘Trifle’ is a play that presents a diverse view of the male-dominated society. Susan Glespell presents a somewhat critical view of society through a murder scene in which a woman is accused of murder and an investigation takes place to determine whether she is the murder or not (Glaspell).

The investigation eventually divides into two teams; the first constituting the men, and the second constituting the women. The actions of the two teams present a view toward modern day society that strongly brings the play forth as a feminist work.

The character of Minnie Wright in Susan Glespell’s Trifles is a very interesting character since it is never seen and yet she steer’s the play ad influences it more than any of the other characters. It is imperative to note at this point that ‘Trifles’ is mainly a feminist work and advocates against the traditional housewife concept.

In this regard, the character of Minnie Wright plays a key role by serving as the source for the turns that the plot takes (Glaspell). As the women look around the house, each object they find and scrutinize provides a deeper insight into Minnie Wright’s persona. Through this relationship, Minnie Wright continues to drive the other characters in the play.

When the women come across the dead canary in Minnie Wright’s belongings, the dead bird serves as a development of Minnie Wright’s character and this development in her character serves to have an almost immediate influence on the decisions taken by the women in the play (Glaspell).

It can therefore be observed that as Minnie Wright’s personality is explored through the investigation that the women carry out through the house, Minnie Wright’s character continues to develop significantly. Eventually, the termination of the plot is also influenced by an act that owes its origin to Minnie Wright’s character.

It can therefore be surmised that Trifles is mainly a feminist play. Through the character of Minnie Wright, the play seeks to speak out against the growing prevalence of the male-dominated model of society (Glaspell).

The actions of the female characters in the play are symbolic for the manner in which Susan Glespell seeks to highlight the need for the role of women in society to be realized. Susan Glespell stresses upon the need for women to stick together while shedding a blunt and somewhat generalizing light on the men. She gives very little attention to the men but makes sure that the men are shown to be in power every time they come forth.

Susan Glespell tops off her play by showing that the men consider themselves to have done all the work, whereas the decision has been modeled silently by the women (Glaspell). By doing so, Susan Glespell seeks to highlight the need to realize the actual power that women have in society.

It can also be observed that Susan Glespell highlights the need for women to assist each other. By pocketing the dead canary, the female character protected the murderer and allowed the murderer to live even though she realized that this would be wrong.

Through this act, Susan Glespell highlights that the quest for right and wrong requires the realization of integrity and respect for women in society (Perkins and Perkins). It can therefore be justly concluded that Susan Glespell’s ‘Trifle’ is indeed a feminist work and seeks to engage in feminist objectives through the plot and the characters.

Works Cited

Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. California: D’arts Publishing, 2009.

Perkins, George and Barbara Perkins. The American Tradition in Literature. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2008.

Introduction

Susan Glaspell, the author of the play Trifles, exhibits the behavioral nature of major and minor characters, which groups them as either round or flat characters. She constructs the play after working as a journalist researching on the murder of John Hossack hence categorizing it as a real story. In Glaspell’s play, the characters display stereotypes especially the gender and cultural stereotypes.

According to Wiehardt, round characters are the main characters in a piece of writing who face problems in their life that become their turning point (1). They undergo an awful experience that pressure them to change their character.

On the other hand, a flat character is an unprogressive minor character in a story that remains in the same position throughout the story (Wiehardt 1). In the play Trifles, the author strategically features two round characters like Minnie Foster and John Wright. However, the play has a good share of the flat characters like Mrs. Hale and Mr. Hale among others.

In her early days, Minnie Foster is a felicitous, melodious and always in good spirits girl (Glaspell 7). All her dresses have bright colors hence making her famous among other girls. Unfortunately, after her marriage to Mr. Wright her cheerful character turns into sorrow hence only somber mood prevails in her house.

One of Mrs. Wright’s neighbors, Mrs. Hale describes her character as a beautiful, fearful and cautious but all her behaviors disappear immediately after the marriage ceremony (Glaspell 5). Mr. Wright is Minnie’s husband whose character as uncouth, crude harsh turns him oppressive especially to his loyal wife. Minnie’s thirty year of marriage is void of happiness.

However, one night, Mr. Wright dies when he is asleep. Surprisingly, Minnie says that someone strangled her husband while she is deep asleep. Unfortunately, her husband’s friend Mr. Hale discovers the death and reports to the authority. The Sheriff and attorney ignore her claims hence choose to put her in remand. After critical investigations, the law convicts her of murder because there is no trace another person as she claims.

According to Wiehardt’s description of a round character, Minnie’s unchanging character categorizes her as one. Although Minnie has subservient and scheming character, her husband’s oppressive nature turns her into a murderer and outrageous woman hence kills her him after three decades of marriage. John Wright stands out as a round character dominated by chauvinism.

John Wright chauvinistic character makes him an oppressor especially to his wedded wife. He disrespects, hates and abuses his wife all the time hence turning his wife against him. Although he is uncouth, unfriendly and selfish, his wife overpowers him killing him instantly. John Wright becomes powerless and weak loosing his ability to overpower or control his wife.

The ability of Mr. Wright to change his domineering nature describes him as a round character. However, Gorge Henderson is a round character who is tough as presented by the author.

The county attorney, Mr. George Henderson is among the flat characters as described by Wiehardt. He is one of the law enforcers carrying out the murder case of Mr. Wright. He bases on his professional qualifications and experience to carry out the investigation. He is tough, serious and dismisses opinion from other people. Ironically, as a crime expert, he does not concentrate on Mrs. Wright’s Kitchen, which is woman place.

However, he focuses in the bedroom and the barn where her husband spends most of his time. As a law enforcer, he convicts Mrs. Wright to prison yet he has inadequate evidence. Additionally, he is unable to unfold one of the main evidence, a box, which describes Mrs. Wright as a murderer. The inability of the attorney to consider and be keen to other people especially women puts him under a flat character.

The other law enforcer at the crime scene is the Sheriff, Henry Peters. He backs up the attorney during the investigation. Likewise, he overlooks the areas in the house like the kitchen, which could nail Mrs. Wright down. Additionally, he has a contempt character hence kicks a basket belonging to Mrs. Wright yet it might the source of evidence. Peters has a non-dynamic, unchanging character categorizing him as a flat character. Mrs. Hale stands out as an ignorant but obedient flat character as the play unveils.

Mrs. Hale is the wife to Mr. Hale. Additionally, she is a neighbor to the Wrights but due to frequent fights in the home, she abandons the family. However, she turns up when a calamity hits the family, the death Mr. Wright. Although the sheriff and the attorney disapprove her contribution to the murder case, she loiters around the crime scene hence discovering a box that contains evidence against Mrs. Wright.

As a woman, she decides to ignore the law officers and hides the box. She displays her submissive and quietness as the society expects from her. Mrs. Hale’s character as obedient and submissive describes her as a flat character, she is not ready to break the law, therefore, secretly keeps the box with evidence.

Lewis Hale is a farmer, neighbor and a friend to the Wrights family (Wade 2). When he comes to visit his neighbors, he discovers the death of Mr. Wright from the wife. He decides to report the murder case to the police station. During the investigation, he follows the Sheriff and attorney because he is determined to unravel the truth.

However, his presence at the crime scene does not change situation. Mr. Hale character as a good neighbor, friendly and loyal to his character is non-dynamic even after he discovers a crime. The issue of stereotypes assumes a good share in the play through the way the author strategically allocates the different roles to her different characters who in turn successfully depicts the stereotypes ranging from gender to cultural.

The characters in the play display a high level of stereotype. There is both cultural and gender stereotyping. The men oppress women in the society, a situation women are unable to change. The play describes the kitchen as the woman’s place and not bedroom or barn. Due to discrimination, Mrs. Hale decides to protect Mrs. Wright as a fellow woman hence keeps away the evidence that she is a murderer.

In summary, there are two types of character in the play; round and flat characters. Mr. and Mrs. Wright are the round characters because of their dynamic nature. The rest of the characters fall under flat characters because their situation and behavior is stagnant in the play. Finally, stereotyping is an issue that the author fully exhibits in the play. The women are submissive standing out as ones who face oppression from the society, a role they willingly accept.

Works Cited

Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. England: Oxford UP, 1916. Print.

Wade, Bradford. ‘Trifles’ by Susan Glaspell – Plot and Character Analysis, 2009. Web.

Wiehardt, Ginny. ‘Flat character’ About .com. Need. Know. Accomplish. New York: Winnipeg, 2011. Print.

Wiehardt, Ginny. ‘Round character’ About .com. Need. Know. Accomplish, 2011. Web.

A work of literature can be discussed from several standpoints, such as for instance, historical, political, ethical, historical, feminist, etc. There is a widely held opinion that psychological approach is the most of effective way of analysis because it provides a room for discussion and various interpretations. The development of psychological science has radically changed modern views on literature. Nonetheless, it should be pointed out literary analysis from psychological perspectives has certain standards, which must be met; otherwise the validity of the data can be easily questioned. It is possible to apply this method to such plays as Sophocles “Oedipus Rex” and “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell.

Sophocles tragedy has always been considered as one of the best works of ancient Greek literature. To a certain degree, it is quite possible to say that the author laid foundations of psychoanalysis (though unwillingly). For example, while developing his theory Sigmund Freud often referred to this play, namely to the so-called Oedipal complex.

Any person, who discusses Oedipus Rex from psychological perspective, should take into consideration that in the overwhelming majority of cases, the conclusions may be only hypothetical; it is permissible to speak only about probability but not about certainty, mostly because there is reliable information about the author. The same principle goes for Trifles, although this play is traditionally discussed within the frames of feminist movement. It should be taken into account the author makes the reader form his or her own conclusions, therefore, it is very difficult to analyze this work only from psychological perspective.

First, it is of the vital importance to pay extra attention to the author and particularly to the peculiarities of his or her character. In this respect, it should be noted that very little is known about Sophocles and his life, let only his inner world. The only thing that scholars know almost for a fact is his relationships with Aeschylus. At the beginning of his career, Sophocles was inclined to imitate his dramatic manner; however, soon he developed his own style. However, this information is clearly insufficient for psychological analysis. The question arises, what prompted the author to write this tragedy. What were the most stressing problems that Sophocles wanted to explore in his work. Probably, they were connected with his own life. It seems that it is more prudent to discuss this question from philosophical point of view, because Sophocles explores such themes as the relationship between freewill and destiny.

Moreover, this tragedy may be analyzed within political standpoint, particularly tyranny. It is believed that the political situation in the then Greek society affected Sophocles worldview. Psychological research methods require first-hand evidence, which is impossible to get in this particular case. Naturally, some hypotheses may be formulated about the personality of the author; under no circumstances they can be regarded as facts.

Certainly literary critics and psychologists know much more about Susan Glaspell, yet the motives, which drove her to compose her play, are ambiguous. It is believed that her work is mostly motivated by the development of feminist movement however; this play cannot be reduced only to gender problems, because the author explores some other problems particularly the perception of reality. She proves that very often people should never be one hundred percent sure of their rectitude as it is in the case of Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale, who are trying to investigate a mysterious murder in order to find the culprit, but soon they understand that their actions may ruin life of an innocent person.

The main reason why Oedipus Rex is so often discussed from psychological perspective is the themes, which the author analyzes in his work, particularly, lust for domination, and inability to question ones own judgment. These are the factors, which shape the behavior of the main character. Furthermore, psychologist often refer to the so-called oedipal complex; however, it appears that Freudian interpretation of human psychology should not be regarded a universal way to interpret any work of literature. It seems that, it is hardly applicable even to Oedipus Rex, because sexual desire is not the most dominant motif in this tragedy.

While discussing Sophocles play within the context of Freudian psychology, it is necessary to single out the main principles of this approach. According to the famous therapist, the behavior of every person is shaped by two factors, the instinct of self-preservation (or the fear of death) and sexual or erotic desire. Judging from the development of the plot, Oedipus is mostly driven by Eros, the sexuality. First, he murders his father (though unknowingly), secondly, he marries his mother Iocasta. As Dr. Freud believed every person (or male to be more exact) feels sexual desire for his mother, at least subconsciously. It may seem that such explanation is quite applicable to this play.

Nevertheless, many literary critics do not agree with such interpretation of Oedipus Rex. They advance the following counter-argument: besides the storyline, there is virtually no evidence, suggesting that the protagonist’s behavior was influenced by love for his mother. In fact, each step that he makes is motivated by his care for his parents. Oedipus primary concern is to disprove oracle’s prophecy but not vice versa, as it is often stated by the supporters of psychotherapy.

Textual evidence, indicate that the major psychological issue, which Sophocles addresses, is the concept of blindness (or ignorance, to be more exact). Psychologists have always stated that perception of reality is always subjective, that is why a person should never be firmly convinced of his or her rectitude. Oedipus believes that he pursues a noble cause, and he is reluctant to accept the views of other people. He even derides Teiresias saying that it is very unlikely “a blind man” can know the truth (Sophocles, 88). Throughout the text, Sophocles analyzes the conflict between the knowledge and ignorance, truth and illusion. He shows that even the most intelligent person (as for instance Oedipus) may be gravely mistaken in his judgment. His actions, though they are motivated by good intention, bring only harm to other people.

This problem is also reflected in Susan Glaspell’s play. Mrs., Hale and Mrs. Peters are trying to assist the police in the investigation of a murder case. Soon they understand, who has committed this crime Mrs. Wright, this woman killed her husband, who abused her. Yet, they also understand that this woman, Mrs. Wright deserves a better life. Although, the main characters learn the truth, they choose to conceal it. Susan Glaspell shows that even pursuing a noble cause, we may still hurt other innocent people. The playwright emphasizes the fact that even the cleverest people may fall victim to a delusion. It seems, this is one of the features that these plays have in common.

To conclude, psychological approach as a method of literary analysis has certain drawbacks; in particular, it requires first-hand evidence, which is often extremely difficult to obtain, especially it concerns Sophocles play Oedipus Rex. Secondly, it should be mentioned that it is mostly based on induction: and the researcher may only advance hypothetical statements, but it is hardly possible to speak with any certainty. Additionally, according to the principles of psychology and philosophy, the perception of any literary work depends upon the personality of the reader; it is subjective (and subsequently biased) in its core. However, it has to be admitted that psychological analysis has certain advantages, namely, it enables to identify the key drivers of the main character’s behavior, and his or relations with other people. Yet, it should be borne in mind that other approaches must not be disregarded because psychological interpretation cannot reflect all the complexity of such works as Oedipus Rex or Trifles. The main question or problem, which Sophocles and Susan Glaspell analyze, is human perception of reality, particularly the morality or immorality of ones actions. Both playwrights intend to prove that a human beings must never adamant in his or hers beliefs because otherwise they may destroy lives of other people.

Bibliography

Sophocles, Dudley Fitts, Robert Fitzegarld. Oedipus Rex. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2002.

Susan Glaspell, Stephen R. Mandell, Donna Winchell, Laurie G. Kirszner. “Trifles”. Thomson Wadsworth, 2003.

Susan Glaspell’s play “Trifles” is a real example of feminist writing that addresses significant matters worth a debate. The setting is significant to the meaning of the work of writing as it influences its outcomes, the characters, viewpoint, and plot since it is connected to the principles, ideals, and feelings of characters. In her play, Susan Glaspell has employed tender, but successful aspects in the setting to build suspense as an effort to unravel the strange murder that has happened in John Wright’s farm. Glaspell uses three men (county attorney, sheriff, and a neighboring farmer) who enter and leave the stage in an attempt to search for proof and intention of the murder (Glaspell 169).

The men discuss the little matters pertaining women, especially how Mrs. Wright was considering building the coverlet. The author puts across the setting in three spheres: time, geographical, and kitchen field. Together, the three features depict the characteristics, morals, and feelings of the characters imparting richer meaning to the play’s effect. The time frame in which a work of writing is cast significantly influences the implication of the writing since principles, morals, and feelings of individuals vary with period and circumstances. Trifles was set and printed in 1916 during the period when women in America were not accorded the permission to make their own choices or chair any judicial panel (Cisneros 64).

Men commanded all areas of life during the period, apart from the domestic duties. Glaspell creatively applies the ideals and feelings of gender of this period where men view themselves as mentally superior in their effort to crack the assassination mystery. The three men further fail to grant the two ladies the chance to contribute their ideas and opinion in the inquiry. As a matter of truth, when women think of trifles, the men brush them off as irrelevant (Glaspell 170). It is during this era when the woman’s field was reduced to the house and principally the kitchen, where she spends all her time cooking, ironing, and talking with relatives as they visited.

Ironically, it is a woman who discovers the proof of the intention for the assassination in her kitchen, one place where men never bothered to inspect. Therefore, the setting feature of time fixes the stage for the dealings of all characters and the author moulds the events of the play in firm contrast to the gender view and mindsets of the day. Glaspell perfectly demonstrates the aspect of women perception in this play when the two women notices domestic items, which men consider as trifles that eventually contribute to the establishment of a plan for Minnie’s offence. She attempts to suggest that women have powers that can match and enhance those of men, and a culture that restricts women’s utilization of their gifts is inferior (Keller 127).

The geographical setting of a work of writing is significant than even the aspect of time and Glaspell applies geographical scenery that matches to the seasonal period. While she prepares the play in the cruel and dead chilly atmosphere of winter, she also places the farm in a dead and abandoned situation. This setting suggests the significance of characterizing Mrs. Wright’s life as meaningless and solitary on her companion’s farm. Glaspell supports this when she indicates that because there was a lot of work to be finished in the farm, Mr. Wright spent long hours in the farm whereas Mrs. Wright stayed in their home (Glaspell 463).

The author also applies this chilly and abandoned setting to compare some solitude that Mrs. Wright had with that of infertility. Even more definite than the period setting and the geographical setting is the application of the kitchen as a stage aspect. Susan applies the kitchen aspect to illustrate the structure of mind-sets toward femininity and masculinity. The kitchen aspect plays as a cage for Minnie Wright where she is pinned by her dominating husband and secluded from the world. Glaspell uses symbolism when the three women discover a birdcage and the dead canary (Glaspell 172).

The bird represents Minnie’s character while the cage represents the domination of her free will by her husband. Glaspell also uses the stove, cold house, and broken jars to represent the miserable lives of Wright’s family. When the stove’s flames extinguish, temperatures decrease below sub-zero point and everything apart from one of the preservation jars crack. The flames seem to symbolize Wright’s marriage, and possibly they extinguish prior to or soon after the assassination.

The zero point temperatures that break the preservation jars signify Minnie’s intellectual ability. The jar that is left unbroken is metaphorical of the little piece of intellectual well being left to her, and the expectation for a brilliant future that these two women envisage for her. Glaspell uses the symbol of a rope to represent Mrs. Wright’s violation of male authority since strangling is a man’s technique of murder. This leads to her revolt against her authoritarian husband when she masters the strength to kill like a man, thereby defiantly affirming her equality (Glaspell 173).

Works Cited

Cisneros, Sandra. The house on Mango Street. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2010. Print.

Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. California: D’arts Publishing, 1991. Print.

Keller, Mathias. Symbolic Realism in Susan Glaspell’s’ Trifles’. New York: Oxford UP, 2007. Print.

It should be noted that both “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell and “Naked Lunch” by Michael Hollinger are one act plays. Despite the fact that these writings are rather short in length, their core is rather in-depth and carries a significant message. The purpose of this paper is to compare the two readings and analyze their symbolism.

Comparison of Themes

The play written by Glaspell covers several important topics. First, it dwells upon the gender differences that existed at the time of the play. The environment of that time implied that women were treated wrongly. That is to say, their main occupation was taking care of household chores, and their actual opinions were regarded as insignificant, irrelevant, and many men believed that only banal things bothered women. Second, the other topic, which the play intended to consider, was the issue of isolation. The women in the play were united by the feeling of isolation and alienation from other women and from society in general.

Mrs. Wright was a lonely woman who felt isolated living on the farm with her husband. Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale understood her feelings precisely and many people of that time could share this sentiment. Third, violence is another topic of this play. Despite the fact, that, as a rule, people and the law condemned murderers, this text made it possible to justify killing since it was the only way to set the woman free.

The work by Hollinger covers the themes that are close to the ones considered in “Trifles”. However, “Naked Lunch” dwells upon the other manifestations of gender differences. In particular, the major theme is the idea that women had to be submissive to their husbands or partners. Vernon considered that he had the right to force Lucy into eating the steak he made because he regarded his personal opinion more objective and truthful.

Therefore, he believed that he could make his ex-girlfriend quit her views and it would not be disrespectful or humiliating. The other topic that is addressed throughout the play is psychological violence endured by many women of that time. Violence can take many forms, and psychological harassment is one of the trickiest ones. Both main characters were not able to recognize the presence of violence in which the man was forcing the woman intellectually and emotionally to submit to him. Thus, it can be assumed that the two plays cover the similar topics, which are gender difference and violence; however, each of the readings considers them from the different sides.

Symbolism

The symbolic significance of the steak dinner in “Naked Lunch” lied in the fact that it was very difficult for women to comprehend that they did not have an obligation to obey to what men used to say. Despite the condition that Vernon was no longer Lucy’s partner, it was easier for her to agree to do what she was reluctant to rather than stand out for her views. Nevertheless, there is another side to this issue.

Having agreed that the steak was juicy, the woman understood that it was her ex-partner who used to poison her life but not her personal views or behavior. The symbolic meaning of the birdcage and the dead bird is also quite intense. Importantly, it was not a simple act of rebellion. This occurrence manifested the presence and criticality of emotional and political violence experienced by females and their intention to fight it.

Conclusion

Thus, it can be concluded that the two readings carry a similar meaning. Both of them addressed the existing gender difference and its ugly manifestations. Each text considered this issue differently; nevertheless, the plays stressed that women in the world endured it and it was irreconcilable.

Susan Glaspell’s Trifles is a complex piece of literature to analyze. Beginning in the middle of the action without an introduction laying out the situation, it forces the reader to rely fully on dialogue to understand what happens in the story. The single act gives a glimpse into the investigation of the murder of John Wright, who is believed to have been killed by his wife, Minnie. Although not a single line is spoken by either of those characters, one can assess their relationship based on the cues from the text and historical evidence.

The first clues appear when Hale describes Minnie’s behavior shortly after the murder. As Lewis Hale enters the house, he finds Minnie “rockin’ back and forth” in her chair, looking emptily into the distance and patting her apron (James et al. “9: Power and Responsibility”). When he finds out about the murder, Hale notes Mrs. Wright was looking “unconcerned” (James et al. “9: Power and Responsibility”). Minnie’s remark and behavior indicate her indifference toward the matter. This shows a troubling relationship between the spouses, which is soon confirmed by the discovery of a dead canary-bird by Lewis Hale’s wife, Mrs. Hale, and the Sheriff’s wife, Mrs. Peters.

When Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters find a broken birdcage, the neighbor’s wife comments that Minnie used to be a good singer. She continues to tell that Mr. Wright was harsh, and spending time with him was unpleasant. As they discover a dead canary-bird, strangled similarly as was Mr. Wright, Mrs. Hale makes an insightful statement: “No, Wright wouldn’t like the bird – a thing that sang. She used to sing. He killed that, too.” (James et al. “9: Power and Responsibility”) Furthermore, the interaction of the two women makes it evident that the couple did not have children and did not live in harmony. As Mrs. Hale says, “I know how things can be – for women,” she hints toward difficult spousal relationships in her neighborhood, possibly indicating abusive and unhappy marriages (James et al. “9: Power and Responsibility”). As such, Glaspell carefully plants cues that allow the reader to solve the crime.

Apart from the highlighted remarks, it is important to remember the historical context of this play. It was written in 1916 when the Women’s Suffrage Movement in the US was at its peak, giving Glaspell a platform to highlight the difficult place of women in her society (Karagoz Gumuscubuk 398). This contributes to the reader’s understanding of the Wright family dynamic, suggesting a lack of freedom for Minnie that could have led to the murder. Similarly, Chaisilwattana et al. suggest that Trifles is about the “repression of women’s domesticated farm life,” further substantiating the above assumption (4). Thus, a combination of academic research and literary analysis lets the reader fill in the blanks for Minnie’s motive to murder her husband.

In conclusion, a reader can assemble the hints placed by the author in the text, together with the historical context of the play into a vague representation of the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Wright. Indifference toward her husband’s death, a dead bird, and personality differences of the spouses indicate an unhappy marriage. The historical context suggests limited opportunities for females to express themselves or defend their rights. Together, these clues help a reader imagine Mrs. Wright’s everyday reality.

Works Cited

Chaisilwattana, Yuwapa et al. “The Housewife and the Stage: A Study of Domestic Space and Homemaking in Susan Glaspell’s Trifles”. Journal of Liberal Arts, vol. 15, no. 2, 2015, pp. 1-23.

James, Missy et al. Reading Literature and Writing Argument, 6^th ed. Pearson, 2016. Pearson Education E-book. Web.

Karagoz Gumuscubuk, Ozlem. “Domestic Space: A Terrain of Empowerment and Entrapment in Susan Glaspell’s ‘Trifles.’” Dokuz Eylul University Journal of Graduate School of Social Sciences, vol. 21, no. 2. 2019, pp. 397–407.

Introtuction

Nowadays, Susan Glaspell (1876 – 1948) is being commonly referred to, as one of the most discursively significant American female-playwrights. This point of view is thoroughly justified, because it is not only that Glaspell did prove herself a prolific playwright/writer (she wrote eight full-length plays and nine novels), but she also succeeded in ensuring that, as a result of having been exposed to her literary/dramaturgic works, people are able to broaden their intellectual horizons.

The validity of this suggestion can be illustrated, in regards to Glaspell’s one-act play Trifles, performed for the first time in 1916 at the Wharf Theatre in Provincetown, Massachusetts (Glaspell para. 1). The reason for this is that, being ahead of its time, this play is essentially about exposing the sheer fallaciousness of the patriarchal assumption that women happened to be intellectually inferior to men. As the play effectively illustrates, when it comes to paying attention to ‘trifles’ (seemingly insignificant details), women often prove themselves unsurpassable, which can be seen as the best proof of their analytical mindedness – something that in the early 20^th century used to be considered the exclusively masculine virtue. The play’s action takes place in the kitchen of Mr. Wright’s (the murdered husband of Mrs. Wright/Minnie) farmhouse. Even though the play’s script does not contain any specific references, in this respect, one can assume that the concerned action takes place during winter in one of the Midwest rural regions.

In order for us to be able to realize the actual significance of the play’s themes and motifs, we will need to make a brief inquiry into what used to be the actual ‘world’ of Trifles. In this respect, it will be thoroughly appropriate to mention the following qualitative aspects of a rural living in the early 20^th century’s America, relevant to the play’s discursive significance:

Social. Throughout the mentioned historical era, American society used to be gender-discriminative – as of 1916, women in America were not even allowed to vote (Carpentier 94).In its turn, this explains why in Glaspell’s play, the characters (three men and two women) strive to act in the manner fully consistent with what used to be assumed accounts for the social roles of the representatives of each sex.

Religious. Throughout the same historical period, the country’s social realities used to be strongly affected by the religion of Christianity (Carter 580). This is the reason why there are a number of (explicit and implicit) religious undertones to how the play’s characters indulge in verbal exchanges with each other.

Political. Even though the subject of politics is being seemingly excluded out of the play’s discursive context, this is far from being the actual case. The reason for this is that, due to its clearly defined feminist sounding, Trifles promotes the cause of women’s emancipation – the idea that in the early 20^th century was seen as a rather controversial one.

Economic. When accessed from the economic perspective, Glaspell’s play will appear fully consistent with what used to be the era’s realities of one’s life on a farm. At the time, American farmers were highly ‘self-sustainable’, in the sense of how they used to go about managing their farms (Taylor and Norris 280). The validity of this suggestion can be illustrated, in regards to the motif of Minnie’s preserves, prominently featured in the play.

Place and Aspects of Staging

The Theatre

In my opinion, The Dixon Place Theatre (New York, 161A Chrystie Street) fits well for staging Trifles.

The reason for this is that, as it can be seen above, the concerned ‘theater space’ is large enough to accommodate the actual onstage- action, performed by five actors in the form of dialogues that take place between them. At the same time, however, the fact that the backstage is situated in close proximity to two rows of chairs (audience), will help ensure that, during the performance’s course, the actors, on one hand, and the audience members, on the other, would be able to establish an emotional bond. As Wilson and Goldfarb noted: “The experience of being in the presence of the performer in more important to theatre than anything else” (7). In its turn, this will contribute towards helping the theatrical production in question to end up proving a success. Moreover, the proposed ‘theater place’ appears fully consistent with the postmodernist approach to staging this play, which I intend to deploy.

The Focus of the Play

The spine of the play by Glaspell is something that derives out of the apparent existential antagonism between the play’s male and female characters. That is, the viewers’ exposure to Trifles is expected to encourage them to think that it is not only that the women’s way of intuitive thinking is able to yield analytical insights, but that it is also much more morally sound, as compared to the rationalistic one, commonly associated with men. Therefore, while in charge of this play’s production, I will pay a particular attention to ensuring that there is much of a gender-related psychological plausibility to how the actors engage with their characters.

Directing Approach

I intend to adopt a postmodern approach to directing Glaspell’s play. That is, I will deliberately encourage the actors to proceed with ‘living’ their characters in the manner that is being fully consistent with what happened to be the viewers’ own unconscious anxieties, in regards to the play’s subject matter – even when this can only be done at the expense of undermining the extent of the performed action’s historical veracity. Therefore, I plan to allow the actors to apply a fair amount of improvisation, while on stage – for as long as it is being justified circumstantially. The part of my postmodern approach to staging Trifles, will also be deciding in favor of the minimalist settings.

Directorial Concept

My Directorial Concept of Trifles can be defined as follows: I conceive the production of this play to serve the purpose of reminding the viewers about the dangers of male-chauvinistic arrogance –something that nowadays pushes the world towards the outbreak of the WW3. Therefore, while being formally concerned with the initial phases of a criminal investigation, which took place in the early 20^th century’s America, my production of this play will in fact be about exposing the counterproductive essence of the so-called ‘traditional’ (patriarchal) values.

Design of the Production

The way, in which I perceive the Overall Design of the production of Trifles, is reflective of the earlier mentioned Directorial Concept, on my part. Its main principle – the production’s design-elements should prompt viewers to pay attention to the discursive significance of the staged action, rather than to what happened to be this action’s contextual characteristics. In its turn, this justifies the adoption of the minimalist approach towards ensuring that the play’s mise en scène is indeed thoroughly appropriate. The reason for this is that the adoption of this specific approach will help actors to represent their characters in the script-faithful and yet highly unique manner.

Production Elements

In full accordance to what has been said earlier, there will be only a few elements to the production’s scenery. The most important of them is going to be a backdrop, with the background of a typical farmhouse-kitchen being depicted in it. On the stage, there will be a table, a kitchen-drawer (with Minnie’s preserves in it) and a few chairs. I think that my decision in favor of the mentioned scenery-elements is fully justified – while being necessary for ensuring the production’s dimensional/spatial plausibility, they nevertheless happened to be conventional enough, in order not to divert viewers’ attention from the staged action.

Concerns

My Directorial Concept presupposes the relative unimportance of making sure that the onstage-action is being ‘costumed’ in close adherence to the early 20^th century’s provisions of fashion. The reason for this is that, as it was implied earlier, I am primarily concerned with ensuring the production’s psychological (rather than historical) plausibility. Therefore, I think it will be fully appropriate for the actors to appear in front of the audience, while wearing contemporary clothes. After all, this will contribute even further towards prompting the audience members to believe that there is indeed nothing outdated about the play’s themes and motifs.

Illumination

I suggest that the onstage-action should be illuminated with a few footlights (producing bluish-white light), situated off stage. This will add to the play’s atmosphere of coldness – in both: physical and metaphorical senses of this word. The proposed suggestion also calls for the production’s musical accompaniment to be discursively consistent with this atmosphere. In this respect, the highly atonal and ‘evil-sounding’ music of Claude Debussy should come in handy. The reason for this is that I believe it will contribute substantially towards establishing a proper perceptional mood in the ‘theater space’.

The Cast

While assembling the cast, I will specifically look for those actors that are being fully capable of coming up with the realistic/psychologically plausible act. The measure of their qualification, in this respect, will be assessed, in regards to the concerned individuals’ ability to use the technique of ‘emotional recall’, as the mean of attaining ‘oneness’ with whatever the characters they would like to play (Wilson and Goldfarb 103). At the same time, however, I will also look for the actors capable of improvising, because such their ability should prove rather indispensable, within the context of how they would go about establishing an emotional link with the audience.

Research Findings

The research I conducted, did affect my production-related suggestions rather substantially. One of the reasons why I can confirm that this indeed happened to be the case, is that it was namely after I familiarized myself with what account for the postmodern principles of a theatrical performance, that I decided to adopt the posture of a postmodern director. I believe that this move, on my part, is fully consistent with the fact that the play’s main theme is discursively universal – just as it used to be the case at the beginning of the 20^th century, the ways in which female and male psyches operate, continue to remain largely irreconcilable. The same applies to the theme of humanism, prominently featured in the play – due to this theme’s universality; it correlates well with the concept of a postmodern theatrical production.

Works Cited

Carter, Shannon. “Living inside the Bible (Belt).” College English 69.6 (2007): 572-595. Print.

Carpentier, Martha. “Susan Glaspell’s Fiction: Fidelity as American Romance.” Twentieth Century Literature 40.1 (1994): 92-113. Print.

Glaspell, Susan 1916, Trifles. Web. 2015.

Taylor, Janet and Joan Norris. “Sibling Relationships, Fairness, and Conflict over Transfer of the Farm.” Family Relations 49.3 (2000): 277-283. Print.

Wilson, Edwin and Alvin Goldfarb. Theatre: The Lively Art. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. Print.