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Trifles is an intriguing crime drama involving John Hossacks murder. Susan Glasspel was a lead journalist following up on the case in a quest to get justice for John. Margret reported to the police that a stranger broke into their house and killed her husband using an axe. However, she failed to explain why a stranger entered without breaking the door. In the process, she was arrested and charged with murder. Susan was an investigative journalist and prepared twenty-six different stories on the case. The social challenges caused by patriarchy became evident during the investigation, hearing, and determination of the case. The female officers protected the key suspect because they shared similar societal tribulations. When the corps visited the house to find evidence, the men rushed upstairs but did not find any evidence. However, the female officers, Mrs. Hale and Peters, remained in the living room after finding the pets lifeless body, a lead to unveil the mystery in the case (Saei Dibavar 7). The patriarchal system is the main cause of domestic violence because the oppressed women are likely to group and fight a common course of equality, dignity and respect.
Historical Criticism
Glaspell wrote the Trifles during a period when patriarchy was the main social system. Men were considered to hold the predominant power and made all the decisions in the families. On the other hand, the women were stationed at home and had little or no input on major matters that affected the families (Saei Dibavar 5). The social norms and gender-based roles created a rift between men and women in the society. Men had the right to own property, attend school, and treat women as objects of pleasure.
Women were constrained at home to take care of children and perform all the household chores. As the corps visited the house for evidence, the female officers followed their instincts and started investigating how the couple lived. They discovered that John Hossack was not in good terms with his wife and often mistreated her (Guswanto and Husna 21). They found Margarets favorite pet dead and concluded that she killed John to avenge the pets death. The women investigated the couples way of life because they understood that domestic violence is commonly caused by mistreatment. Hiding evidence insinuates that the women believed that John Hossack got what he deserved for mistreating his wife.
Causes of Domestic Violence: Social Oppression
Families in patriarchal societies oppressed women by depriving them of the right to education, work, and self-development. Those who got the chance to work did it on a meagre pay and did not last long. Further, women were supposed to stay home to take care of the children and other elder members of the family who required care. Additionally, the lack of the right to make decisions made women feel inferior, making them unite for liberation. The female investigators suspected that the murder resulted from social oppression. The murder was a reflex action after the woman had suffered in the hands of her husband. It is imperative to note that when the play was produced, feminist movements had started, and women believed in equal rights.
Since many women were empowered and encouraged to support each other, they hid the only evidence that could have led to Margrets conviction. The rise of the feminist movement motivated the action of the policewomen as they stood in solidarity with the culprit. When people are exposed to suffering by their leaders, they are likely to team up and fight the common enemy. For example, Margret killed her husband in a state of rage because the husband disregarded her and killed her pet. However, the fact that the women were undergoing similar suffering made the police corps hide the evidence.
As the officers investigated the relationship between John Hossack and his wife, they realized they were in two worlds. Both Margret and John Hossack lived together, the patriarchal beliefs led to poor treatment and relationship. Marriage is a social institution because it is the basis of families. A strong family is built when the people of the couple exist in the same world and do things together. The play was however written at a time when most women were fighting for equality due to oppression while men were struggling to maintain the status quo. In the discourse, life in different worlds makes couples have different thoughts, jeopardizing relationships. The contemporary couple must understand each other and live on their terms because adhering to patriarchy may separate them and make them achieve a happier family since John Hossack believed in the patriarchal system (Jawad 36). Margarets rage was justified because she was exposed to suffering as her husband did not give her the identity she deserved. Killing a persons favorite pet is a sign of disregarding feelings and happiness. John Hossacks murder resulted from mistreatment and exposing the woman to suffering.
Mens Blindness
When the patriarchal system gave men the absolute power to make all societal decisions, they became blinded by power. The power that blinded them made them fail to realize that women need to be treated with respect (Tatton 7). When oppression is the language used by the rulers, revolt will be the only way to respond to the suffering. John Hossack, for example, was blinded by the power to the extent of disregarding his wifes feelings by killing her pet. Consequently, the action led to a reaction, and the man was killed. The action, therefore, signifies that women must always be respected regardless of the leadership system in society.
When women suffer as a result of the patriarchal system, they are likely to revolt. The domestic violence that claimed John Hossacks life was motivated by mens blindness because of their societal power (Jawad 35). Different cases of domestic violence are caused by gross misconduct and disregard for the partners happiness and emotional well-being. Marriages in the contemporary world can only be maintained when the partners are not blinded by the powers offered by the social institution (Boserup et al. 45). Instead, couples must learn about each others behaviors, hobbies, and likes then strive to fulfill them. John Hossack suffered death because his blindness to power made him forget the power of his wife.
Other than domestic violence, mens blindness causes them to overlook important aspects for judgment. As the police entered John Hossacks house to get the evidence, they went straight to where the body was laid. They never paid attention to the sitting room because they did not understand that women were suffering, and investigating the sitting room would give them a clue that the couple had a poor relationship. Failure to understand the womens pains makes the male corps miss the evidence. In the contemporary corporate domain, discriminatory gender roles must be eliminated to ensure that men treat women with respect and dignity (Guswanto and Husna 33). What the police officers viewed as feminine concerns proved to be the most important evidence to apprehend the culprit. For example, the men dismissed feminine things like a pet and how others live but used the women to get strong evidence against Margaret. Justice was not served because the evidence was hidden by the women, who thought they shared similar predicaments as the suspect.
Legal Duty and the Gender Allegiance
The Trifles explains how the women abscond their legal duties as attorneys to gather evidence about the murder case. However, they feel more indebted to their fellow woman and they hid the tangible evidence. Since the women investigating the case decided to hide the evidence against Margaret and opt to lie, the patriarchal system has developed a big rift between the men and the women, leading to the conflict (Saei Dibavar 4). The patriarchal system is the key reason for domestic violence because it makes women suffer, and when they decide to respond, they are likely to cause chaos. Were it not for the rift caused by the societal system of patriarchy, the policewomen would not give the evidence against Margaret, and they stood with her, viewing it as a chance to save the woman who was suffering a similar fate as them (Glaspell 12). The women share social oppression and identify each others pain (Jawad 32). It is imperative to note that allegiance to gender became popular when the noble women started fighting for equality. As women fight for equality, they are prepared to go to any length to support their colleagues.
The Trifles is a crime drama where the audience expects to end with a conviction and the culprit punished. The justice system is confused, and what matters at the end of the play is how the women stand in solidarity with each other. The suffering endured by the women due to the patriarchal norms brings them together and prepares them for a revolt (Tatton 6). Whenever a man constantly mistreats a woman, there is a higher. Although most of the violent cases are perpetrated by men in contemporary society, constant oppression may make women stronger and lead a rebellion against men (Guswanto and Husna 28). The murder of John Hossack underscored the importance of better treatment in contemporary families because it shows how women can revolt and take drastic action against the most dominant force in the world.
Conclusion
The Trifles by Susan Glasspel shares a case of murder to prove the key cause of domestic violence. The patriarchal social system gave men absolute power and did not give any power to women. Instead, they were homemakers and were burdened with all the family duties. However, womens suffering brought them together, and they vowed to protect each other (Glaspell 18). Even when they had to choose between their jobs and protecting their fellow women, they always chose the helping others. The investigation leading to John Hossacks death helps analyze the cause of domestic violence and the challenges faced by families. Margret went to the extent of killing her husband because of her suffering at the hands of a patriarchal. The cases of domestic violence reported were majorly caused by the patriarchal system, which segregated the genders.
Works Cited
Boserup, Brad, Mark McKenney, and Adel Elkbuli. Alarming trends in US domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. The American journal of emergency medicine vol. 38. no.12, 2020, pp. 27-53.
Glaspell, Susan. Trifles A Play in One Act. Frank Shay, 1916.
Guswanto, Doni, and Lailatul Husna. Psychological conflict between men and women in Susan Glaspells Trifles. Jurnal Ilmiah Langue and Parole. vol. 2, no. 2, 2019, pp. 26-35.
Jawad, Enas Jaafar. The Dilemma of domestic violence in Susan Glaspells Trifles. Journal of the College of Education for Women, vol. 31, no. 1, 2020, pp. 2536.
Saei Dibavar, Sara, and Sanaz Saei Dibavar. Privileged Empathy in Susan Glaspells Trifles. ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes and Reviews. 2022 pp. 1-7.
Tatton, Sarah. Netflixs Pamela, A Love Story Overturns Stereotypes about Victims of Intimate Partner Abuse. The Conversation, 31 Jan. 2023, pp. 17.
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