Different cultures have a set of rules and guidelines that prescribe the acceptable norms in the society. These gender roles largely determine how women, children and men should conduct themselves within their communities. In Trifles, Susan Glaspell exposes a society that trivializes women’s opinions while upholding the male point of view. The three male characters in the play consistently emphasize the fact that women have a penchant for unimportant things in the society. The dominance demonstrated by men enables Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters to comprehend the enormity of a grossly biased justice system. The two women come to the conclusion that Mrs. Wright would not get a fair trial in a judicial system dominated by men. Naturally, the women
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They immediately go about picking some clothes for their imprisoned colleague since she had been arrested hurriedly the previous morning. While Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters engage in the “trifles” they stumble upon the incriminating evidence that can prove Mrs. Wright’s guilt beyond any reasonable doubt. The women conduct their own analysis, add up various inconsistencies regarding Mrs. Wright’s behavior and remarkably establish what provoked her into killing her husband. The men soon return to the kitchen after finding no success in the upstairs section of the farmhouse. Intriguingly, the women suppress the crucial information in an extraordinary demonstration of silent bonding and understanding. In fact, Mrs. Hale conceals the box containing the dead bird’s body as soon as the men reappear (Glaspell 1900). Mrs. Peters on the other hand does not behave in any suspicious manner and they succeed in keeping their secret from the …show more content…
While the Attorney addresses the men, he adopts a serious tone that is most appropriate for business matters. However, when he addresses the women, it appears like he is adjusting from “serious things to pleasantries” (Glaspell 1900). The men treat women as second class citizens whose opinion should not be taken seriously. In an exceptional analysis of the play, Carme Manuel suggests that the play’s key concern is to highlight males’ arrogance and insensitive nature in the society (Manuel 57). Mrs. Peters is married to the town Sheriff and initially appears comfortable with the state of event in her society. Mrs. Hale, however, is critical of men’s arrogance and feels that Mrs. Wright should not suffer for defending herself against a patriarchal environment. The women do not like the men’s attitude towards Mrs. Wright’s personality. They feel that the men are only interested in Mrs. Wright’s conviction as opposed to understanding her late husband’s abusive tendencies towards her. The men’s lack of understanding influences the women to gang up and protect Mrs. Wright since they can relate to her predicament on a personal
They immediately go about picking some clothes for their imprisoned colleague since she had been arrested hurriedly the previous morning. While Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters engage in the “trifles” they stumble upon the incriminating evidence that can prove Mrs. Wright’s guilt beyond any reasonable doubt. The women conduct their own analysis, add up various inconsistencies regarding Mrs. Wright’s behavior and remarkably establish what provoked her into killing her husband. The men soon return to the kitchen after finding no success in the upstairs section of the farmhouse. Intriguingly, the women suppress the crucial information in an extraordinary demonstration of silent bonding and understanding. In fact, Mrs. Hale conceals the box containing the dead bird’s body as soon as the men reappear (Glaspell 1900). Mrs. Peters on the other hand does not behave in any suspicious manner and they succeed in keeping their secret from the …show more content…
While the Attorney addresses the men, he adopts a serious tone that is most appropriate for business matters. However, when he addresses the women, it appears like he is adjusting from “serious things to pleasantries” (Glaspell 1900). The men treat women as second class citizens whose opinion should not be taken seriously. In an exceptional analysis of the play, Carme Manuel suggests that the play’s key concern is to highlight males’ arrogance and insensitive nature in the society (Manuel 57). Mrs. Peters is married to the town Sheriff and initially appears comfortable with the state of event in her society. Mrs. Hale, however, is critical of men’s arrogance and feels that Mrs. Wright should not suffer for defending herself against a patriarchal environment. The women do not like the men’s attitude towards Mrs. Wright’s personality. They feel that the men are only interested in Mrs. Wright’s conviction as opposed to understanding her late husband’s abusive tendencies towards her. The men’s lack of understanding influences the women to gang up and protect Mrs. Wright since they can relate to her predicament on a personal