Essay On Trifles

Trifles is a feminist play written by Susan Glaspell, an American Pulitzer Prize-winning play writer. Glaspell was also an actress, novelist, and a journalist. Trifles were based on a non-fictional murder case backed in the 1900s’, which she wrote a fictional play of murder investigation of John Wright, in which the wife, Minnie Wright, was the main suspect. The play started off with the setting, the couple’s kitchen, which was a mess, along with the main characters entering that said kitchen trying to solve Mr. Wright’s murder mystery. However, as the play moved along it displayed many gender inequalities. For instance, throughout the play the male characters were criticizing Mrs. Wright housekeeping skills, instead showing her a little compassion …show more content…
It is a significant part towards the symbolism of gender differences. As the word ‘trifles’, by definition means something or someone of little value or importance. During that era, women were considered trifles, as women were given no rights; one of the first rights was the right to vote. Therefore, the title, as well as the play, related to the women’s issues, which draws attention to the audience. According to Suzy Holstein, “Susan Glaspell’s ‘Trifles’ is a deceptive play: deceptive because, like its title, it seems simple, almost inconsequential. The play represents a profound conflict between two models of perception and behavior. An exploration of the play reveals a fundamental difference between the women's actions and the men's, a difference grounded in varying understandings of the home space.” (Holstein, PP. 1, 2003) Holstein added, “Their method from the very start of the play leads not only to the discovery that eludes the men but also to their ultimate moral choice, a choice that radically separates them from the men. The play shows that the women's way of knowing leads them not simply to knowledge; it also leads to the decision about how to act on that knowledge.” (Holstein, PP. 2,