The play Trifles, written by Susan Glaspell, tells the story of a somewhat mysterious murder committed by the hands of an unsuspected killer. Mr. Wright, the husband of Minnie Wright, is found lifeless after the neighbors, Mr. & Mrs. Hale, inquire into sharing a phone line for both couple’s houses. After the finding, the county attorney and sheriff proceed to inspect the crime scene for clues that could potentially convict Mrs. Wright. Mrs. Peters, the sheriff’s wife, and Mrs. Hale accompany them only to discover the Wright house in total. A total divide is created between the men and women in the house with Mr. Hale stating, “Well, women are used to worrying over trifles” (Glaspell 636). According to Linda Ben-Zvi, “gender transcends class here” referring to Mr. Hale’s statement that no matter one’s social status there was one common connection, male and female (Ben-Zvi 155). Mr. Hale’s statement alone creates the entire foundation for the theme of Trifles, a theme of gender oppression.
As the play progresses, the two women find themselves growing ever more sympathetic toward Mrs. Wright. They eventually find a canary, Mrs. Wright’s beloved pet, with its neck, assumingly, wrung by Mr. Wright. This finding is substantive evidence that would convict Mrs. Wright of the murder. However, after placing the …show more content…
Therefore, it is definitely plausible that there is no subliminal gender suppression theme within Trifles. It was simply the writing style and mindset that she had at the time. Furthermore, the people of the 21st century only recognize the gender issues in Trifles because our perception of reality is totally different than the people of the early 20th century. Perhaps the same theory could be applied to a short play that was written during the 1960s and contained interaction between white and
As the play progresses, the two women find themselves growing ever more sympathetic toward Mrs. Wright. They eventually find a canary, Mrs. Wright’s beloved pet, with its neck, assumingly, wrung by Mr. Wright. This finding is substantive evidence that would convict Mrs. Wright of the murder. However, after placing the …show more content…
Therefore, it is definitely plausible that there is no subliminal gender suppression theme within Trifles. It was simply the writing style and mindset that she had at the time. Furthermore, the people of the 21st century only recognize the gender issues in Trifles because our perception of reality is totally different than the people of the early 20th century. Perhaps the same theory could be applied to a short play that was written during the 1960s and contained interaction between white and