Choices In Ernest Hemingway's Play 'Trifles'
A Trilogy of Choices
Ernest Hemingway’s, story “Hills Like White Elephants,” Susan Glaspell’s play “Trifles,” and Adrienne Rich’s poem “Living in Sin” are three different types of literature which deal with the relationship between a man and a woman. Although the circumstances and the people are very dissimilar from each other, they are alike in that each depicts the story of common everyday people through whom they convey their shared themes. Each of these writers is challenging socially defined gender roles as they discuss the relationship between men and women and the point that at some point most women will reach a crossroad where they are forced to make a decision that will affect the rest of their lives.
All three of these texts have either dialog or actions wherein a man displays his perception of the …show more content…
woman in his life. Each of them exhibits feelings that are very much in line with the gender role models taught to them by a patriarchal society and had been accepted by both men and women. In this culture, men are perceived as more powerful and the ones who hold the power while women are given little respect and treated more like second-class citizens. In Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants,” the American, Jig’s lover acts in a manner that one would expect from a male. He appears rigid and unemotional. He doesn’t truly love Jig and sees her as an object which he enjoys. His sole interest is in her having the abortion as “it’s the only thing” (Hemingway, 79) that could ruin their fun. Jig makes a lot of small talk and observations. She clearly wants to have a discussion about something which she is more concerned about than him. He treats her like an inferior and doesn’t consider the things she says. Like a child seeking his approval, Jig asks him if he thought she was smart to compare the hills to white elephants and he patronizes her by answering, “That was bright” (Hemingway, 79). He never gave any thought to what she was talking about and gave a quick answer to shut her up. Jig is concerned about the surgery and he doesn’t care. The American shows no sympathy and says to her, “It’s really not anything. It’s just to let the air in” (Hemingway, 79). He simplifies the procedure and never takes into account the emotional toll it will have on her. He keeps repeating, “I wouldn’t have you do it, if you didn’t want to” (Hemingway, 80), but he’s not being truthful. He’s playing with her mind and is only saying this to guilt her into having the abortion.
Like the American, the men in “Trifles” display a similar sense of control and self-importance. From the very beginning of the play, the men considered only their investigation to be essential and the women’s findings to be irrelevant and negligible. The men automatically felt that the women were not intellectual enough to add anything. This sentiment first surfaces after the Sheriff examines the kitchen and declares that there is nothing of importance to be found, only “kitchen things” (Glaspell, 789). The implication of this disparaging comment is that things that are of value to women have minimal significance. The Sheriff laughs at the women after they point out that the frozen preserves might have some implication. Mr. Hale then defends his wife with a very stereotypical and chauvinistic observation when he remarks, “Well, women are used to worrying over trifles” (Glaspell, 789). As the men search the house, the women discover other signs which indicate trouble – a loaf of bread that was not put back into the breadbox and a poorly stitched quilt. When they show these things to the Sheriff all he does is laugh and say, “They wonder if she was going to quilt or just knot it!” (Glaspell, 793). The men are being so pompous they can’t see what took place in the house even after the women point it out to them.
As much as the men in “Trifles” talk, the man in “Living in Sin” does no talking. His attitudes are all conveyed through his actions. As a lover he appears to be emotional detached, so much so that he is given no name and is only referred to as “he” (Rich, 15). The first description Rich provides us with is that he is yawning which indicates that he is bored and unconcerned with his surroundings. He “sounded a dozen notes upon the keyboard” (Rich, 16) and then gets up looks in the mirror. While looking into the mirror the man shrugs his shoulders as if to say who cares. Then he examines his beard and leaves the house to buy a pack of cigarettes. He is only into himself. He makes no attempt to assist with the household chores, doesn’t involve himself in any conversation with the woman, and actually displays no concern for her whatsoever. There is no sign of any interaction between these two people and certainly is no kiss goodbye when he leaves.
Symbolism and imagery are two elements of literature used by the writers of these texts to add meaning and interpretations which cause the reader to focus on the message being delivered. In "Hills Like White Elephants” Hemingway provides a clear image of this couple’s relationship by naming the man “The American” and the girl “Jig.” “The American” conjures up a strong and masculine image which in contrast to the name “Jig” makes the girl sound very childlike and flighty. The main symbols he uses are the white elephants, the hills, and the train station. The elephants are metaphors for the baby. White elephants are very precious and yet unwanted by many people. This is symbolic of an unexpected baby. Some will welcome the baby while others won’t accept it. This is symbolic of an unexpected baby. When Jig compares the hills to white elephants the American says, "I 've never seen one" to which she replies, "No, you wouldn 't have" (Hemingway, 78). The man does not want this child in his life and wants Jig to have the abortion. The hills themselves portray many emotions. There are many views at the top of the hills similar to the different points of view of the American and Jig. Hills represent an obstacle that if you want it badly enough you can succeed in climbing to the top. Jig is seeing that even though it is going to change her life and be a hardship, the baby is a possibility. Hills are stationary and if they have the baby, they too will have to settle down and lead a more permanent lifestyle. Jig looks out and sees the hills and trees. She is excited and sees future possibilities. The man shows no indication of seeing anything or any enjoyment of the scenery. His mind is made up; he wants the abortion. The last symbol, the train station, has two tracks running in opposite directions which represent the two choices the couple have in making their decision. They are at crossroads in their lives. They can’t stay there and must move on. A decision has to be made that will affect the rest of their lives.
In “Tifles,” Glaspell uses symbols to portray the deterioration of Mrs.
Wright’s past life to its present set of circumstances. Part of the play involves a bird which is intended to symbolize Mrs. Wright’s spirit. As Mrs. Hale notes, “she was kind of like a bird herself-real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and fluttery” (Glaspell, 795). She was happy and spirited until she married John Wright. They live in an isolated, gloomy farmhouse. The house is cold and there is an old worn-out stove in the kitchen that doesn’t provide much heat. This is a description of the relationship between John Wright and his wife. Like the fire, their love had long ago burned out. Her life was as busted as the birdcage and her mental well-being was as fragile as the jars of preserves which cracked from the freezing temperatures. Mr. Wright’s strangulation and the bird’s broken neck are indications of how chocked Mrs. Wright felt by her life. The low level her of her mental state is clearly represented by the unevenly sewn quilt. Even though Mrs. Wright was never actually seen, each of these symbols characterized her nature and her presence in the
play.
Similarly to the aforementioned writers, in “Living in Sin” Adrienne Rich uses different symbols and metaphors to underline the woman’s disappointment as she comes to terms with the disparity between her dreams and reality. In line one she says that the woman felt “the studio would keep itself.” Here, the studio signifies her relationship with the man in her life. She came into it thinking that it would be a safe place for her, one, which would not require work to maintain as there would be “no dust upon the furniture of love” (line 2). The dust and the grime on the windows (line 4) are metaphors for everything that is wrong in their relationship. The dust makes their love dirty and imperfect. Furthermore, she wishes that “the taps were less vocal” (line 3). Just like the taps of a bugle signal the end of the day, there are signs pointing to the fact that their relationship is deteriorating. The poem continues to provide a number of other metaphors which symbolize the erosion of the relationship. Finally, in the last line, Rich describes how each morning when the woman woke up the daylight would remind her of the "relentless milkman up the stairs." The milkman represents the ideal love that is still waiting for her on the outside.
All of these literary works portray women who are living lives that are predominantly influenced by men, and each reaches a point where they have to make a decision regarding what will truly satisfy their own inner selves. When Jig starts her journey to Madrid, it is not clear what she thinks about the abortion she is only concerned with pleasing The American. She is reluctant to talk about the operation and makes small talk with the man. Jig has to make a decision that will affect the rest of her life. Slowly, she realizes that her future happiness does not depend on him and decides not to have the abortion. At the end of the story the American asks Jig if is she is feeling better and Jig replies, “There’s nothing wrong with me. I feel fine” (Hemmingway, 81). Minnie Wright was once a pretty and happy person until she married John Wright. Her marriage caused her to suffer depression from isolation and her husband’s abuse. She took it as long as she could but then when her husband broke the birdcage the moment of decision came. She had to do something, and so she chose to kill him. The other women in the play, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale also go through a transition. The men make them feel ignored and marginalized with drives them to conspire to hide the evidence even though the “the law is the law” (Glaspell, 792). The woman in “Living in Sin” has been living in a dream. She starts out full of hope and happiness thinking she is in a perfect relationship. Slowly, she starts to realize how sad and boring her situation really is. She feels as if she has died and is living in a tomb. In the evening, she returns to her fantasy world, only to wake the next day to once again face reality. She is not ready to make any changes in her life and will just continue in this loveless relationship. She is committing a sin to herself by not being able to find the courage to find what will make her happy. “Hills Like White Elephants,” “Trifles,” and “Living in Sin” were all written for the purpose of discussing the relationship between men and women and how different women will react when their circumstances reach a point when they must make decisions that will affect the rest of their lives. There were obvious social, psychological and physical factors, which separated the men from the women. Through the use of dialog, imagery, and symbols, the writers depicted the lack of support and respect the women felt from these men. Feeling these emotions along with them, provided insights into understanding their motivation and the uncertainty each of them is facing when making their choices.
Works Cited
Glaspell, Susan. “Trifles.” Kirszner and Mandell 787 – 97.
Hemingway, Ernest. “Hills Like White Elephants.” 78 – 81.
Kirszner, Laurie G., and Stephen R. Mandell, eds. Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. 7th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2011. Print.
Rich, Adrienne. “Living in Sin.” Kirszner and Mandell 515.
Ernest Hemingway’s, story “Hills Like White Elephants,” Susan Glaspell’s play “Trifles,” and Adrienne Rich’s poem “Living in Sin” are three different types of literature which deal with the relationship between a man and a woman. Although the circumstances and the people are very dissimilar from each other, they are alike in that each depicts the story of common everyday people through whom they convey their shared themes. Each of these writers is challenging socially defined gender roles as they discuss the relationship between men and women and the point that at some point most women will reach a crossroad where they are forced to make a decision that will affect the rest of their lives.
All three of these texts have either dialog or actions wherein a man displays his perception of the …show more content…
woman in his life. Each of them exhibits feelings that are very much in line with the gender role models taught to them by a patriarchal society and had been accepted by both men and women. In this culture, men are perceived as more powerful and the ones who hold the power while women are given little respect and treated more like second-class citizens. In Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants,” the American, Jig’s lover acts in a manner that one would expect from a male. He appears rigid and unemotional. He doesn’t truly love Jig and sees her as an object which he enjoys. His sole interest is in her having the abortion as “it’s the only thing” (Hemingway, 79) that could ruin their fun. Jig makes a lot of small talk and observations. She clearly wants to have a discussion about something which she is more concerned about than him. He treats her like an inferior and doesn’t consider the things she says. Like a child seeking his approval, Jig asks him if he thought she was smart to compare the hills to white elephants and he patronizes her by answering, “That was bright” (Hemingway, 79). He never gave any thought to what she was talking about and gave a quick answer to shut her up. Jig is concerned about the surgery and he doesn’t care. The American shows no sympathy and says to her, “It’s really not anything. It’s just to let the air in” (Hemingway, 79). He simplifies the procedure and never takes into account the emotional toll it will have on her. He keeps repeating, “I wouldn’t have you do it, if you didn’t want to” (Hemingway, 80), but he’s not being truthful. He’s playing with her mind and is only saying this to guilt her into having the abortion.
Like the American, the men in “Trifles” display a similar sense of control and self-importance. From the very beginning of the play, the men considered only their investigation to be essential and the women’s findings to be irrelevant and negligible. The men automatically felt that the women were not intellectual enough to add anything. This sentiment first surfaces after the Sheriff examines the kitchen and declares that there is nothing of importance to be found, only “kitchen things” (Glaspell, 789). The implication of this disparaging comment is that things that are of value to women have minimal significance. The Sheriff laughs at the women after they point out that the frozen preserves might have some implication. Mr. Hale then defends his wife with a very stereotypical and chauvinistic observation when he remarks, “Well, women are used to worrying over trifles” (Glaspell, 789). As the men search the house, the women discover other signs which indicate trouble – a loaf of bread that was not put back into the breadbox and a poorly stitched quilt. When they show these things to the Sheriff all he does is laugh and say, “They wonder if she was going to quilt or just knot it!” (Glaspell, 793). The men are being so pompous they can’t see what took place in the house even after the women point it out to them.
As much as the men in “Trifles” talk, the man in “Living in Sin” does no talking. His attitudes are all conveyed through his actions. As a lover he appears to be emotional detached, so much so that he is given no name and is only referred to as “he” (Rich, 15). The first description Rich provides us with is that he is yawning which indicates that he is bored and unconcerned with his surroundings. He “sounded a dozen notes upon the keyboard” (Rich, 16) and then gets up looks in the mirror. While looking into the mirror the man shrugs his shoulders as if to say who cares. Then he examines his beard and leaves the house to buy a pack of cigarettes. He is only into himself. He makes no attempt to assist with the household chores, doesn’t involve himself in any conversation with the woman, and actually displays no concern for her whatsoever. There is no sign of any interaction between these two people and certainly is no kiss goodbye when he leaves.
Symbolism and imagery are two elements of literature used by the writers of these texts to add meaning and interpretations which cause the reader to focus on the message being delivered. In "Hills Like White Elephants” Hemingway provides a clear image of this couple’s relationship by naming the man “The American” and the girl “Jig.” “The American” conjures up a strong and masculine image which in contrast to the name “Jig” makes the girl sound very childlike and flighty. The main symbols he uses are the white elephants, the hills, and the train station. The elephants are metaphors for the baby. White elephants are very precious and yet unwanted by many people. This is symbolic of an unexpected baby. Some will welcome the baby while others won’t accept it. This is symbolic of an unexpected baby. When Jig compares the hills to white elephants the American says, "I 've never seen one" to which she replies, "No, you wouldn 't have" (Hemingway, 78). The man does not want this child in his life and wants Jig to have the abortion. The hills themselves portray many emotions. There are many views at the top of the hills similar to the different points of view of the American and Jig. Hills represent an obstacle that if you want it badly enough you can succeed in climbing to the top. Jig is seeing that even though it is going to change her life and be a hardship, the baby is a possibility. Hills are stationary and if they have the baby, they too will have to settle down and lead a more permanent lifestyle. Jig looks out and sees the hills and trees. She is excited and sees future possibilities. The man shows no indication of seeing anything or any enjoyment of the scenery. His mind is made up; he wants the abortion. The last symbol, the train station, has two tracks running in opposite directions which represent the two choices the couple have in making their decision. They are at crossroads in their lives. They can’t stay there and must move on. A decision has to be made that will affect the rest of their lives.
In “Tifles,” Glaspell uses symbols to portray the deterioration of Mrs.
Wright’s past life to its present set of circumstances. Part of the play involves a bird which is intended to symbolize Mrs. Wright’s spirit. As Mrs. Hale notes, “she was kind of like a bird herself-real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and fluttery” (Glaspell, 795). She was happy and spirited until she married John Wright. They live in an isolated, gloomy farmhouse. The house is cold and there is an old worn-out stove in the kitchen that doesn’t provide much heat. This is a description of the relationship between John Wright and his wife. Like the fire, their love had long ago burned out. Her life was as busted as the birdcage and her mental well-being was as fragile as the jars of preserves which cracked from the freezing temperatures. Mr. Wright’s strangulation and the bird’s broken neck are indications of how chocked Mrs. Wright felt by her life. The low level her of her mental state is clearly represented by the unevenly sewn quilt. Even though Mrs. Wright was never actually seen, each of these symbols characterized her nature and her presence in the
play.
Similarly to the aforementioned writers, in “Living in Sin” Adrienne Rich uses different symbols and metaphors to underline the woman’s disappointment as she comes to terms with the disparity between her dreams and reality. In line one she says that the woman felt “the studio would keep itself.” Here, the studio signifies her relationship with the man in her life. She came into it thinking that it would be a safe place for her, one, which would not require work to maintain as there would be “no dust upon the furniture of love” (line 2). The dust and the grime on the windows (line 4) are metaphors for everything that is wrong in their relationship. The dust makes their love dirty and imperfect. Furthermore, she wishes that “the taps were less vocal” (line 3). Just like the taps of a bugle signal the end of the day, there are signs pointing to the fact that their relationship is deteriorating. The poem continues to provide a number of other metaphors which symbolize the erosion of the relationship. Finally, in the last line, Rich describes how each morning when the woman woke up the daylight would remind her of the "relentless milkman up the stairs." The milkman represents the ideal love that is still waiting for her on the outside.
All of these literary works portray women who are living lives that are predominantly influenced by men, and each reaches a point where they have to make a decision regarding what will truly satisfy their own inner selves. When Jig starts her journey to Madrid, it is not clear what she thinks about the abortion she is only concerned with pleasing The American. She is reluctant to talk about the operation and makes small talk with the man. Jig has to make a decision that will affect the rest of her life. Slowly, she realizes that her future happiness does not depend on him and decides not to have the abortion. At the end of the story the American asks Jig if is she is feeling better and Jig replies, “There’s nothing wrong with me. I feel fine” (Hemmingway, 81). Minnie Wright was once a pretty and happy person until she married John Wright. Her marriage caused her to suffer depression from isolation and her husband’s abuse. She took it as long as she could but then when her husband broke the birdcage the moment of decision came. She had to do something, and so she chose to kill him. The other women in the play, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale also go through a transition. The men make them feel ignored and marginalized with drives them to conspire to hide the evidence even though the “the law is the law” (Glaspell, 792). The woman in “Living in Sin” has been living in a dream. She starts out full of hope and happiness thinking she is in a perfect relationship. Slowly, she starts to realize how sad and boring her situation really is. She feels as if she has died and is living in a tomb. In the evening, she returns to her fantasy world, only to wake the next day to once again face reality. She is not ready to make any changes in her life and will just continue in this loveless relationship. She is committing a sin to herself by not being able to find the courage to find what will make her happy. “Hills Like White Elephants,” “Trifles,” and “Living in Sin” were all written for the purpose of discussing the relationship between men and women and how different women will react when their circumstances reach a point when they must make decisions that will affect the rest of their lives. There were obvious social, psychological and physical factors, which separated the men from the women. Through the use of dialog, imagery, and symbols, the writers depicted the lack of support and respect the women felt from these men. Feeling these emotions along with them, provided insights into understanding their motivation and the uncertainty each of them is facing when making their choices.
Works Cited
Glaspell, Susan. “Trifles.” Kirszner and Mandell 787 – 97.
Hemingway, Ernest. “Hills Like White Elephants.” 78 – 81.
Kirszner, Laurie G., and Stephen R. Mandell, eds. Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. 7th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2011. Print.
Rich, Adrienne. “Living in Sin.” Kirszner and Mandell 515.