Preview

Minnie Foster In Susan Glaspell's Trifles

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
600 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Minnie Foster In Susan Glaspell's Trifles
Although Minnie Foster does not appear on stage during the play Trifles by Susan Glaspell, it is important for readers to analyze her character in order to fully appreciate this literary work. Identifying Minnie Foster as a victim of domestic violence or as a cold-blooded killer can greatly impact how readers interpret the meaning and significance of Trifles. I believe that Minnie Foster should be pitied and that the murder of her cruel husband is nearly understandable. In this essay, I plan to defend my stance by examining the words of Mr. and Mrs. Hale and the death of the canary. I will then conclude my paper by addressing the opposing argument. First, I’d like look at a quote from Mr. Hale that captures Minnie Foster and John Wright’s
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Dred Scott Pros And Cons
    • 183 Words
    • 1 Page

    Dred Scott Pros And Cons

    Dred Scott was born into slavery sometime in 1795, in Southampton County, Virginia. His actions helped him become a big part in how he shaped the court and slavery. When Dred scott was brought into free states while he was a slave he thought it to be wrong because they were free states. Dred scott argued they should restrict(to confine or keep within limits, as of space, action, choice, intensity, or quantity) the entrance of slave owners into free states if they have slaves with them, or that the slaves should be free if they enter a free state. This topic(a subject of conversation or discussion) made it up to the supreme court where Roger B. Taney(Chief justice of the supreme court) said that Dred Scott did not have any right to bring his…

    • 183 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Compare the ways in which disturbed characters are presented in Macbeth and a selection of poetry by Carol Ann Duffy
    • 800 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Compare the ways in which disturbed characters are presented in Macbeth and a selection of poetry by Carol Ann Duffy

    In Macbeth, Salome, Havisham and Stealing, there are a variety of ways in which disturbed characters are presented through both language, structure and context. In this essay, I will convey the various ways in which disturbed characters are shown throughout the written pieces such as violence, death and loneliness.…

    • 800 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Isla Poem Summary
    • 433 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Isla Poem Summary

    In reviewing Vergil Suárez's 1962 poem “Isla”, I find his use of imagery easy to relate to. The use of television shows such as The Three Stooges, Speed Racer, and Godzilla, to bring the reader to the level of the child by providing focal points which many can relate to is refreshing. I can remember many weekends when I would sit in front of a black & white and eventually color tv and watch these same shows as a child. Likewise, Suárez’s use of descriptive phrases helps to paint the picture of the struggle the storyteller is experiencing.…

    • 433 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Trifles: Wife and Mrs. Wright Shoes
    • 729 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Trifles: Wife and Mrs. Wright Shoes

    Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters clearly did not have respect for the law. They both kept the evidence that Mrs. Wright killed her husband a secret. These two women put themselves in Mrs. Wright shoes. They understood why Mrs. Wright killed her husband. They both knew that if their husband had treated them the way Mr. Wright treated Mrs. Wright that they would have probably done the same thing. They also snuck Mrs. Wright things in prison that they were aware she was not suppose to have. “Mrs. Peters is governed by this dogma, until she remembers the silence in her own house after the death of one of her children. This memory produces a powerful bond between her and Minnie 's experience of isolation and loneliness, so powerful, indeed, that Mrs. Peters herself attempts to hide the box with the dead canary in it—fully aware that this action goes against everything society and her husband expect her to do, not only on legal grounds but also because, as a wife, Mrs. Peters is not supposed to act against her husband” (Brown 2011 ). These two women were not close to Mrs.Wright but illegally hid evidence in this case in her favor.…

    • 729 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Coming of Age in Mississippi
    • 16769 Words
    • 68 Pages

    Coming of Age in Mississippi

    ©2000−2005 BookRags, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The following sections of this BookRags Premium Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare &Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources. ©1998−2002; ©2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design® and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license. The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". © 1994−2005, by Walton Beacham. The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". © 1994−2005, by Walton Beacham. All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copywritten by BookRags, Inc. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, Web distribution or information storage retrieval systems without the written permission of the publisher.…

    • 16769 Words
    • 68 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Going After Cacciato
    • 17877 Words
    • 72 Pages

    Going After Cacciato

    ©2000-2007 BookRags, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The following sections of this BookRags Premium Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources. ©1998-2002; ©2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design® and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license. The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". © 1994-2005, by Walton Beacham. The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". © 1994-2005, by Walton Beacham. All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copywritten by BookRags, Inc. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, Web distribution or information storage retrieval systems without the written permission of the publisher.…

    • 17877 Words
    • 72 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Identity In Susan Glaspell's Trifles
    • 637 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Identity In Susan Glaspell's Trifles

    One such example is when the attorney general Henderson tells Mrs. Peters that because she is married to the sheriff, she is married to the law and therefore is a reliable follower of the law. Mrs. Peters' response "Not--just that way," is very interesting in that it suggests that over the course of the play, she has found a different aspect of her identity, perhaps and an empowered woman and not just a housewife. Another interesting quote from Glaspell’s play is when Mrs. Hale states that women "all go through the same things--it's all just a different kind of the same thing." While Minnie Wright’s dealt with her particular situation differently than either Mrs. Peters or Mrs. Hale, they all seem to reject male dominancy to some degree. This concept of female identity and solidarity has a huge impact on the outcome of the play, as Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters decide, despite breaking the law, to conceal the evidence they uncovered that could be used to convict Mrs. Wright for the murder of her…

    • 637 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Susan Glaspell's Trifles
    • 596 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Susan Glaspell's Trifles

    Hale and Peters cover-up. Holstein asserts that the two women were not just mindlessly helping a fellow woman, but instead were reliving her [Mrs. Wright] sad and seemingly abusive life (Holstein). Holstein brings the reader’s attention to the mundane details that in the dialogue between the women such as describing Mr. Wright as a “raw wind” (Glaspell 1723). The two wives more than just empathize with Mrs. Wright, they “identify with her.” Holstein brings the reader’s attention to the fact the both women defend the messy farmhouse against the two investigators showing they understood what Minnie was going through than previously shown (Holstein). Holstein’s critical essay has presented a different view compared to my view of Trifles and gives many more examples that I have time to…

    • 596 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Minnie's Breakdown
    • 828 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Minnie's Breakdown

    Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters knew that Minnie never came out and socialized, but they did not know the reason. They knew John Wright to be a good man and might have thought it was of her own accord to stay in and be a good housewife. Once they…

    • 828 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    A Jury Of Her Peers By Susan Glaspell
    • 939 Words
    • 4 Pages

    A Jury Of Her Peers By Susan Glaspell

    (Glaspell 4) Hesitantly explaining the seeings of the crime scene, Mrs.Hale joins Mrs.Peters, Mr.Peters, Mr.Hale, and Minnie to investigate the crime. The people that Mrs.Hale joined criticizes the Wrights’ home and sees it as dirty and unkempt, but with Mrs.Hale being a farm wife as well, she understands why the house looks the way it does. “There’s a great deal of work to be done on a farm,” says Mrs.Hale defensively. (Glaspell 6) With Mrs.Peters, the sheriff’s wife, not being familiar with Minnie Foster, Martha repeatedly points out how uncheerful the home is. “But i dont think a place would be any the cheerfuller for John Wright’s bein’ in it,” says Mrs.Hale. This quote emphasizes that Martha knows Mr.Wright and recognizes it is impossible for an individual to be happy if living with him. Outside that home people see him as a good man, but personally he is the opposite of well-behaved. As the others observe the house critically, Martha does so sympathetically. Trying to help Mrs.Peters create a connection with Minnie Foster, Mrs.Hale gives a brief description of the young Minnie Foster…

    • 939 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Inequality in Trifles
    • 1108 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Inequality in Trifles

    Cited: Glaspell, Susan. “Trifles.” Kennedy, X.J. and Dana Gioia, eds. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. 11th ed. Portable ed. New York: Longman, 2007. 1111-21. Print.…

    • 1108 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Metaphor
    • 541 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Metaphor

    Besides their similarities, Miss Hancock and Charlottes mother are so different that they contrast each other. Miss Hancock is unmarried woman who encourages Charlotte to be expressive. On the other hand, Charlotte’s Mother doesn’t support or care much about Charlotte’s enthusiasm for the subject. As a child, playing with toys wasn’t allowed because it made a mess “A toy ceased to be a toy once it left the toy cupboard” (p 65). Miss Hancock loves teaching children, so if she were Charlotte’s mother, she would tell her to make as much of a mess as she wants. Miss Hancock and Charlotte’s mother are an example of character foil.…

    • 541 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Trifles Feminist Analysis
    • 2287 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Trifles Feminist Analysis

    Hale and Mrs. Peters become the two main characters during their investigation, Mrs. Hale recalls the good times of Mrs. Wright’s life. There was once a time when she was known as Minnie Foster. Minnie “used to wear pretty clothes and be lively-singing in the choir (778).” Before marriage, Minnie was an upbeat girl who took part in her community, but now, she does not even take part of the Ladies Aid. Unfortunately, once she committed to a marriage with Mr. Wright, Minnie changed her way of being, and it was not a good change for her persona. Her house was disheveled with unwashed things and she was not properly kept herself which shows to prove that she is not the lively girl she once was. She became a more reserved woman and seemed to not care about anything, though she was trying her best to survive by keeping busying with her…

    • 2287 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Feminist Symbolism in Glaspell's "Trifles"
    • 1700 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Feminist Symbolism in Glaspell's "Trifles"

    Mrs. Hale remembers Mrs. Wright as a girl; Minnie Foster. Mrs. Hale described the young girls, as "kind of like a bird herself – real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and – fluttery." (Glaspell) If you notice, even the name Minnie belittles her. There are several indicators that Mr. Wright is abusive to his wife, but the people of their town see John Wright as a "good man." (Glaspell) Mrs.…

    • 1700 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Umadoc
    • 1016 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Umadoc

    Apple's mobile operating system for its iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Apple TV and similar devices. iOS was originally called the iPhone OS but was renamed in 2010 to reflect the operating system’s evolving support for additional Apple devices.…

    • 1016 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More

Related Topics