Susan Glaspell's Trifles: The Conflict Of Gender
April Martino
Professor Bruemmer
English II
14 December 2013
Trifles: The Conflict of Gender
Throughout history women have always been fighting for equality. As if their existence held very little value in society, more so in the past than today. It was obvious during the turn of the 20th century men maintained dominance over women, in fact they would use their superiority to maintain their inferiority. A word that comes to mind, Trifles. A word referring to something considered to be small, holding little value or perceived to be insignificant. The word trifles does not only refer to physical objects but also, through the eyes of the innocently ignorant, insensitive or even unappreciative, a word used in referring to things unseen, such as thoughts, memories, feelings, and emotions. Glaspell uses her talents to demonstrate, through literature, how women were seen as only a man’s possession and not that of an individual. In Glaspell’s play Trifles, she uses setting, dialog, symbols, and concept to reveal gender conflict and exposing prejudices of that current society. …show more content…
Trifles by Susan Glaspell is a one act play involving a murder investigation in the home of John and Minnie Wright.
It was suspected that Minnie, Mrs. Wright, had murdered, by way of strangulation, however there seemed to be no substantial proof. While the main character, Minnie was being held in jail, the local sheriff, Henry Peters, the county attorney, George Henderson, and a neighboring farmer was searching the farmhouse where John was found for clues proving that Mrs. Wright had in fact murdered him. While these men scoured the house for any clue, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale, two local women happened to be in the kitchen making discoveries of their own with observing certain things unrecognized by the investigators. “The interaction between the male and female characters in Trifles is somewhat limited, yet extremely revealing socially”
(Grose).
The title of the play, Trifles, is the first significant symbol, used by Glaspell, to exemplify how men view women. The plot of Trifles happens to revolve around the women in this play and the intelligence they possess but is overlooked due to the diminutive value men believe women hold within society. The investigators had failed to take into consideration that these smaller things, the trifles that a woman can place an importance on, could possibly be evidence because the world of a woman was always disregarded. Mr. Hale had stated “Well, women are used to worrying over trifles” (Trifles 162). This ignorance on behalf of the male investigators leave the men blind to the actual truth leaving the mystery “unsolved”.
The play is set in a kitchen in the farmhouse of Mr. and Mrs. Wright. All the conversations to be taken place are within the kitchen and all the items found to solve the murder were also there. The setting is an example of gender bias. The investigators look around the kitchen but only see an untidy room for of items that hold little to no importance as far as they are concerned. “Here is a nice mess” (Trifles 162) was a statement by the County Attorney as he noticed the broken jars. Even after Mrs. Peter explained they were frozen and had broken the attorney continued to criticize Minnie’s cleanliness and role as a woman. Mrs. Hale decides to stand up for Minnie “There’s a great deal of work to be done on a farm” (Trifles 163). After more complaints and Mrs. Hale further explaining why things were how they were the response by the attorney was “Ah, loyal to your sex I see” (Trifles 163). Instead of taking into consideration the organization and cleanliness of the kitchen to be something more, the idea was simply a criticism toward Minnie and her homemaking skills. However, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters could tell by seeing the un-organization that it was a sign of Minnie’s life that had come undone.
Susan Glaspell supported the theory of gender conflict by displaying it within the dialog of the play Trifles. The dialog used demonstrates the superiority that men during this time hold over that of a woman. “…I didn’t know as what his wife wanted made much difference to John” (Trifles 163), a comment Mr. Hale made setting the tone as to how Mr. Wright thought about his own wife, as if he had not valued anything she represented as an individual but was only respected with respect to how society identified women. This comment was heard but dismissed by the County Attorney, “Let’s talk about that later…” (Trifles 162). It was obvious that Mr. Wright’s attitude was no concern to the male investigators because that was the norm of society. However it was comments like this that should have opened the door to finding a motive. The attorney continues to observe the kitchen while making comments as to insult Minnie’s housekeeping skills, “Here’s a nice mess” (162). “Well, women are used to worrying over trifles” (Trifles 162). This comment was made by Mr. Hale when Mrs. Peters had explained that Minnie was concerned what would happen to her preserved fruit if the fire was to go out. This was an obvious sign of the dismissive behavior that was presented by the men throughout the play. While the attorney continues to insult the upkeep of the home, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale become protective over Minnie because they can sympathize and empathize with her. Women are obviously underappreciated and with the attitude of the male investigators toward not only Mrs. Wright but toward women in general, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters decide to keep any and all information to themselves.
Although the setting and dialog make it obvious as to the conflict of roles between men and women it was the use of symbols that they audience was able to have empathy for Minnie. The empathy was not just because she was looked at as a murder but also because she was a woman who had suffered but her suffering had gone unnoticed due to the acceptance of society that men are the ones that hold the dominant reigns over all. Of all the symbols used the canary and the birdcage are of the utmost importance within the play further proving the conflict of gender.
The canary and the birdcage become obvious to Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale as they notice things while remaining in the kitchen. The birdcage is mostly in tact besides the door which had been broken off the hinges. Mrs. Hale had remembered Minnie as she used to be prior to marrying Mr. Wright. She mentions how Minnie had a life that she was proud of enjoying her freedom and her life in general. However, when she married Mr. Wright she became “caged”. She was isolated in a secluded farm home with no way to have contact with the outside world. The broken door represents Minnie’s psychological breakdown and desire for freedom as she had before but gains this sense of freedom by detaching herself from reality and mentally escaping to a world where the only way out was by committing murder.
There are a couple of reasons the canary is an important symbol. Brian Sutton pointed out “the canary symbolizes Mrs. Wright, particularly the cheerful side of Mrs. Wright destroyed by the oppressive marriage” (170). A statement was made by Mrs. Hale giving reference to Minnie having similarities to the canary, “she, come to think of it, she was like a bird herself, real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and fluttery” (Trifles 165). There was mention of Mrs. Wright’s involvement in the choir prior to her being married to Mr. Wright. Mrs. Hale stated “She used to wear pretty clothes and be lively, when she was Minnie Foster, one of the town girls singing in the choir” (Trifles 163) as well as Mrs. Hale stating “I wish you’d seen Minnie Foster when she wore a white dress with blue ribbons and stood up there in the choir and sang” (Trifles 166). A Canary is normally thought to be a pretty bird with light colored feathers and quiet often people say that the bird has a soft and sweet chirping sound. Minnie was mentioned as being pretty, presenting herself well and having a lovely singing voice. A fair resemblance to the Canary Mr. and Mrs. Wright had raised together. Mrs. Hale had also indicated how Minnie was as she had known her before, that she was not the person she had become, “How she did change” (Trifles 165). After the bird’s death something snapped in Mrs. Wright, which indicates to me, that the canary was also a symbol for her vivacity, a sense of freedom and life. However when the bird was killed so was her willingness to continue to struggle putting her in a state of insanity.
The birdcage, alone, symbolized the oppression of Minnie by Mr. Wright. Mr. Wright had caged Minnie’s spirit making her feel trapped, just as the bird had been while caged. The bird being in a cage resembled Mrs. Wright’s life where she was forced to remain unhappy yet finding some sort of comfort and contentment with singing and the life of the canary. When Mr. Wright killed the bird, he had also killed the only thing his wife had to keep her in a mentally stable place. It was mentioned in the dialog that the home was in a secluded area and Mr. Wright was gone the majority of the day to work, while Mrs. Wright would stay home by herself. The bird was her friend, her company, something to engage in some sort of noise throughout the day to occupy Mrs. Wright’s mind. When he killed the bird, he killed her willingness to contend with the struggle. The cage door was broken in the process of killing the bird, therefore opening the door to freedom for Mrs. Wright. This was the key to Mrs. Wright having the opportunity to fly out of the cage in search for her freedom and doing to her husband as he had done to the canary…strangulation.
Other symbols presented in the play to further prove and identify the conflict of gender was the stove. There was once a fire burning in the stove which was to represent the marriage. It was after the murder of Mr. Wright that the stoves fire had extinguished. The extinguished fire left the house cold and the marriage was no more. The jar of preserves that had frozen all broke except for one. This jar was a representation of the possible future for Minnie in the eyes of Mrs. Peters and Ms. Hale. They both had showed such sympathy and held onto the hopes for a positive outcome. The broken jars symbolized the breaking of Minnie psychologically yet the one saved jar resembled the possibility of a brighter future.
Susan Glaspell used her talents in writing as well as using elements in the play Trifles as a certain technique to convey the conflict of gender within the societal times. Trifles had shown the dominance men had over women, not only within a marriage but also exemplifies the dominance and superiority men hold over women in general. However, through the play by the woman gaining success in regards to solving a murder despite the men proved that woman hold more intellectual power than a man, than society, gives them credit for. Within the play, the setting, the symbols, the concept all played an equally important role at defining the conflict of gender and bringing the desire and need for equality to the eyes of society.
Works Cited -
Glaspell, Susan. “Trifles”. Literature: A World of Writing: Stories, Poems, Plays, and Essays. Ed. Joseph Terry. 2nd ed. New York: Pearson, 2012. 161-166. Print.
Sutton, Brian. " 'A different kind of the same thing ': Marie de France 's Laustic and Glaspell 's Trifles." The Explicator 66.3 (2008): 170+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 14 Dec. 2013.
Grose, Janet L. "Susan Glaspell 's Trifles and 'A Jury of Her Peers ': Feminine Reading and Communication." Tennessee Philological Bulletin 36 (1999): 37-48. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Ed. Jelena O. Krstovic. Vol. 132. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Literature Resource Center. Web. 14 Dec. 2013.
Professor Bruemmer
English II
14 December 2013
Trifles: The Conflict of Gender
Throughout history women have always been fighting for equality. As if their existence held very little value in society, more so in the past than today. It was obvious during the turn of the 20th century men maintained dominance over women, in fact they would use their superiority to maintain their inferiority. A word that comes to mind, Trifles. A word referring to something considered to be small, holding little value or perceived to be insignificant. The word trifles does not only refer to physical objects but also, through the eyes of the innocently ignorant, insensitive or even unappreciative, a word used in referring to things unseen, such as thoughts, memories, feelings, and emotions. Glaspell uses her talents to demonstrate, through literature, how women were seen as only a man’s possession and not that of an individual. In Glaspell’s play Trifles, she uses setting, dialog, symbols, and concept to reveal gender conflict and exposing prejudices of that current society. …show more content…
Trifles by Susan Glaspell is a one act play involving a murder investigation in the home of John and Minnie Wright.
It was suspected that Minnie, Mrs. Wright, had murdered, by way of strangulation, however there seemed to be no substantial proof. While the main character, Minnie was being held in jail, the local sheriff, Henry Peters, the county attorney, George Henderson, and a neighboring farmer was searching the farmhouse where John was found for clues proving that Mrs. Wright had in fact murdered him. While these men scoured the house for any clue, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale, two local women happened to be in the kitchen making discoveries of their own with observing certain things unrecognized by the investigators. “The interaction between the male and female characters in Trifles is somewhat limited, yet extremely revealing socially”
(Grose).
The title of the play, Trifles, is the first significant symbol, used by Glaspell, to exemplify how men view women. The plot of Trifles happens to revolve around the women in this play and the intelligence they possess but is overlooked due to the diminutive value men believe women hold within society. The investigators had failed to take into consideration that these smaller things, the trifles that a woman can place an importance on, could possibly be evidence because the world of a woman was always disregarded. Mr. Hale had stated “Well, women are used to worrying over trifles” (Trifles 162). This ignorance on behalf of the male investigators leave the men blind to the actual truth leaving the mystery “unsolved”.
The play is set in a kitchen in the farmhouse of Mr. and Mrs. Wright. All the conversations to be taken place are within the kitchen and all the items found to solve the murder were also there. The setting is an example of gender bias. The investigators look around the kitchen but only see an untidy room for of items that hold little to no importance as far as they are concerned. “Here is a nice mess” (Trifles 162) was a statement by the County Attorney as he noticed the broken jars. Even after Mrs. Peter explained they were frozen and had broken the attorney continued to criticize Minnie’s cleanliness and role as a woman. Mrs. Hale decides to stand up for Minnie “There’s a great deal of work to be done on a farm” (Trifles 163). After more complaints and Mrs. Hale further explaining why things were how they were the response by the attorney was “Ah, loyal to your sex I see” (Trifles 163). Instead of taking into consideration the organization and cleanliness of the kitchen to be something more, the idea was simply a criticism toward Minnie and her homemaking skills. However, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters could tell by seeing the un-organization that it was a sign of Minnie’s life that had come undone.
Susan Glaspell supported the theory of gender conflict by displaying it within the dialog of the play Trifles. The dialog used demonstrates the superiority that men during this time hold over that of a woman. “…I didn’t know as what his wife wanted made much difference to John” (Trifles 163), a comment Mr. Hale made setting the tone as to how Mr. Wright thought about his own wife, as if he had not valued anything she represented as an individual but was only respected with respect to how society identified women. This comment was heard but dismissed by the County Attorney, “Let’s talk about that later…” (Trifles 162). It was obvious that Mr. Wright’s attitude was no concern to the male investigators because that was the norm of society. However it was comments like this that should have opened the door to finding a motive. The attorney continues to observe the kitchen while making comments as to insult Minnie’s housekeeping skills, “Here’s a nice mess” (162). “Well, women are used to worrying over trifles” (Trifles 162). This comment was made by Mr. Hale when Mrs. Peters had explained that Minnie was concerned what would happen to her preserved fruit if the fire was to go out. This was an obvious sign of the dismissive behavior that was presented by the men throughout the play. While the attorney continues to insult the upkeep of the home, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale become protective over Minnie because they can sympathize and empathize with her. Women are obviously underappreciated and with the attitude of the male investigators toward not only Mrs. Wright but toward women in general, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters decide to keep any and all information to themselves.
Although the setting and dialog make it obvious as to the conflict of roles between men and women it was the use of symbols that they audience was able to have empathy for Minnie. The empathy was not just because she was looked at as a murder but also because she was a woman who had suffered but her suffering had gone unnoticed due to the acceptance of society that men are the ones that hold the dominant reigns over all. Of all the symbols used the canary and the birdcage are of the utmost importance within the play further proving the conflict of gender.
The canary and the birdcage become obvious to Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale as they notice things while remaining in the kitchen. The birdcage is mostly in tact besides the door which had been broken off the hinges. Mrs. Hale had remembered Minnie as she used to be prior to marrying Mr. Wright. She mentions how Minnie had a life that she was proud of enjoying her freedom and her life in general. However, when she married Mr. Wright she became “caged”. She was isolated in a secluded farm home with no way to have contact with the outside world. The broken door represents Minnie’s psychological breakdown and desire for freedom as she had before but gains this sense of freedom by detaching herself from reality and mentally escaping to a world where the only way out was by committing murder.
There are a couple of reasons the canary is an important symbol. Brian Sutton pointed out “the canary symbolizes Mrs. Wright, particularly the cheerful side of Mrs. Wright destroyed by the oppressive marriage” (170). A statement was made by Mrs. Hale giving reference to Minnie having similarities to the canary, “she, come to think of it, she was like a bird herself, real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and fluttery” (Trifles 165). There was mention of Mrs. Wright’s involvement in the choir prior to her being married to Mr. Wright. Mrs. Hale stated “She used to wear pretty clothes and be lively, when she was Minnie Foster, one of the town girls singing in the choir” (Trifles 163) as well as Mrs. Hale stating “I wish you’d seen Minnie Foster when she wore a white dress with blue ribbons and stood up there in the choir and sang” (Trifles 166). A Canary is normally thought to be a pretty bird with light colored feathers and quiet often people say that the bird has a soft and sweet chirping sound. Minnie was mentioned as being pretty, presenting herself well and having a lovely singing voice. A fair resemblance to the Canary Mr. and Mrs. Wright had raised together. Mrs. Hale had also indicated how Minnie was as she had known her before, that she was not the person she had become, “How she did change” (Trifles 165). After the bird’s death something snapped in Mrs. Wright, which indicates to me, that the canary was also a symbol for her vivacity, a sense of freedom and life. However when the bird was killed so was her willingness to continue to struggle putting her in a state of insanity.
The birdcage, alone, symbolized the oppression of Minnie by Mr. Wright. Mr. Wright had caged Minnie’s spirit making her feel trapped, just as the bird had been while caged. The bird being in a cage resembled Mrs. Wright’s life where she was forced to remain unhappy yet finding some sort of comfort and contentment with singing and the life of the canary. When Mr. Wright killed the bird, he had also killed the only thing his wife had to keep her in a mentally stable place. It was mentioned in the dialog that the home was in a secluded area and Mr. Wright was gone the majority of the day to work, while Mrs. Wright would stay home by herself. The bird was her friend, her company, something to engage in some sort of noise throughout the day to occupy Mrs. Wright’s mind. When he killed the bird, he killed her willingness to contend with the struggle. The cage door was broken in the process of killing the bird, therefore opening the door to freedom for Mrs. Wright. This was the key to Mrs. Wright having the opportunity to fly out of the cage in search for her freedom and doing to her husband as he had done to the canary…strangulation.
Other symbols presented in the play to further prove and identify the conflict of gender was the stove. There was once a fire burning in the stove which was to represent the marriage. It was after the murder of Mr. Wright that the stoves fire had extinguished. The extinguished fire left the house cold and the marriage was no more. The jar of preserves that had frozen all broke except for one. This jar was a representation of the possible future for Minnie in the eyes of Mrs. Peters and Ms. Hale. They both had showed such sympathy and held onto the hopes for a positive outcome. The broken jars symbolized the breaking of Minnie psychologically yet the one saved jar resembled the possibility of a brighter future.
Susan Glaspell used her talents in writing as well as using elements in the play Trifles as a certain technique to convey the conflict of gender within the societal times. Trifles had shown the dominance men had over women, not only within a marriage but also exemplifies the dominance and superiority men hold over women in general. However, through the play by the woman gaining success in regards to solving a murder despite the men proved that woman hold more intellectual power than a man, than society, gives them credit for. Within the play, the setting, the symbols, the concept all played an equally important role at defining the conflict of gender and bringing the desire and need for equality to the eyes of society.
Works Cited -
Glaspell, Susan. “Trifles”. Literature: A World of Writing: Stories, Poems, Plays, and Essays. Ed. Joseph Terry. 2nd ed. New York: Pearson, 2012. 161-166. Print.
Sutton, Brian. " 'A different kind of the same thing ': Marie de France 's Laustic and Glaspell 's Trifles." The Explicator 66.3 (2008): 170+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 14 Dec. 2013.
Grose, Janet L. "Susan Glaspell 's Trifles and 'A Jury of Her Peers ': Feminine Reading and Communication." Tennessee Philological Bulletin 36 (1999): 37-48. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Ed. Jelena O. Krstovic. Vol. 132. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Literature Resource Center. Web. 14 Dec. 2013.