Gender Differences in "Trifles"

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“Trifles” by Susan Glaspell is a play that is largely based on stereotypes. The most prevalent one is the inferiority of women over men, though the play also explores the differences between genders in general. First of all, Glaspell largely examines the repression of women in the 1900s. Women were highly looked down upon by men, and were seen mostly as housekeepers and child bearers, and were definitely not seen as intelligent people. The women in this play prove that the stereotypes against them are completely wrong. The men in this story are sent out to discover the details of a murder, while the women come along to gather some things for Mrs. Wright, who was accused of killing her husband. Throughout the play, the men mock the women and claim that they are silly in worrying about the smallest of things. They seem to think that women are not intelligent enough to help solve a murder. For example, towards the beginning of the story Mrs. Peters notices that Mrs. Wright’s fruit froze, and tells the lawyer that Mrs. Wright was always worried about that. The sheriff replies, ...

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