A Psychoanalytical Perspective of Susan Glaspell’s Trifle

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The psychoanalytical perspective is a method of shifting from a hidden to an obvious subject matter which encompasses a process of awareness as well as translation (The Free Dictionary by Farlex, 2010). From a psychoanalyst perspective I will examine the linguistic symbolism of the text in the short play, “Trifle” to arrive at the underlying suppressed concepts of the author. Susan Glaspell- an Iowa native- filled her play with a hint of mid-western flavor. She also made a point to include a sense of feminist pride which was mirrored by her three main characters, Mrs. Hale, Mrs. Peters, and the accused murderer Minnie Wright (Glaspell, 1938). At beginning of the play the disparities between the genders were obvious. The men are arrogant, portraying themselves as perceptive unyielding detectives, when in truth they are not as perceptive as the women. The men’s pretentious approach provokes the women to become defensive and form an opposition in search of justification for what took place in their friend’s home.

The play taking place in the kitchen is not a coincidence, this is a place regarded as central to the family, specifically a housewife. To compare the duties of housewives to that of servants would be an overstatement because there are some who prefer the domestic lifestyle. Nevertheless, things becomes problematic when women are put in a position where they feel unappreciated rather than a loving wife or mother who choose to provide a nurturing environment for her loved ones. The characters in this play are an example of that. As everyone enters Wright’s home the house feels cold, a suggestion of a ghostly presence. The Wright’s kitchen was left a mess (Glaspell, 1938) which symbolizes the mental state o...

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...they commenced to mocking the women, “Well, Henry, at least we found out that she was not going to quilt it” (Glaspell, Trifles, 1938), the sheriff mocked, “She was going to--what is it you call it, ladies” (Glaspell, 1938). In a tone that personified her position as a judge and jury of her peers, Mrs. Hale retorts with her hand against her pockets as a gesture of enough evidence for Mrs. Wrights vindication, “We call it—knot it, Mr. Henderson”(Glaspell, 1938).

References:

Glaspell. (2010). Trifles. Literature: A World of Writing Stories, Poems, Plays and Essays VitalSource eBook for South University.

The Free Dictionary by Farlex. (2010). Medical-Dictionary. Retrieved July 16, 2010, from Psychoanalytic Literary Criticism: http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Psychoanalytic+criticism

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