Theme Of Male Dominance In Trifles

Trifles by Susan Glaspell is a play based upon the murder of a married man. There is a great deal of patriarchal dominance that occurs not only in the household of Mr. and Mrs. Wright but also throughout the plot of the play. The male superiority that takes place throughout the plot suggests that women are inferior to men. In this play readers witness Mrs. Wright lose her individuality due to male domination. The male dominance present in Mr. and Mrs. Wright’s home is a factor contributing to the drastic change in Mrs. Wright’s behavior.

Before Minnie Foster became Mrs. Minnie Wright, she was a very different person. She was a sweet, pretty individual, but timid and fluttery all at once. According to Mrs. Hale, ”She used to wear pretty clothes and be lively, when she was Minnie foster, one of the town girls singing in the choir.” (664). By the description given from Mrs. Hale readers can conclude that this is the time frame where Minnie was satisfied with herself and the person she was. However, this was thirty years ago.

Mr. Wright is one who represents the epitome of the modern man in the time period they were living in. The time period where male dominance over a woman in a household was common. In the public eye, he was a “good” man. “He didn’t drink, and kept his word as well as most, paid his debts, and was a hard man”(667). Though he appeared to be a good man to others, behind closed doors he had to be somewhat the opposite because he was the cause of Mrs. Wright’s personality to change. Based on the description of Mrs. Wright thirty years ago something about the male dominance in their household triggered her new behavior.

There was something about Mr. Wright that caused Mrs. Hale to see past his good man image. She s...

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...me but this time it was as if he said “What you want doesn’t matter.” Minnie loved that bird. I was like the bird was the only thing she had. In revenge to repay Mr. Wright for his gross act of cruelty, she resulted in murdering him.

The male dominance present in Mr. and Mrs. Wright’s home is a factor contributing to the drastic change in Mrs. Wright’s behavior. Minnie Wright used to be a lively woman. She was well dressed and involved in extracurricular activities. After marrying Mr. Wright her personality transformed from outgoing to depressed. Mr. Wright made Minnie feel less important and deprived her of her social life with others. He then killed the one thing that gave her life, her Canary. As a result of taking the last thing she had that made her happy she murdered Mr. Wright in revenge. Mr. Wright transformed a very sweet woman into a depressed murderer.