Trifles Henrik Ibsen Analysis

In the late 19th century and early 20th century, idea for the equality of women began to ignite a fire within the world. Women wanted to fight oppression and have a chance to experience the same rights as men. However, although suffragettes would not fight fire with fire until a couple of decades later, the idea of escaping societal roles and gain freedom within society and marriage possibly inspired literary works during this time period. These issues of the inequality between men and women in marriage and society plays strong roles in literary works. In “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen, “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell, and “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman all have something in common: the women are oppressed by the men and society, and ultimately pull away from their societal roles and break free.

In the year 1879, the infamous and controversial play, “A Doll’s House” was published to the world. The play is about the Helmers, a married couple who seem to have the perfect life of a happy marriage, loving children, and more money coming in from the husband Torvald. However, the audience learns that is not the case.

The play begins with Nora, the wife, arriving home from shopping. She quickly eats a few

macaroons and hides them. Torvald is in his study and from there he calls her domineering names such as his “little lark” and his “squirrel.” Torvald’s name calling towards Nora shows his possessiveness of her by calling her his, and the particular names he chose to call her are not names associated to those of intelligence. Squirrels are playful creatures and larks are wonderful singers, but are not considered to be that of intelligence (Ibsen 889).
Torvald does not only call her little pet names, but teases her and interrogating her about eating macaroons when he had forbid them. “Surely my sweet tooth hasn’t been running riot in town today, has she?” he asked “shaking an admonitory finger.” He then continues to ask her if she had any sweets that day a way a father would ask his young daughter if he had caught her stealing cookies from the cookie jar (Ibsen 891).
The relationship between Nora and Torvald does not seem one of a husband and wife, but rather one of a father and daughter. Torvald does not speak to Nora as though she is an adult and as though she is not his equal. She is essentially his little doll.
This similarity of men controlling women is also seen in “Trifles.” Just like Nora, the women in this play are belittled by their male counterparts. In “Trifles,” the short play written in 1916 is about a woman who is named Minnie Wright. Minnie is accused of murdering her husband John Wright by wrapping a rope around his neck, however there is no proof that she had in fact killed him. In searching for answers, George Henderson (a country attorney), Henry Peters (the sheriff), Mrs. Peters (the sheriff’s wife), Lewis Hale (the neighbor who had found John dead in his bed) and Mrs. Hale (the neighbor’s wife) all go inside of the house and search. Henderson speaks lowly of Minnie Wright, commenting on how the house looks. “Not much of a housekeeper, would you say, ladies?” Henderson commented when he examined the house. During that time period, women were meant to be the housewife. Henderson was essentially belittling Minnie, because she “failed” at being a housewife (945).
Furthermore, when Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters are alone in Minnie’s kitchen while the men search for the house, they find a quilt that Minnie had been making and wondered if she was knotting the quilt. When the sheriff heard this, he made a comment as to where the women were foolish to worry about a quilt and laugh at them. The men laughing at the women in such a way and believe that they were of lesser intelligence shows the domineering attitude towards the women. They are mocking the women like they are children or unintelligent (947).
In the play “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the narrator and her husband, John, move into a colonial mansion. John picked a room in which the narrator found to be scary. However, John claims that he is the practical one and that the room that they picked is good for the narrator’s health. John is a doctor, so apparently he is supposed to know all. The narrator enjoys writing, however, her husband does not want her to write, so she does it in hiding. Similar to Nora and Torvald, the narrator’s husband calls her his “little goose” and treats her as though she is extremely delicate (Gilman 956).
The narrator is always trapped within the room and in the room is a disturbing yellow wallpaper in which the narrator begins to despise. She finds it scary and begins to believe that there is a woman trapped in the wallpaper. The narrator begins to feel trapped and her husband will not let her be free from the wallpaper.
All of these women in this literary works, have been confined because of their husband and society, but have essentially pulled away from the controlling men and society.

In “A Doll’s House”, when Torvald learns of her secret affairs concerning Nora forging her father’s signature to get a loan to save Torvald’s life, he began to treat her horribly, insulting her in every way that is possible. In that moment, Nora realized that she could no longer live a life as Torvald’s wife anymore. He wanted to live a life in which no one in the society would know what had happened. They would act like they were a happily married couple in public, but in private they would act as though they were brother and sisters. Torvald cared about his image rather than

Nora.
Furthermore, Nora realized that she had “duties to [herself]” and that she could no longer play the role as Torvald’s “lark” and little “doll.” Nora realized that “before all else, [she’s] a human being.” Nora, wanted to escape from not being a human being. Therefore, at the end of the play, Nora came to the realization that her life was not as happy as she thought it were and in reality she was not living at all. When she left her family she slammed the door shut so she could finally be free. Slamming the door was the signal that she was finally free (940).
In “Trifles”, the women find a dead bird hidden within a box. The bird had a broken neck and before that they found a broken bird cage. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters came to the realization that John Wright was abusive to Minnie, and if they were in the same place, they would do the same thing. The women break away from the law and stick up for Minnie. Mrs. Peters hides the dead bird in her pocket, so the men will have no evidence to use against Minnie saying that she had killed her husband. Hiding the bird and lying for Minnie was the signal that they had broken free from the confinement of men controlling them (Glaspell 952).
Lastly, as for the narrator in “The Yellow Wallpaper”, she rips the yellow wallpaper apart, believing that she is releasing the woman that is supposedly trapped in the wallpaper. Tearing the yellow wallpaper up, was the narrator’s way to become free for herself. “‘I’ve got out at last,” said I, “in spite of you and Jane. And I’ve pulled off most of the paper, so you can’t put me back!” Perhaps the narrator believed she herself was trapped in the wallpaper because her husband and kept her locked away in the room. This was her symbol for freedom (Gilman 967).
These issues that were found in these plays explore life through the eyes of women during that time period when women were fighting for equality. These women had been confined from men and from society, but had broken away from it. These women yearned for a realization of freedom and they received it.