The average woman’s role in society today, starkly contrasts that of the female social norm expressed in eras predating the current; however, similarities do exist. Women once existed in the background, limited to lives of household responsibilities, compelled by overwhelming societal expectations to obey their male counterpart, and preform a set of domestic duties specific to their gender. Today this is not the case, however certain gender related expectations remain intact, and for this reason gender roles are still a prominent aspect of everyday social dynamics. The play “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell exemplifies gender roles as they were practiced in the early 1900s, by identifying women's subordinate roles in their marriages, and domestic roles in their households. Multiple Historical accounts, which document women's social and domestic experiences, express similar instances of female inferiority. Even more examples of these gender roles can be observed from literary works of the time. "Trifles" is one such work, throughout which many examples of women's assumed social roles are portrayed. Ultimately Glaspell's play invites the audience to recognize the difference between women's societal role in the past and that of the present and then relate the two by identifying their similarities. Throughout the entirety of "Trifles" the social norm for women of the era is made apparent and the everyday life of the average 1900s woman is distinctly depicted. One example of the influence of gender roles can be seen in the first two lines of the play when the men call to the women, asking them to come to the fire, this served as an example of the power the men had over their women. In this time period women did not possess the independe... ... middle of paper ... ...History, and the play "Trifles", were given very little credibility and we're denied what we in modern times consider to be unalienable human rights. The play reflects the struggles that women experienced in past eras, and the book exhibits the social practices which limited women to the subordinate roles they held in the past. History has shown the progress that women have made from being nothing more than chattel to the prominent and independent members of society they are today. Society has changed and with it women's responsibilities and rights. Women are no longer objects, they're people, and thanks to progress, they are being treated as such. Work Cited Bock, Gisela, and Allison Brown. Women in European History. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2001. Print. Glaspell, Susan, Donna Haisty Winchell, and Susan Glaspell. Trifles. Boston: Thomson Wadsworth, 2004. Print.
Trifles is a play that shows clearly how women were treated and ridiculed by men in the 1900’s. It is a one-act play that took place at the farmhouse of John Wright.
Susan Glaspell’s play, Trifles, was written in 1916, reflects the author’s concern with stereotypical concepts of gender and sex roles of that time period. As the title of the play implies, the concerns of women are often considered to be nothing more than unimportant issues that have little or no value to the true work of society, which is being performed by men. The men who are in charge of investigating the crime are unable to solve the mystery through their supposed superior knowledge. Instead, two women are able decipher evidence that the men overlook because all of the clues are entrenched in household items that are familiar mainly to women during this era. Glaspell expertly uses gender characterization, setting, a great deal of symbolism and both dramatic and verbal irony, to expose social divisions created by strict gender roles, specifically, that women were limited to the household and that their contributions went disregarded and underappreciated.
The play, Trifles, written by Susan Glaspell, establishes the discrepancy between men and women’s perception and roles during the early 1900s. Its title, Trifles is tied to the concept that is reemphasized many times in the play, which illustrates that women’s thoughts, observations, and voices were considered as trifles or something of which that has least significance to the society and its values. Glaspell gradually builds the plot up to a controversial murder mystery by giving each character specific attributes and by developing symbolism with the objects mentioned in the play. However, if the play was elaborated to incorporate more details of some factors such as characterization and background of Mr. Peters, Mr. Hale, Mrs. Peters, and Mrs. Hale for a movie, then it could possibly lose its mysterious sensitivity and hinder imagination of particular components of the mystery in the readers’ mind.
“Ah, loyal to your sex, I see” (1389) when these words are said by the character George Henderson in the play “Trifles” you see it is the men against the women. The play, written by Susan Glaspell, published in 1916, was based on a murder trial; she was following when she was a reporter in Iowa. The play is about a murder of a man by his wife on a small farm; the catch is the motive and how it was done. Why did she do it? This who done it shows the way the women think and act; also you see the way the men treat the women in the 1900’s. There is an underlying tension between the men and women. Glaspell gives a small glimpse into the way women were treated as second-class citizens with nothing important to contribute to the world. The struggles for women’s rights were hard, but the women in the 1900’s took the challenge and accomplished a lot by doing small acts of defiance and solidarity; the voices of women would be heard.
“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.
Why are women expected to be trapped inside of the house everyday and maintain the household? Over time the way women have been treated, and what is expected of them, has changed. The way women are viewed and treated has changed, but in certain situations men see them as nothing more than a maid Although women in today’s society may have another job, they are still expected to maintain the household. Susan Glaspell’s play Trifles places an immense emphasis on how the households should be kept and how men treated women. The main conflicts in the play stem from gender issues, which includes the different expectations that men have in mind for women and how men belittle women for certain things.
Susan Glaspell showcases that the female stereotype of the time that “Trifles” was written is invalid by using sexism, setting and symbolism. She provides examples throughout the play of how shallow people can be if invested in society's stereotypes. It doesn’t matter whether a person is male or female, what matters is how they
The women from Trifles were ridiculed in the sense that the men regarded them as typical ladies, simply worrying about the little things and useless matters. The laws of that era handicapped the women because they were not taken seriously, and they were supposed to be submissive and go along with their husbands. They almost had to prove their innocence rather than someone proving their guilt which almost made them second-class citizens. With Trifles, the men already had preconceived ideas, and this caused them easily to overlook the things that the ladies picked up on because of their day-to-day lives. The men “[followed] a predetermined schedule of inquiry” while the women “put themselves into Minnie Wright’s place (Holstein 283). This just proves that a body should always pay attention to the little things, for sometimes the little things may make a huge impact on whatever the case may
Gender roles determine how males and females should think, act, speak, dress and interact with society based upon our assigned sex. Because these roles change with what society deems acceptable, it has only been a reality short time that women have been equal to men. It wasn’t until the early 20th century that women began to challenge the patriarch society and view that marriage and motherhood as the only suitable careers for women. Author Susan Glaspell, challenges society’s set ideas of gender roles through her one-act mystery play “Trifles”.
In Susan Glaspell’s play Trifles Mr. Wright’s murder is never solved because the two women in the story unite against of the arrogance of men to hide evidence that would prove Mrs. Wright as the murderer. The play Trifles is about the death of farmer Mr. Wright and how the town sheriff and attorney try to find evidence that his wife Mrs. Wright killed him. As the play progresses the men’s wives who had come along were discovering important pieces of evidence that prove the men’s theory but chose to hide from them to illustrate the point that their ideas should have been valued and not something to be trifled. The very irony of the play comes from its title trifles and is defined as something that isn’t very important or has no relevance to the situation that it is presented to. In this play the irony of the title comes from the fact that the men find the women’s opinions on the case trifling even though the women solve the crime which ends up being the downfall of the men as they would have been able to prosecute Mrs. Wright if they had listened which made the women’s opinions not trifling. Glaspell was born in an age where women were still considered the property of men and they had no real value in society in the eyes of men except for procreation and motherhood. This attitude towards women was what inspired Glaspell to write the play Trifles and to illustrate the point that women’s attitudes should be just as valued as men’s and to let women have a sense of fulfillment in life and break the shackles that were holding them only as obedient housewives. Trifles was also inspired by a real murder trial that Glaspell had been covering when she was a reporter in the year 1900. Glaspell is a major symbol of the feminist movement of l...
During the 19th and 20th centuries, women’s and men’s roles were drastically different. It was believed that the woman’s place should be in the kitchen and the home while the man worked outside. This statement is false considering the fact that women not only worked inside, but they also assisted men outside. Men were respected and considered superior to women, while women were treated with discrimination and disrespect. The play Trifles, by Susan Glaspell is the perfect illustration of these gender differences, and women’s changing role in society.
The female characters in the “Trifles” are the main victims of stereotypical implication: showing how women were viewed by society in the early 20th century. The drama shows women were seen as inferior and even as second class citizens
Trifles by Susan Glaspell is a play that explores ideals in an intriguing and fascinating way. It is about the investigation into life of Minnie Wright after the discovery of her husband’s death. Three men and two women dive into the home of the Wright’s to uncover some of the mystery surrounding their lives and Mr. Wright’s untimely death. These men being the county attorney, Mr. Hale, and Mr. Peters. The women in the play being Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters. By doing the investigation it is revealed the gender roles and the inequality among genders during that time period. Glaspell uses many elements within this play to bring a new depth. This play explores the inequality of genders and how this type of society impacts on individuals within that
Susan Glaspell's play, "Trifles", attempts to define one of the main behavioral differences between man and woman. For most of the story, the two genders are not only geographically separated, but also separated in thought processes and motive, so that the reader might readily make comparisons between the two genders. Glaspell not only verbally acknowledges this behavioral difference in the play, but also demonstrates it through the characters' actions and the turns of the plot. The timid and overlooked women who appear in the beginning of the play eventually become the delicate detectives who, discounted by the men, discover all of the clues that display a female to be the disillusioned murderer of her (not so dearly) departed husband. Meanwhile, the men in the play not only arrogantly overlook the "trifling" clues that the women find that point to the murderer, but also underestimate the murderer herself. "These were trifles to the men but in reality they told the story and only the women could see that (Erin Williams)". The women seem to be the insightful unsung heroes while the men remain outwardly in charge, but sadly ignorant.
One woman’s Trifles is another man’s clues. The play Trifles, was written by Susan Glaspell based on the murder of John Hossack, which Susan reported on while working as a news journalist for Des Moines Daily News. Susan Glaspell was an American Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, actress, novelist, journalist, and founder of the Provincetown Players. She has written nine novels, fifteen plays, over fifty short stories, and one biography. At 21 she enrolled at Drake University even after the prevailing belief that college make women unfit for marriage. But many don’t know that her work was only published after the death of her husband George Cram Cook. Trifles is an example of a feminist drama. The play shows how male dominance was