Literary Analysis of Susan Glaspells Trifles - 1788 Words

An Analysis of Natures in Susan Glaspells Trifles A trifle is something that has little value or importance, and there are many seeming trifles in Susan Glaspells one-act play Trifles. The irony is that these trifles carry more weight and significance than first seems to be the case. Just as Glaspells play ultimately reveals a sympathetic nature in Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale, the evidence that the men investigators fail to observe, because they are blind to the things that have importance to a woman, reveals the identity of the murderer and are, therefore, not really trifles, after all. Thus, the title of the play has a double-meaning: it refers, satirically, to the way trifling way some men perceive women, and it also acts as an ironic gesture to the fact that women are not as trifling as these men make them out to be. This paper will analyze setting, characters, plot, stage directions, symbolism, themes and genre to show how Glaspells Trifles is an ironic indictment not of a murderess but rather of the men who push women to such ac ts. The play is based towards the end of the 19th century during the winter season in a traditional rural America farming town. The setting is the kitchen in the now abandoned farmhouse of John Wright where signs of incompleted works (Glaspell, 1916, p. 5) appear as signs of incompetent housekeeping to the men but as signs of a disturbed consciousness to the women (Noe, 1995, p. 39). The kitchen is described asShow MoreRelatedTrifles: a Moral Justifacation for Murder Essay1043 Words   |  5 PagesTrifles: A Moral Justification for Murder The one act play â€Å"Trifles† depicts the views and passions of both men and women during the late-nineteenth century regarding the role of a woman. The characters in the play are the County Attorney, the Sheriff, and Mr. Hale, who are accompanied by Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters into the Wright’s home to investigate the murder of Mr. Wright. The men feel that the women are only concerning themselves with little things and make several condescending comments throughoutRead MoreSusan Glaspell s Trifles : Gender Differences And Stereotyping Explored2016 Words   |  9 PagesSusan Glaspell’s Trifles: Gender Differences and Stereotyping Explored Susan Glaspell’s Trifles is a dramatic play with satirical content that points out gender differences and how stereotyping affects perceptions of duty, justice, and law. Glaspell wrote Trifles in 1916, a time in America where women were consistently expected to be housewives and nothing more. Women’s limitations were clearly a spark of inspiration and reason for Glaspell to write Trifles, criticizing society with feministic intelligenceRead MoreSusan Glaspell s Trifles 3309 Words   |  14 Pagesit’s all just a different kind of the same thing† (561) is a line spoken in Susan Glaspell’s play, Trifles. Writers look at the world around them and envision the way it should be. They take bits and pieces of their life’s landscape, add a liberal dose of surreal ideology and finally toss in human oppressions. To that end, the writer hopes to create a memorable character that can touch the human soul for eternity. Susan Glaspell, a writer in the ear ly twentieth century, lived during a time when women