ipl-logo

Trifles By Susan Glaspell

1475 Words6 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Trifles by susan glaspells

"Trifles" by Susan Glaspell is a compelling short story that explores gender roles and constructs in early 20th-century America. First published in 1916, the story takes place in a rural farmhouse where a group of men and women gather to investigate the murder of John Wright. Through the portrayal of the female characters, Glaspell highlights the societal expectations placed on women and how they limit their lives and potential. The story also reveals the power dynamics at play between men and women, reflecting the patriarchal system that dominated American society at the time. In this analysis, we will examine and analyze the representations of women and their relations with men in "Trifles." We will consider the underlying agendas and needs …show more content…

The women in the story are portrayed as oppressed and marginalized, with their domestic work and emotions being dismissed as unimportant. They are not taken seriously by the male investigators. The men, on the other hand, are portrayed as dominant and superior, with their work and opinions being valued and respected. They do not take their findings seriously, and their attitudes reflect the societal belief that women's work is not as important as men's. For example, when the women discover a quilt that has been poorly stitched, the men do not see the significance of this finding, dismissing it as "trifles." This dismissal is indicative of the men's lack of regard for the women's work and opinions.They are responsible for the official investigation and are seen as having the authority to determine the truth of the …show more content…

The story highlights the societal expectations placed on women and how they limit their lives and potential. Through her portrayal of the male investigators and Mrs. Wright, Glaspell exposes the ways in which the patriarchal system oppresses and marginalizes women. Ultimately, the story challenges readers to question and challenge the gender roles and constructs that continue to shape our society today.The story also highlights the ways in which gender roles limit women's opportunities and potential, relegating them to the home and devaluing their work and insights. This critique of gender roles is particularly relevant in a historical context, where women had limited opportunities and faced significant social and cultural

Show More
Related
744 Words | 3 Pages

Starburst were created in 1960 in the United Kingdom and were originally called Opal Fruits. Five years later they entered the U.S. under the name we know them as now. Starburst have been around for many years. They are hard, chewy, and colorful. Kids love the because of the color, teens love them because of the juicy flavors.

Read More
1166 Words | 5 Pages

Common themes in these stories address the dominance of men towards women which affects the physical and emotional well-being of the female characters. The authors use symbolism, similes, metaphors and dramatic irony to exemplify patriarchal dominance and its suppressive treatment of women. In the early 1900s, patriarchal dominance reigned while women's roles were confined to raising children and taking care of their households and husbands. Men

Read More
801 Words | 4 Pages

In the nineteenth century, woman had no power over men in society. They were limited in their freedom, as their lives were controlled by their husbands. Some women did not mind this lifestyle, and remained obedient, while some rebelled and demanded their rights. “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, are short stories that exposes the lifestyle women lived in the nineteenth century. The protagonists from both stories, Jane and Georgiana, similarly lived a male dominated lifestyle.

Read More
2210 Words | 9 Pages

Born into the patriarchal restraints of the 1876 US nation, Susan Glaspell is revered as a trailblazer in early feminism through her dynamic background as a writer that intellectually represented a nation of women whose needs and abilities are swallowed by misogynistic tradition and underrepresentation in law. According to Laughlin McDonald’s article “A Jury Of Her Peers”, “ Aside from the “defect of sex,” women were excluded from juries for a variety of reasons: their primary obligation was to their families and children; they should be shielded from hearing the details of criminal cases, particularly those involving sex offenses; they would be too sympathetic to persons accused of crimes; and keeping male and female jurors together during

Read More
462 Words | 2 Pages

When thinking about the role of women in the community, what comes to mind? Are their jobs and rights, are they the same as men’s? The mere idea that women didn’t have as many rights as they do now is astounding to modern thoughts towards women’s rights. In Trifles Susan Glaspell uses the women and literary elements such as diction, syntax, and tone of the story to show the sexism of the times.

Read More
137 Words | 1 Pages

At first glance, “A Jury of Her Peers” by Susan Glaspell may seem like an ordinary murder mystery story. However, the theme of the short story goes well beyond mere entertainment. The story focuses on two women, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, as they wait for their husbands during a police investigation of the murder of Mrs. Wright’s husband. As the men recount the details of that day and search the house for evidence, the two women stumble upon the solution to the murder using simple everyday clues they find lying around the kitchen and living room. In this story, Glaspell develops an underlying theme surrounding gender roles, specifically the subjugation of women and male obliviousness to women.

Read More
358 Words | 2 Pages

Women’s Issues in the Past In both Trifles and A Doll’s House the reputation and appearances of the two women are examined within nineteenth century marriages. The men believe that the women only focus on trivial matters. These two poems are so powerful because of the metaphors, emphasis on gender roles, and tone the narrator uses to convey the way women were treated in the nineteenth century.

Read More
304 Words | 2 Pages

Jimi Hendrix was the most famous American rock guitarist in my heart. He has multi talent, he can sing and play the guitar skillfully at the same time, also he is a songwriter. He was born in Seattle, Washington on November 27, 1942. Started playing guitar at age 15, when he first got his guitar from his father as a gift. He loves rock music and he also plays blues and R&B music.

Read More
935 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout “A Jury of Her Peers” by Susan Glaspell a noticeable power struggle between the women and the men occurs. “A Jury of Her Peers” exposes the social injustices that women faced during the turn of the century. In the story Mrs. Wright lashes out against her husband as result of built up anger and societies social pressure. In the essays “from Silent Justice in a Different Key: Glaspell’s ‘Trifles’” by Suzy Clarkson Holstein and “from The Case of the Battered Wife: Susan Glaspell’s Trifles and ‘A Jury of Her Peers’” by Lillian Schanfield embody the theme of social injustices among women. The social gaps between men and women in “A Jury of Her Peers” and “Trifles” helped drive the plot and allowed a unique outcome to be achieved.

Read More
996 Words | 4 Pages

When analyzing the characters of the Handmaid's Tale and the Scarlet Letter through the feminist lense, sexism has become so internalized that women work to maintain the system through prejudice and belittling one another for not fulfilling orthodox gender roles.

Read More
737 Words | 3 Pages

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, is set in the 1960’s, a time when men and women had specific and restrictive roles in society. Men were the ones to work and earn money for their families and women were expected to a caring and obedient homemakers. In many ways, those gender stereotypes are still very present today. The contrasting opinions of Atticus Finch and Aunt Alexandra provide the reader with the different views on how men and women should be raised, which in turn, affects the readers thoughts and opinions on the gender expectations and roles that are present in today’s society.

Read More
558 Words | 3 Pages

In comparing and contrast both drama A Doll House by (Henrik Ibsen), and Trifles by (Susan Glaspell). The authors shine a light on how a woman had no place in society in the nineteenth century .A woman place was in her home and her responsibility’s consist of taking care of her husband, her children and her home. Mrs. Wright was introduce to the reader as woman that was held for murdering her husband after a long time of abuse. Nora was introduce to the reader as woman that had everything in life.

Read More
840 Words | 4 Pages

The authors of the stories, Susan Glaspell and Charlotte Perkins Stetson, could be interpreted to have written these pieces to fuel feministic ideals by displaying the adverse impact power dynamics in gender had on their

Read More
1902 Words | 8 Pages

The Women Can women who lead very different lives be similar? Susan Glaspell explores the differences and similarities of two characters in her story “Trifles.” Written in 1916, Glaspell’s fictional story uses an unforeseen event to bring Mrs. Hale, a farmer’s wife, and Mrs. Peters, a sheriff’s wife, together. Although Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters have their differences such as Mrs. Hale being outspoken, observant, and a leader, while Mrs. Peters is nervous and does not want to challenge authority, the women share some similarities such as being aware of male condescension and willing to keep information from male authorities if it means helping another woman.

Read More
826 Words | 4 Pages

This novel is also autobiographical. Throughout history, women have been locked in a struggle to free themselves from the borderline that separates and differentiate themselves from men. In many circles, it is agreed that the battleground for this struggle and fight exists in literature. In a

Read More

More about Trifles By Susan Glaspell

Related Topics

Open Document