Trifles By Susan Glaspell Essay

Susan Glaspell’s play, Trifles, has various forms of symbolism that apply to the play’s overall theme. Throughout Glaspell’s play, she creates a theme of women and femininity and the symbolism reinforces these ideas. Within the play Mrs. Hale, Mrs. Peters, Mrs. Wright, and probably every woman in the time period were oppressed by male dominance (Trifles Themes). Susan Glaspell makes this very clear by using dialogue to show the inferiority of women. Hale says “I didn’t know as what his wife wanted made much difference to John — ” (971). One can infer that John doesn't have much respect or appreciation for his wife because her opinion does not matter, nor does it affect him in any shape or form. Mrs. Wright’s disempowerment symbolizes how women are degraded and undermined by a male dominated society. Another example of male dominance is the scene when the County Attorney and the Sheriff criticize Mrs. Wright because her household is not up to expectations and not as clean by stating, “ Not much of a housekeeper, would you say” (973). There are dirty towels, the table is half clean, bread is out of the bread box, and there is other untidy messes. Women were expected to take care of the

We see that Hale uses these terms when he says “women are used to worrying over trifles” (973). Inferring that women mainly worry about things of little importance. So when Mrs. Wright is being held for murder and shows concern for her preservatives, the men mock and laugh at the fact that women would be worried about something so small (McClure). Equally important the dead robin symbolizes Mrs. Wright and most women like her. A robin holds spiritual meanings such as renewal and new birth. So when Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters find the dead robin they are actually finding Mrs. Wrights dead spirt, which her husband killed. He killed her only hope of life so she returned the favor by taking