Trifles By Susan Glaspell Gender Roles

In the early twentieth century women in American society had very few rights and opportunities. They were expected to comply with gender norms, by performing traditional wifely duties consisting of serving their husbands and nurturing their children. Susan Glaspell explores these standards of women in her one act play, Trifles. It takes place in the early 1900s in the farmhouse of Mrs. Wright and her late husband. The play consists of five characters: George Henderson, the county attorney; Henry Peters, the sheriff; Lewis Hale, a neighbor; Mrs. Peters, Henry Peters’ wife; and Mrs. Hale, Lewis Hale’s wife. They have come to the home to investigate the murder of John Wright, attempting to find any evidence to incriminate Mrs. Wright for the crime.

The women recognize that they all go through the same duties and hardships as they take on the wifely role in the family. Even Mrs. Peters who has never met Mrs. Wright covers for her actions. In the story we see that Mrs. Peters is hesitant at first to cover up the crime but fully devotes to the cause by the end of the play. As Mrs. Hale begins to cover up the messy quilt, Mrs. Peters nervously says, “I don't think we ought to touch things” (6). It is apparent that she is not taking part in the cover up in the beginning of the play. The sense of female community is built throughout the play as the women relate aspects of their lives to Mrs. Wright’s. It is shown by Mrs. Peters growing dedication of covering for her. In the end of the play Mrs. Peters is described as taking the box with the bird and attempting to stuff it in her bag, hiding the key evidence. We see Mrs. Peters’ sense of unification develop the more she goes through Minnie’s home and discovers how much they relate to each other. The female community is also exhibited when Mrs. Hale expresses her regrets for not visiting Mrs. Wright and feels partially responsible for the outcome. She conveys, “I wish I had come over to see Minnie Foster sometimes. I can see now–” (7). Mrs. Hale addresses how their home “never seemed like a cheerful place” (3) which is why she never paid a visit to

It is obvious that they are unappreciative of their wives and everything they do. In the beginning of the play the county attorney asserts that Mrs. Wright is “not much of a housekeeper” (3) simply because there were dirty towels in the kitchen. Mrs. Hale gets defensive and responds by saying that “there’s a great deal of work to be done on a farm” and that the “towels get dirty awful quick” (3). She defends Mrs. Wright's home and housekeeping responsibilities because she understands the work that must be done on a farm, unlike the men who do not understand their roles yet complain that it is not sufficient. This is also evident when considering Mrs. Wright’s preserved fruits. Even from jail Mrs. Wright was still worried about them. She told Mrs. Peters that if the fire goes out it will be too cold and they will freeze. The men express how senseless and irrational it is that she is worrying about preservatives when she is being held for murder. The women on the other hand are understanding about Mrs. Wright’s worries. They know how much work she put into carefully preserving the fruits during the hot summer. But the men do not recognize the hard work, effort, and time she spends preserving the fruits. Glaspell used these examples to show how men did not understand women’s role and how women were undervalued. If they had a sense of their responsibilities maybe they would appreciate the domestic roles that the