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Trifles By Susan Glaspell Research Paper

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When analyzing the play 'Trifles' by Susan Glaspell it is important to look into many things. The meaning of the title of the play itself really shows a lot of the symbolism in the play. Paying attention to the relationships within the story shows a lot as well. The author, Susan Glaspell, really exposes the societal standards of women. The men consider things that women in the story deem important as meaningless. The play 'Trifles' by Susan Glaspell uses modernism by highlighting feminism, irony, and justice.
This play shed light on the societal oppression of women during this time period. One example of this is the title of the play itself. ‘Trifles’ means “to treat someone or something as unimportant” (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). This is shown …show more content…

For instance, Mrs. Hale stated, "She used to wear pretty clothes and be lively, when she was Minnie Foster, one of the town girls singing in the choir. But that—oh, that was thirty years ago" (Glaspell, 1916, p. 4). This shows how much her husband changed her. During modernism time, the gender roles of men and women were messed up. Women were constantly mistreated and belittled by men. They were expected to care for the house while the men did not care about any of it which is shown throughout the play (A. Winland, personal communication, March 8, …show more content…

There was situational irony with Mr. Hale and the party phone. There was also irony between the bird's neck and Mr. Wright's neck. When Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters find the bird with its neck snapped, it is implied that Mr. Wright snapped the bird’s neck. Then, Mr. Wright was found with his neck snapped as well. It was also ironic how the women were belittled by the men but what they were being belittled for was the evidence that they were looking for (A. Winland, personal communication, March 8, 2023).
The story takes place in the Wright's house after the murder takes place. The author takes her time to describe the abandoned kitchen. The kitchen has unwashed dishes, a loaf of uncooked bread, and a dirty towel on the table. All of this has shown tons of imagery. The women defend her and her kitchen before they even know if she is guilty or not. There was verbal irony when Minnie Wright was worried about her jam freezing and exploding when she was in jail for murdering her husband (A. Winland, personal communication, March 8,

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