Trifles is a play written in 1916 by Susan Glaspell. It is categorized as feminist literature for highlighting how women are positioned in society as unimportant. The play carries a message for both males and females because it contrasts the women and men characters. It revolves around the murder of Mr. Wright allegedly by his wife. Three men visit the crime scene officially to investigate the murder, including Mr. Peters (sheriff), Mr. Henderson (lawyer), and Mr. Hale (neighbor to Mr. Wright). Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters conduct a parallel investigation of the killing. The outcome of these investigations reveals how different men and women are while sending a message to each gender. Through Trifles, Glaspell teaches men to respect and value women as equal humans while letting women know their societal position should be changed.
In the play, men treat women as people of little importance or value, trifles, in society. However, the playwright wants men to understand that women carry more significance than trifles through the murder incident and the subsequent investigation. To begin with, a man is killed by his wife, which would not be expected in the chauvinistic setup of the family. The murder of Mr. Wright is a message to men to treat their wives well and as capable human beings. From the beginning to the end of the play, Glaspell portrays Mrs. Wright as the protagonist and the investigating women as heroines rather than male investigators. All the action happens in her house, and everyone wants to know her for various reasons. The men’s verbal criticism of women paints a negative image and places them as the play’s antagonists. For example, Mr. Hale, at one point, faults females, saying, “Women are used to worrying over trifles” (Glaspell Ch. 35 1114). The men’s degrading talks about women give them a negative image in the audience’s eyes. The message here is directed to the male gender to respect their female counterparts even in speech.
The audience expects the men’s investigators to uncover the truth behind Mr. Wright’s death. Surprisingly, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peter discover the facts while the men overlook essential evidence. This outcome sends different messages to both genders: women must recognize their value and abilities while men should realize that women are as capable as males. The men’s misconception and disregard of the females lead them to assume that the kitchen, which is a woman’s place, cannot contain helpful evidence. Mr. Peters dismisses the possibility of finding evidence there by telling others that there is “nothing here but kitchen things” (Glaspell Ch. 35 1109). However, the women uncover the cause of Mrs. Wright’s vengeance in her kitchen.
The uneducated and ‘trifled’ women position themselves in Mrs. Wright’s shoes and discover the cause of violence that left Mr. Wright dead. Glaspell uses this particular outcome to teach women that they are valuable and can solve societal problems just like men, if not better. The playwright also challenges gender prejudice against females by portraying them as intelligent and analytical while showing men as incompetent. The educated men used methodical procedures to prove that Mrs. Wright murdered her husband but failed to obtain anything useful. On the contrary, while collecting supplies for Mrs. Wright, the woman unearthed her murder motive through intellectual analysis. In conclusion, Glaspell tells men to respect and value women while asking them to recognize and affirm their rightful place in society.
Work Cited
Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. New York, NY: Frank Shay, the Washington Square Players, 1916. Print.