Trifles, a work by Susan Glaspell, follows the structure of a common murder mystery but includes elements of social commentary and issues of great value. It can be summarized as a murder of a husband by a wife and the two connected yet individual investigations that follow. The story’s unique element becomes apparent as two investigations are defined, with the men being unable to solve the crime while the women are able to. Themes of social oppression, the blindness of men, and gender allegiance become entwined with the logical fallacies prevalent in the assumptions made by the story’s male characters. The social difficulties and limitations posed on the female character by the male characters allow them to not only solve the crime but also deter the men from solving it.
The social oppression of women that is systematic and direct appears in both the lives of the female characters investigating the murder as well as the offender herself. This is primarily because both the investigators and the murderer are able to empathize and understand the repression they each face. Mrs. Peters, who, along with Mrs. Hale, uncovers evidence, including a dead bird, the catalyst of the murder, is able to feel empathy for the perpetrator, Mrs. Wright (Glaspell et al., 2011). This is due to an incident in her own life in which a man had killed her pet and how she wished to hurt him, an allusion to Mr. Wright committing the murder.
The blindness of men is a direct misuse of logic on behalf of the male characters but also becomes a tool for the female characters to continue their own investigations and guide it in a way that they prefer. The men are unable to understand the context or motive of Mrs. Wright as they are totally unable to understand her concerns. An example of this appears in their dismissal, if not mockery, of her concern for canned fruit or for not keeping the house in pristine condition. On the other hand, the female characters are able to understand Mrs. Wright’s concern due to them acknowledging her hard work in difficult activities, such as canning fruit. This ability to see more about Mr. Wright gives the female character a better ability to interpret the messy house for Mrs. Wright’s unhappiness and in turn, guide them to her motive.
Though gender allegiance is not an inherently positive quality, in a time where oppression, discrimination, and even violence based on gender were prevalent, unity was essential. Within the story, it guides the actions of Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters even after they discover that Mrs. Wright is likely the murderer. Both women attempt to hide the dead bird in order to stop the men from discovering the motive of Mrs. Wright, which will likely cement her guilt. Both their empathy for Mrs. Wright’s conditions and their familiarity with her experience outweighs their loyalty to the law.
In conclusion, though all the female characters face oppression, disregard by male characters, and debate between allegiance and legality, they are able to implement these limitations to solve the mystery and steer its outcome to their desire. The men, on the other hand, are blinded and limited by their own assumed superiority over the women and as such, misuse their logic and end up with an incomplete solution.
Work Cited
Glaspell, Susan, Rosalind Ayres, Jean Hackett, Amy Madigan, and Sam McMurray. Trifles. Los Angeles, CA: L.A. Theatre Works, 2011. Internet resource.