There is a saying that differences between men’s and women’s perceptions make them appear as beings from different planets. The differences may not seem evident in everyday activities and interactions. The theater allows viewers to observe the distinct worlds of men and women. Trifles is a one-act play written by Susan Glaspell, first performed in 1916. The play views men and women through the story of a murder investigation. The author focuses the play on the contrast between two prominent worldviews. The male worldview aligns with the law and focuses on details. The female worldview allows for creating a complete image of the criminal’s motive. The play reflects how social status contributed to the development of distinct worldviews in men and women. This essay will define how women developed an emotional worldview due to oppression.
Gender inequalities present a common theme in modern theater and drama. Historically, theater plays often focused on a masculine perspective on events. However, with the feminism’s rise, there were significantly more female writers. They brought attention to the lack of female perspective in theater plays. New plays explored such themes as marriage, love, and gender inequalities. Further waves of feminism discussed the topic of women’s position in society. Feminist theater explores the experiences of women from different racial, cultural, and religious backgrounds (Grech). Thus, feminist theater strives for a clear representation of women’s experiences.
Trifles represent one of the finest examples of American feminist literature. The play takes place in Iowa, the writer Susan Glaspell’s homeland. Like characters in the play, Glaspell herself lived on a farm. Glaspell’s work in the local newspaper focused on the coverage of “murder cases and state legislature” (American Literature). Thus, it is possible that Glaspell’s work inspired the story of Trifles. Glaspell’s work as a writer predominantly focused on writing short stories and plays. Later in her life, Glaspell also became a theater actress herself. Therefore, one can suggest that Glaspell’s life was closely connected with her works.
In the play, Glaspell emphasizes the differences in the characters’ social status. The female characters have no first names, emphasizing their attachment to husbands. However, Mrs. Hale refuses to call the story’s main character Mrs. Wright. She insists that Mrs. Wright was different when she was known as Minnie Foster. The contrast between Mrs. Wright and Minnie Foster plays a big role. It allows Mrs. Hale to understand that something is wrong in the story. Minnie Foster was the girl who used to sing “real pretty” (Glaspell 9). Mrs. Wright, on the other hand, was nervous, messy, and unhappy. Thus, the author uses different names to show how marriage can change women. The names also emphasize husbands’ one-sided influence on wives in marriage.
Next, the story shows that relationships can restrict women and suffocate them. The story mentions the image of a caged songbird several times. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters found an empty, ruined bird cage. Mrs. Hale compares Mrs. Wright to a songbird because she enjoys singing. In the end, the women hide the bird’s body from men. Similarly, they withhold evidence from the county attorney, saving Mrs. Wright. The contrast between the women and Mr. Wright’s actions shows that women are more capable of compassion. Thus, the constant oppression from men allowed two unfamiliar women to unite. Mr. Wright could have treated his wife with a similar level of understanding. However, incapable of emotional perception, Mr. Wright killed her wife’s bird, dooming himself to death.
In conclusion, the play is still relevant in modern society. Despite several attempts to achieve gender equality, most of the power is still in the hands of men. Many women from ethnic and religious minorities still live under their husbands’ control. In Trifles, the author contrasts the different worldviews of men and women. The story also emphasizes the different levels of influence between men and women. Why do women unite for the protection of their interests? Through years of oppression, women developed an emotional perception of reality. Therefore, only women are capable of showing compassion to other women.
Works Cited
Glaspell, Susan. Plays. DigiCat, 2022.
Grech, A. Painting a Picture about Feminist Theatre. Intermission Magazine, 2019. Web.
Susan Glaspell. American Literature, 2022. Web.