Gender Differences In Trifles - 1499 Words

Introduction Susan Glaspell’s Trifles is a play about the effect of gender differences on perceptions of duty, law, and justice. The early 1900’s is the setting, arriving at the Wright farmhouse on a crisp, cold morning. Mr. Hale, a neighbor, found John Wright murdered the morning before. Hale has brought his wife, the county attorney, the sheriff and his wife to the home so the men can investigate Wright’s death. With Mrs. Wright as the primary suspect, Henderson, the county attorney, is looking for her motive. While the sheriff and the county attorney are busy looking at the mess left in the kitchen, the women are noticing some of the smaller things, the trifles according to Mr. Hale. The men go upstairs, and that is when Mrs. Hale†¦show more content†¦That prompts the women, who then chime in stating it must be Mrs. Wright’s fruit jars and that she was worried they would burst in the cold weather, to that Mr. Hale replies, â€Å"well, women ar e used to worrying over trifles† (Glaspell 187). Henderson says what a mess the kitchen is and speaks down about Mrs. Wright’s homemaker skills to which both Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters seem to take offense, strike two. It is clear the men are sure that neither Mrs. Hale nor Mrs. Peters could add any insight to vital clues in the murder. In the play, Mrs. Hale discusses with Mrs. Peters the situation at Mrs. Wright’s home. Ultimately, both women immediately hit with compassion and empathy for Mrs. Wright start to put two and two together. How Men and Women View Duty Differently One’s duty is something they must do as part of their job or something that is the â€Å"right† thing to do. Men, in general, tend to stick to a straight and narrow scope of things, whereas women think with emotion and more along the lines of what is right and what is wrong morally. During this time a woman’s duty was to her family, and as portrayed in this story, her friends and her gender. Furthermore, as seen in the play, the women feel a bond with one and other and tend to stick together to protect themselves. In this story, the men are there doing their jobs, and the women are only there to gather a few things for Mrs. Wright. Unfortunately, with arrogance, the men insult Mrs. Wright’sShow MoreRelatedGender Differences in Trifles Essay717 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"Trifles† by Susan Glaspell is a play that is largely based on stereotypes. The most prevalent one is the inferiority of women over men, thou gh the play also explores the differences between genders in general. First of all, Glaspell largely examines the repression of women in the 1900s. Women were highly looked down upon by men, and were seen mostly as housekeepers and child bearers, and were definitely not seen as intelligent people. The women in this play prove that the stereotypes againstRead MoreGender Differences In Susan Glaspells Trifles1158 Words   |  5 PagesGender Differences in Susan Glaspell s  Trifles Susan Glaspell s  Trifles  is a play about the effect of gender differences on perceptions of duty, law, and justice. The play takes place in the 1900’s, a time during which women had very few rights and were often seen as their husband’s property. Though during this time in history women were perceived as being inferior to men. The play has an unexpected twist which portrays a group of women going against social norms to solve the mystery surroundingRead MoreGender Differences In Susan Glaspells Trifles885 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction Susan Glaspell’s Trifles is a play about the effect of gender differences on perceptions of duty, law, and justice. The early 1900’s is the setting, arriving at the Wright farmhouse on a crisp, cold morning. Mr. Hale, a neighbor, found John Wright murdered the morning before. Hale has brought his wife, the county attorney, the sheriff and his wife to the home so the men can investigate Wright’s death. With Mrs. Wright as the primary suspect, Henderson, the county attorney, is lookingRead MoreSusan Glaspell s Trifles : Gender Differences And Stereotyping Explored2016 Words   |  9 PagesSusan Glaspell’s Trifles: Gender Differences and Stereotyping Explored Susan Glaspell’s Trifles is a dramatic play with satirical content that points out gender differences and how stereotyping affects perceptions of duty, justice, and law. Glaspell wrote Trifles in 1916, a time in America where women were consistently expected to be housewives and nothing more. Women’s limitations were clearly a spark of inspiration and reason for Glaspell to write Trifles, criticizing society with feministic intelligenceRead MoreTrifles : Susan Glaspell s Trifles940 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is a trifle? A trifle is something that has little to no importance (dictionary.com). For instance, the color of your nails would be considered a trifle. In Trifles by Susan Glaspell, women are criticized and made fun of by men because of the little things they worry about, such as the color of their nails or their hair. This exhibits the gender role difference portrayed during the play’s time period. The central conflict is what the plot is centered around. In Trifles, the central conflictRead MoreAnalysis Of Trifles By Susan Glaspell846 Words   |  4 PagesSociety has put abnormal standards between women and men. Our gender equality has been an issue throughout history and legislative rights. In the short play â€Å"Trifles† by author Susan Glaspell, shows the feminist content and the failures of marriages. Mr. and Mrs. Wright had been married for a long time. They don’t have a family and live in a place that’s very solitary aside from any other houses. An investigation occurred to find the strange death of Mr. Wright and to discovered evidence if Mrs.Read MoreComparing The Way That Trifles And The Story Of An Hour924 Words   |  4 PagesThere are several similarities and differences in the way that Trifles and â€Å"The Story of an Hour† portray gender roles. Both of these stories portray two women very unhappy in their marriages and portray men as the dominant force. Trifles and â€Å"The Story of an Hour† both deal with very specific gender roles throughout the stories that relate to the time period they were written in. Trifles deals with gender roles by using a woman that feels trapped in her marriage. â€Å"The Story of an Hour† also usesRead MoreA Doll s House : Henrik Ibsen962 Words   |  4 PagesA Doll’s House (Henrik Ibsen) And Trifles (Susan Glaspell) In comparing both dramas, the overwhelming aspect of convergence between both is the open discussion of gender identity. Both dramas make similar points about what it means to be a woman. Modern society in both dramas is constructed with men holding power over women. This is seen in Trifles in how men like George Henderson and Mr. Hale are myopic. The premise of the drama is how women worry over trifles, and the dismissive attitude towardsRead MoreGender Differences, Gender, And Women885 Words   |  4 Pagesthroughout the play Trifles are gender differences, females having an identity and women vs. men. I will explain the great meanings behind the messages of these powerful and symbolic themes The 1st theme surrounding gender differences is first found when we realize that most of the story, the two genders are separated socially and mentally. Glaspell shows examples of this throughout the play, and also demonstrates it through the characters actions These were trifles to the men but in realityRead MoreThe Real Relationship Between Men And Women1037 Words   |  5 PagesThe Real Relationship Between Men and Women In the play Trifles by Susan Glaspell, the men in the play are completely out of touch with the women. This may be perhaps the single greatest important theme of the play. The gender differences set the stage for the utmost vital event of the story, the murder. The men of the story are mainly oblivious to the steps the women undergo in the story. Understandably the women solve the murder before the men even get close. The men acted just as Mr. Wright in