Understanding Feminism in Susan Glaspells Trifles

Melissa Prather English 102 Research Paper May 8th, 2012 Understanding Feminism in Susan Glaspell’s Trifles Susan Glaspell lived during a time where women’s rights were not fully acknowledged. The oppression of women during this time stretched to the point that they were not truly acknowledged as their own person. They were to be seen and not heard so to speak. Their sole purpose was to take care of their families by keeping house and performing their caretaker duties. Glaspell even demonstrates in her story that the women in this town were referred to as someone’s wife and not as their own individual person. In her play titled Trifles, she shows that women are smarter than the men in their lives give them credit for. Glaspell†¦show more content†¦She saw this as a metaphor for what her husband was doing to her and she just could not handle it any longer (6). From what you can infer from this play, as Glaspell never shows you Minnie’s perspective, Minnie felt hopeless in her marriage and she had to find a way to get out. Divorce was not very highly looked upon during these times, so she felt that she had no other choice if she was going to survive. When they found Mrs. Wright in her home after the murder, she was rocking back and forth in her rocking chair. She was in a state of shock and panic. She knew what she did and she didn’t know how to process the information, just like she did not know what to do when she saw the canary. When she found the canary, she placed it in a box lined with silk where her scissors are usually kept. Brian Sutton made an excellent observation when he mentioned that Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters construed the box as a â€Å"present† because of the luxurious nature of the box (172). Her husband’s death, however, had been brutal. The men in the play look at things in a different light and miss major points in their investigation because of their lack of a feminine view. When the men enter the Wright’s house, they instantly comment on the state of their home. Instead of seeing the things the way that their wivesShow MoreRelatedSusan Glaspell s A Jury Of Her Peers1408 Words   |  6 PagesGrowing up in Iowa in the 1800s and 1900s, Susan Glaspell took inspiration for many of her stories from personal experiences. As a former courthouse reporter herself, Glaspell’s short story â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† is based largely on her involvement with a murder case and a kitchen she recalled investigating. â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers,† a rendition of her early play, Trifles, focuses on the homicide of an abusive husband by his wife. While the men investigating the case overlook the various signs of abuseRead MoreThe Revolt Of Mother By Mary E. 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