Trifles Research Paper
The play “Trifles” written by Susan Glaspell contains many literary elements that support the theme of the play. There are many themes discussed in this one act play. Some of these themes include: patriarchal dominance and male chauvinism, law and duty, and justice. The main theme, although there are many, is patriarchal dominance, meaning that men believe that they are above women in all circumstances. This mindset is very common among the men in this play; the men infer that the women are not capable of the things that men are. The literary elements of character, setting, and symbolism in this play are used brilliantly to support the theme of patriarchal dominance.
The characters in this play are very crucial to its theme. The County …show more content…
This play was written in 1916, which explains the sexist comments made in this play. 1916 was a completely different time from today; women were not treated with the same respect as men and were looked down upon by the majority of people. During this time, women did not have jobs and were only able to work at home and do “women's jobs,” such as cooking, cleaning, and raising kids. The women in this play did not have the rights that the men had and the comments made by the men were common for this time period. If this story, for example, would have been written in a later time period it would be a completely different story; the men would have treated the women with much more respect than they do in the play. The setting plays a huge role in this play. Without the setting, the theme would not be properly …show more content…
The main symbol expressed in this play is the canary. The women, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, discover this bird while searching for clues in the Wright house. The bird was found in a box and had been wrapped up in silk. When the ladies unwrap the bird, they find that its neck had been wrung. At first, the women believe that this bird symbolized Mr. Wright—and in a way it does—but it has a more significant meaning to it. They later find a bird cage, and that is when the women, along with the audience, realize what the bird symbolizes. The bird is meant to symbolize Mrs. Wright before she was married. Mrs. Peters says that Mrs. Wright used to sing, just like birds. She also explained that Mr. Wright would not let her sing, she specifically says, “He killed that, too” (Glaspell 1393). The cage symbolizes how she was trapped in her marriage, and she believed the only way to get out was to kill Mr. Wright. This goes right along with the theme of patriarchal dominance; Mr. Wright controlled the marriage and his wife. She had no freedom, just like a bird stuck in a cage. The theme of this play is reliant on the two symbols used: the bird and bird
The characters in this play are very crucial to its theme. The County …show more content…
This play was written in 1916, which explains the sexist comments made in this play. 1916 was a completely different time from today; women were not treated with the same respect as men and were looked down upon by the majority of people. During this time, women did not have jobs and were only able to work at home and do “women's jobs,” such as cooking, cleaning, and raising kids. The women in this play did not have the rights that the men had and the comments made by the men were common for this time period. If this story, for example, would have been written in a later time period it would be a completely different story; the men would have treated the women with much more respect than they do in the play. The setting plays a huge role in this play. Without the setting, the theme would not be properly …show more content…
The main symbol expressed in this play is the canary. The women, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, discover this bird while searching for clues in the Wright house. The bird was found in a box and had been wrapped up in silk. When the ladies unwrap the bird, they find that its neck had been wrung. At first, the women believe that this bird symbolized Mr. Wright—and in a way it does—but it has a more significant meaning to it. They later find a bird cage, and that is when the women, along with the audience, realize what the bird symbolizes. The bird is meant to symbolize Mrs. Wright before she was married. Mrs. Peters says that Mrs. Wright used to sing, just like birds. She also explained that Mr. Wright would not let her sing, she specifically says, “He killed that, too” (Glaspell 1393). The cage symbolizes how she was trapped in her marriage, and she believed the only way to get out was to kill Mr. Wright. This goes right along with the theme of patriarchal dominance; Mr. Wright controlled the marriage and his wife. She had no freedom, just like a bird stuck in a cage. The theme of this play is reliant on the two symbols used: the bird and bird