Gender Differences in Trifles Essay - 717 Words

â€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, though 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 against them are completely wrong. The men in this story are sent out to discover the details of a murder, while the women come along to gather some things for Mrs. Wright, who was accused of killing her husband. Throughout the play, the men mock the†¦show more content†¦They don’t realize that the little things do matter in solving a case like this. By â€Å"worrying over trifles† (655), as Mr. Hale puts it, the women end up finding out a lot more about the murd er than the men do. The gender differences in the play are obvious and important to the story. The men in this play exhibit some traditional stereotypes of men during the time period, such that they were aggressive and self-centered. The women seem to be more cautious, intuitive and sensitive. These traits allow the women to come a lot closer to figuring out the murder than the men do. At one point in the play the women find a quilt that Mrs. Wright had been working on. Mrs. Hale asks Mrs. Peters, â€Å"I wonder if she was goin’ to quilt it or just knot it?† (658). Just then the sheriff comes down the stairs and once again ridicules the women for worrying about such little things. â€Å"They wonder if she was going to quilt it or just knot it!† (658), he exclaims. This is actually an important piece of evidence in the story, as the ladies find out later. They realize that she was extremely nervous about something while she was sewing, because she usual ly sews â€Å"so nice and even† (658), but the piece she had been working on was â€Å"all over the place† (658). Then, while looking around in the kitchen, and not even trying to find anything out about the murder, theShow MoreRelatedGender Differences In Trifles1499 Words   |  6 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 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. 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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