the play "Trifles" by Susan Glaspell
Uploaded by CaseyP on Dec 01, 2016
Name
Instructor
Course
Date
Uncovering the Mysteries Surrounding the Death of Mr. Wright in Trifles by Susan Glaspell
In a murder case, it is believed that the only person who knows the truth is the victim.The play composed by Susan Glaspell in 1916 is based on the murder of John Wright where the prime suspect is his wife, Minnie Foster. Henry Peters, the Sheriff, George Henderson, a lawyer, and Lewis Hale, a neighbor access the farmhouse to probe the killing of its former occupant, John Wright. Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale start their individual investigation, collecting items to take to the perpetrator, Minnie. The points to be discussed include various themes, setting of the play, genre, and the role of women in uncovering the mysteries surrounding the death of Mr. Wright. Even though some men believe that women are inferior to them, Glaspell proves otherwise through her usage of title, setting, themes, genres, and the position of females in uncovering the mystery surrounding the death of Mr. Wright.
The title of the play is ironic. Therefore, sending a message to the reader that things are not as they seem. The action in the play follows the murder of John Wright by her wife. It is ironic that the men consider women's role as Trifles, yet the victim is one of their own. Besides, the respectable men of the town mandated with the task of investigating the crime are unable to solve the mysterious murder of John. Instead, a group of uneducated women manages to join the various evidence found at the crime scene to unravel the events that led to the murder of John. Suzy Holstein Clarkson, author and former TV personality, considers, Glaspell’s Trifles adeceptive play. The reason for this is that it appears simple almost inconsequential yet "the play represents a profound conflict between two models of perception and behavior" (Holstein 282). The title of the short story followed by several remarks made by some of the characters depict the chauvinistic views of men toward women. Mr. Hale remarks that “women are used to worrying over Trifles” (Glaspell, Trifles, Ch 35 1114).In a way, the audience expects the county attorney as well as the sheriff to be the play's protagonist. However, they are presented as the antagonist because of their degrading criticism towards the female abilities. It is ironic that the men consider women as Trifles, yet the audiences view the latter as...