The aspect of gender inequality is evidenced from the title of the one-act play by Susan Glaspell reflecting on various incidences portraying the difference between the two sexes. As the title suggests, trifle means something of little worth or no importance at all. In the society presented through the play, women are treated as the trifles who has no considerable participation in society. Women do not seem helpful to carry out any important responsibilities. “They made small efforts to cover their raw souls with the mantle of commonplace words.” Their lives are only confined in the kitchen defining a culture characterized by gender inequality. On the other hand, men are considered as the most important characters in society, carrying out different role including the crime scene investigations. The play “Trifles” surrounds the murder of John Wright, which reveals numerous incidences of gender inequality between the two genders (Glaspell, 2010 ).
The theme of gender inequality presents the flow of the play and depicts the actual activities that took place in society. In addition, the theme characterizes men as they were in the time period of the play. The kitchen was viewed as the women’s world where men couldn’t have access to after confining their women there. The murder of MR. Wright lacked evidence due to men ignorance for accessing the kitchen. The story begins with the ignorance of the women involved in the murder of Mr. Wright by Sheriff who after being summoned by the County Attorney to give the kitchen report says, “Nothing here but kitchen things.” (Glaspell, 2010 ). The murder evidence is hidden in the kitchen but men ignorance cannot allow its identification. The Sherriff and the attorney push women aside and disregard their value in the investigation without understanding their capability in the investigations. The use of gender inequality helps the author to present how men smothered their wives with a derogatory attitude towards them (Gardener et. al, 2013).
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Gender inequality presents varying perspectives in society between men and women. Each gender had a different perspective on the murder of Mr. Wright. Men view the life of Mr. Wright in an outside dimension since they had no understanding of his relationship in an inside stance. However, women tend to know the inner stand since most of them had familiar cases of oppression from their men. “We live close together and we live far apart. We all go through the same things; it’s all just a different kind of the same thing.” (Glaspell, 2010 ). The aspect of gender inequality is present in the play where men undermine women and do not allow them to contribute to the investigations. However, from their understanding of the scene, women are the best in giving the solutions although men cannot give them a chance.
Mrs. Wright’s life was confined in the kitchen, unlike other individuals who lived in the living rooms. In addition, Mr. Wright killed the caged bird that kept her company. Women investigators learned the story behind Mrs. Wright’s life that gave them knowledge on how to handle the case and decisions to make. “They made small efforts to cover their raw souls with the mantle of commonplace words.” The women investigators became more sympathetic even after they began to suspect Mrs. Wright as the murderer. “But I don’t think a place could be any cheerful for Mr. Wright’s being in it (Glaspell, 2010 )”. This case presents different perspectives between the two genders. The women, who understand her dark background view her as a whole person while men view Mrs. Wright as a murderer.
The aspect of gender inequality in the play presents shapes the characters in the play by limiting their involvement in the crime scene investigations. Mrs. Wright life isolates her from participating in the society following her cold life in her marriage to Mr. Wright. The two women involved in the investigations always moved closer to each other indicating the close bond between women, which Mrs. Wright missed all through her life. The caged bird symbolized the life of Mrs. Wright in the kitchen. The killing of the bird by Mr. Wright advanced the murder plot against him since it indicated the strangling of Mrs. Wright’s life by her husband (Gardener et. al, 2013).
The play incorporates the gender inequality aspect that explains the lives of women in those days. Mrs. Wright case as presented in the play explains how women had been confined in the in their homes limiting their involvement in the society. In addition, different cases present gender inequality while conducting criminal investigations. The two women involved in the investigations could not be allowed to raise suggestions concerning the scene. They were not allowed to explain Mrs. Wright’s life that motivated the plot in order to set her free. Mrs. Wright plot of killing her husband advanced following her desire to set herself free from the kitchen confinement. “It was very unmaidenly, of course; but maidenly is a word love and life and desire may crowd from the page.” (Glaspell, 2010 ).
During the investigations, both sexes raised different judgment concerning the case. The two women fastened the bond between them since they came from a similar geographical background that made them develop sympathy towards each other. Concerning Mr. Wright murder, the two women understood the background behind the plot hence raising a different judgment on the case. Failure to involve them in the investigations, the women became frustrated hence decided to hide the truth of the plot in order to challenge the judiciary. Therefore, the play presents the difference that existed in the community following the treatment of women as trifles in society.
References
Gardner, J. E., Lawn, B., Ridl, J. R., & Schakel, P. J. (2013). Literature: A Portable Anthology.
Glaspell, S. (2010). Trifles: A play in one act . Los Angeles, CA: Baker's Plays.
