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Justify a Lie?

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Justify a Lie? In the one-act play Trifles by Susan Glaspell, John Wright, a citizen of Dixon County, Nebraska is killed in his home and his wife, Minnie Wright is the suspected murderer. The following morning, the County Attorney, the Sheriff Peters and his wife, and The Wright’s neighbor, Lewis Hale and his wife visit the house to look for evidence. The men tell the women to stay in the kitchen to keep out of the way. Little to the men know the answer to their questions is in the kitchen and Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale discover the clues and solve the crime. However, the two women decide not to tell the men in order to protect Minnie. The question that comes to mind is: “Was the decision made by Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale right? Was it just?” The answer to the question is that it was not right, nor was it just. Is there a difference? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word “just” as acting or being in conformity with what is morally upright and good. They also define the word “right” as being in accordance with what is just, good, or proper. The two definitions coincide with each other perfectly. Especially considering the fact that one of the two words is in the other’s definition. Therefore, there is no difference between the two words. They have the same meanings. What Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale decide to do at the end of the play is morally wrong. Before the three men leave the kitchen for the upstairs bedroom, the County Attorney says to Mrs. Peters, “…and keep an eye out for anything that might be of use to us.” She responds, “Yes, Mr. Henderson.” When you consider the fact that the County Attorney is a man of high-importance, a man of the law, the two women are lying to the law. Not only are they committing a crime by not telling the men what they find, Mrs. Peters has not kept her promise to the County Attorney. Since when is it morally right, or just, to lie to someone? It never has been never will be. Especially when that person is working for the government. One may argue that Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale are defending their fellow woman. I do agree that the men were not treating the women fairly. I am a supporter of women’s rights, myself. But if you imagine what would happen in the story after Glaspell finished writing, are they really helping out the female gender? Suppose someone were to find out about what the two women had done. Not only would Minnie Wright be convicted of the murder, but Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale would be convicted of crimes as well. In the end, three women would be suffering. They would have done nothing but give an example of women not being loyal to their government.
I agree that we need to defend and stand up for what we believe in. But I do not think we need to go as far as endangering ourselves. Others may say that the women lied to get back at the men for the way they are treated. During this time, circa 1916, men were still the superior gender. For example, Mr. Hale says, “Well, women are used to worrying over trifles.” A few lines later, the County Attorney finds dirty towels and Mrs. Hale defends Minnie saying, “Those towels get dirty awful quick. Men’s hands aren’t always as clean as they might be.” The County Attorney then shoots back with, “Ah, loyal to your sex, I see...” Another example would be when Mrs. Hale finds an unfinished quilt piece and says, “I wonder if she was goin’ to quilt it or knot it?” The men coming down the stairs overhear and Mr. Peters boasts, “They wonder if she was going to quilt it or just knot it,” and the men all laugh. I think to a certain degree, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale hide the evidence as a way of getting revenge against their “male superiors.” But again, it was not the right way to seek vengeance. We need to stand up for who we are and what we all believe in. Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale were attempting to do just that. They wanted to protect their friend and get revenge on their husbands and the County Attorney for treating them the way they did, specifically with what they had said to the women. But these two women have put their own lives in danger as well as their friend, Minnie. When it comes to defending what we believe in, we must do it in a morally right way. Lying to the government is not the right way, or just.

Works Cited
“just.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary. 2009. Merriam-Webster Online. 18 February 2009 “right.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary. 2009. Merriam-Webster Online. 18 February 2009 Worthen, W. B. The Wadsworth Anthology of Drama: Fifth Edition. Boston: Thomson- Wadsworth, 2007.

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