LITR201-1402B-04: Literature: A Reflection of Life- PHASE 4

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LITR201-1402B-04: Literature: A Reflection of Life- PHASE 4
PART A
Drama is also referred to as a play because it tells a story and is also performed on stage. In addition, drama is similar to plays in that it has a theme, a plot and is often narrated by a persona (Ghent, 2012, 629). Also, drama is also known as a play in that it evokes emotions and has a tone just like a play.
During my high school days, the school invited a group of people who performed a play on HIV/AIDs. This was my initial time to timepiece a live stage performance. The characters perfectly represented their roles in that the audience felt as if the characters were real. For example, those characters representing HIV patients appeared weak and sad; the sounds were full of sympathy as they spoke. Every scene had its own sounds that paralleled the theme and purpose of the act (Meyer, 2011, p111). There were cries, mourns and even sounds of desperation. Throughout the drama, the audience was full of sad mood. HIV/AIDs infection was presented as something that people should be afraid of. The audience was also filled with pity and sympathy for the infected characters. Since it was my first encounter to see a live stage drama, the theme, scenes and characters were a great impact to my life and my understanding of what entails a drama.
For a elongated time I had wished to be involved in a dramatic act until one day, my literature teacher appointed me and other colleagues to practice for a drama known as 'A Doll's House' that would be presented during the school’s parents day. My character was Nora, I was the protagonist. At first, I felt excited. However, I got to understand that it was not simple to read and memorize every word from a script. During the practice, I spent days and nights studying scripts in order to improve. Understanding the text was also complex. However, I took the challenge and took the responsibility of directing the drama.
My favorite TV show is ‘Arrow’ whose main characters are Oliver Queen, the protagonist and others like Laurel Lance, Tommy Merlyn, John Diggie, Thea Queen and Moira queen (Kondolojy, 2014, p19). The film is set at Vancouver, BC. In respect to plot, Oliver queen, a spoilt son, together with his father are lost in the sea after their ship sinks. His father dies while Oliver survives and lives for five years on an unfamiliar island when he finally returns home. It is in the island where he came to know of his father’s unprincipled business deals and corruption. He also learned how to survive and fight. He returns home a changed man determined to correct things (Kondolojy, 2014, p20). The main themes of this show are rebirth, justice and redemption. Oliver is changed to a better man while the city is redeemed from corruption. The show has conflicts, it does not clearly indicate what Laurel Lance, Oliver’s love interest is expected to be doing at any point. All, in all, arrow is my favorite film because its subjects are based on real life situations like drug dealing, corruption, bad business, love and the course of justice.
PART B
‘Trifles’ is Susan Glaspell’s one-act play. This paper analyses the play trifles in terms of the setting, characters, plot, stage directions, symbolism, themes, genre, and finally gives final personal thoughts on the real story.
The setting of the play is a bleak, messy kitchen in a deserted rural farm house. This establishes a claustrophobic mood. It is during a cold winter when characters try to investigate a violent murder. Sheriff comments that “it dropped below zero last night” (Glaspell, 2001, p456). ‘Trifles’ was published in 1916 and is set during the start of the 19th century. The kitchen was full of kitchen things and a stove at one corner of the house where the investigators piled up to warm themselves. The kitchen things were the most important clues of what really happened in the farm house. The setting evokes a cold, sad and lonely feeling in me. In a cold weather, Mrs. Wright is lonely and lifeless. Her husband never gave her company. Since “there’s a great deal of work to be done on a farm,” (Glaspell, 2001, p458) “to be sure;” (458) both Mr. and Mrs. Wright put in long days of work - she in the house, and he “out to work all day” (463) on the farm.
George Henderson is the country attorney who is called to examine the murder of John Wright. Sheriff Henry Peters is a local sheriff and a husband of Mrs. Peters. He comes at Wright’s house to inspect the crime scene (Glaspell, 2001, p4). Lewis Hale, a neighbor to the Wright family entered the house to request the family if they can share a telephone line when he discovered about the murder of John Wright. Mrs. Peters is a new comer at the town and a wife to the sheriff and likes following the law. Mrs. Hale is married to Lewis Hale. She feels sympathy for Mrs. Wright and she regrets never coming to visit Minnie to ease her lonely life. John Wright was a farmer and was always dedicated to his farming duties while neglecting his wife’s happiness. His behavior is the purpose for his murder. Minnie Wright is a woman who used to be happy and liked singing in the local choir before she married John Wright (Glaspell, 2001, p6). She is suspected for John Wright’s murder. The protagonist of the play is Mrs. Hale, a character who the audience tries to identify. The antagonist is Henderson. Exposition is found at the beginning of the play where the reader is exposed to how John Wright was murdered and how his wife was found behaving strangely. The rising action starts when men go looking for some clues upstairs leaving women in the kitchen (Fetterley, 2004, p572). The climax occurs when two women discover the dead bird and comprehend that John Wright had broken its neck and therefore depriving Minnie her only source of joy. Conflict develops when tension develops among men and women. Men criticize Minnie’s housekeeping. Also when women find the dead bird, a conflict develops in that they are hiding murder and defending a murderer (Fetterley, 2004, p578). The play is suspenseful in that audience’s wonder why Minnie murdered John Wright. The men and women try to find clues to his death. The play does not have a resolution and this also creates suspense. The falling action happens when the men to leave after finding no evidence. They tease the women and the scene ends.
The play starts with stage directions which introduce to the audience the five seeking characters of the play as well as the kitchen setting (Glaspell, 2005, p23). Through the stage direction, I was able to understand the meaning of the work compared to the dialogue. For example, A stage direction says that the kitchen was gloomy that “without having been put in order—unwashed pans under the sink, a loaf of bread outside the bread box, a dish towel on the table” (Glaspell, 2001, p783). Here, I am able to imagine the appearance of the kitchen.
Bird cage symbolizes Minnie and the live she lived. Just like a bird, she was caged and could not view the outside world (Keller, 2007, p11). The dead bird symbolizes the dead husband. ‘Trifles’ symbolize how women’s duties were considered unimportant during the 19th century (Keller, 2007, p13). The noose symbolizes the design of choking out somebody’s life (Banner, 1974, p22).
The title ‘Trifles’ refers to domestic concerns or matters that are considered funny or insignificant by men. Trifles are things of little value. Women are considered as trifles. Gender difference is one of the main themes of the play. Susan does not support the gender differences (Fetterley, 2004, p565). This is why, though women are considered as trifles, they have things that men are searching, that is, the evidence to murder. She does not like how women’s thoughts and opinions are dismissed as unimportant during this time. Susan Glaspell’ view about marriage is that it a prison for women as she features Minnie and John Wright (Fetterley, 2004, p569).
When reading a drama, readers are able to visualize what the characters are thinking, feeling and doing because they can hear their words and interpret their emotions. A short story does not bring life and reality to the reader. The writer of the short story is able to add his//her own understanding of the conversation as well as tell the reader about how comments and events affect characters. In reading a drama, the reader would have his/her imagination by placing him/herself in the character’s shoes. One would see and hear.
The reason why Susan Glaspell had empathy for Margaret Hossack is that despite the allegations that she was behind the killing of Mr. Hossack, her plea in the court indicated that just like all other people, she never knew who killed his husband. Yes, I empathize with Hossack/Minnie Wright. I pity her suffering under the trial and imprisonment for a crime she knew nothing off. Through the play, I have understood that many people suffer for crimes they know nothing about and that sometimes justice is not fair to all.
This paper has analyzed the play ‘Trifles’ in terms of the setting, characters, plot, stage directions, symbolism, themes and genre. The essay also presents final personal thoughts on the real story. Though ‘Trifles’ is a short play, Susan Glaspell tries to incorporate all the components of a play. It also deals with real issues especially those that affect women. Therefore, it is a choice for all.

References
Ghent, L. S. (2012). "Seinfeld Economics: The Pitch." Critical Commons
Glaspell, S. (2001). Trifles: A Play in One Act. 10 Apr. 2001. http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/ eng384/trifles.htm
Meyer, M. (2011). The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing / Edition 9. Bedford/St. Martin's, pp1664
Kondolojy, A. (2014). "'Reign', 'Arrow', 'Supernatural,' 'the Originals' & 'the Vampire Diaries' Renewed by the CW." TV by the Numbers
Fetterley, J. (2004). "On the Politics of Literature."Literary Theory: An Anthology. 2nd ed. Ed. Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan. Malden: Blackwell, 561-579.
Keller, M. (2007). Symbolic Realism in Susan Glaspell's 'Trifles'. GRIN Verlag, 28 pages
Banner, L. (1974). Women in Modern America: A Brief History. New York: Harcourt Brace
Glaspell, S. (2005). Trifles. Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. Ed. John Schilb and John Clifford. Boston: Bedford / St. Martin's