...Susan Glaspell’s one-act play, Trifles, is based on actual events that occurred in Iowa at the beginning of the century. For two years Glaspell worked as a reporter for the Des Moines News, where she covered the murder trial of a farmer’s wife, Margaret Hossack, in Indianola, Iowa. Hossack was accused of killing her husband, John, by striking him twice in the head with an ax while he slept (Trifles 216). Trifles, written in the early 1900’s by Susan Glaspell. Glaspell wrote this play during a time of controversial feminist issues. Glaspell wrote "Trifles" to demonstrate the male assumption that women were insignificant members in a male dominated society. Because the men underestimate them, the women are able to prove they are not insignificant. The play opens at the Wright farmhouse where Mr. Wright has been murdered in his sleep. They entered in the house: county attorney, the sheriff, Mrs. Hale, and Mrs. Peters. The men and women have come to investigate the case against Minnie Foster, the wife of Mr. Wright. Most of the stuffs which the male characters supposed to be insignificant objects like the broken bird cage door, the quilt, the dead canary, and the entire kitchen consequentially lead to the solution (Trifles 219). The improper assumptions by men toward women can have dire consequences, as demonstrated in Glaspell's world. Combating these narcissistic assumptions displayed by men can result in a unity among women that can overcome any male caused disrespect...
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...Throughout the story, the reader gets a glimpse of the struggle women face living in a world controlled by men. Susan Glaspell uses the symbolism of the trifles, dead bird, and the quilt to develop the theme of gender role throughout the Short story. Before the twentieth century, there were many stereotypical roles assigned to men and women. The men were seen as the head of the household so they would go out into the world and work in order to support their family. On the other hand, women would stay at home cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children. In the short story “A Jury of Her Peers” the men viewed the women as facetious and incompetent from beginning to end. They would patronize the women by stating remarks like “women are used to worrying over trifles” (Glaspell...
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...Men’s Pride Leads to Downfall in Glaspell’s “Trifles” “Well, women are used to worrying over trifles,” says Mr. Hale in Susan Glaspell’s play, “Trifles.” While demeaning women and their concerns is criticized as sexist in the twenty-first century, mere decades ago people accepted sexism as common and even warranted. Since the male-dominated society considered women’s tasks less important than men’s, men treated women with a lack of consideration. In the 20th century drama “Trifles,” Glaspell challenges the suppression in effect during her lifetime, basing the play on a series of news stories she wrote about the real-life court case of a woman prosecuted for murdering her husband. In “Trifles,” Glaspell uses symbolism to show that male sexism causes a lack of empathy which leads to men’s failures as much as it does women’s. From the first scene to the final line, Glaspell uses spatial symbolism to reason her case about the detrimental effects of men’s stereotypes of women. According to the stage direction, the initially timid female characters, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters “...come in slowly, and stand close together near the door,” clearly displaying a reluctance to enter a widow’s empty home. However, as Mr. Hale, the sheriff and the county attorney “go at once to the stove,” they discuss what happened the previous day. When Mr. Hale had first knocked on the door to request Mr. Wright’s help, he tentatively entered when he thought he heard “come in”; now that Mr. Wright is gone...
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...Frohlich 1 Makenzee Frohlich English 1020 Mr. French 18 December 14 Symbolic Beyond Sexism “Well, women are used to worrying over trifles,” says Mr. Hale in Susan Glaspell’s play, “Trifles.” While demeaning women and their concerns is criticized as sexist in the twentyfirst century, mere decades ago people accepted sexism as common and even warranted. Since the maledominated society considered women’s tasks less important than men’s, men treated women with a lack of consideration. In the 20th century drama “Trifles,” Glaspell challenges the suppression in effect during her lifetime, basing the play on a series of news stories she wrote about the reallife court case of a woman prosecuted for murdering her husband. In “Trifles,” Glaspell uses symbolism to show that male sexism causes a lack of empathy which leads to men’s failures as much as it does women’s. From the first scene to the final line, Glaspell uses spatial symbolism to reason her case about the detrimental effects of men’s stereotypes of women. According to the stage direction, the initially timid female characters, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters “...come in slowly, and stand close together near the door,” clearly displaying a reluctance to enter a widow’s empty home. However, as Mr. Hale, the sheriff and the county attorney “go at once to the stove,” they discuss what happened the previous day. When Mr. Hale had first knocked on the door to request Mr. Wright’s help, he tentatively entered when he thought he heard “come in”; now that Mr...
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...In Brian Sutton’s work “‘A different kind of the same thing’: Marie de France’s LAUSTIC and Glaspell’s Trifles”, he analyzes the similarity regarding the core symbol, a murdered songbird, and the powerful meaning of that symbol. Sutton compares both works to derive with his conclusion; that both works are linked to a piece of literary history connecting listening to a songbird with “a longing for the ideal and far off.” Even more so both works are compared with the will for freedom. Looking strictly at his opinions regarding “Trifles”, Sutton states how the dead canary “evokes a wife’s urge to escape her marital dreariness”, which is expressed in quotes from “Trifles” from Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters. However, the dead songbird is used for numerous other symbols throughout the play. Such as how Mr. Wright killing the bird is easily portrayed as an attack on his wife. Sutton interpreted the canary to be Mrs. Wright, more so the cheerful side extinguished by the depressing marriage between herself and Mr. Wright. Quotes withdrawn from “Trifles” can support this idea, again being stated by the lone women in the play, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters. Sutton reasons that the killing of the bird (by Mr. Wright presumably), equates to a symbolic attack on Mrs. Wright. This attack only adds onto the guilt of already killing Mrs. Wright’s spirit, hence the presence of the songbird, where the canary is a “stand-in” for Mrs. Wright. This article constructed by Sutton only focuses on one thing:...
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...meanings. The first literary art studied was short stories and we were given the following tools to analyze it: setting, characters, point of view, plot, symbolism, themes, tone and irony. Setting could be further divided into two types: physical and chronological setting. The physical setting as the name implies is the place where the story takes place. For example in the story “Trifles” the setting takes place in a kitchen as describe by the author “The kitchen in the now abandoned farmhouse of John Wright, a gloomy kitchen, and left without having been put in order — unwashed pans under the sink, a loaf of bread outside the breadbox, a dish towel on the table — other signs of incompleted work” Meyer, M. (2011), this specific description of the physical setting creates the ambience or the atmosphere for the rest of the story to develop upon. On the other hand chronological setting is the “when”. It is very important to note this type of setting as it gives clues as to why the characters in the story speak, behave, act or react in the ways they do. For example in the same story “Trifles”, the women are diminished by their counterpart husbands or males and this was because during the time the story took place women didn’t have as much rights as now and were...
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...A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell The short story “ A Jury of Her Peers” by Susan Glaspell was published in 1917. The story is a version of the play Trifles which was written in 1916, however was not published until three years later. The fictional story is said to be based off of an actual court case from Iowa. The characters themselves are also part taken from the actual court case that took place in Iowa. In the story “ A Jury of Her Peers” the theme, symbols, and characters all show how different men and women are and at the same time, how men and women are alike. The story jumps into action when Mrs. Hale, Mr. Hale , Mrs. Peters, the sheriff, and the county attorney are at the scene of the crime and Mr. Hale explains what he saw and heard yesterday at the Wrights house. After Mr. Hale gives his story, the men decide to investigate the crime scene. The men tell the women to stay in the kitchen and look around for any clues to help them find out what happened. The men go out to look around the house to see if there is any evidence outside. The women find clues that incriminate Mrs. Wright but in the end they decide to not tell the men of their findings. At the beginning of the story Mrs. Hale is flustered with work in the kitchen when she is called upon by her husband to travel to the Wright’s house. Once there she finds out the horrible truth that Mr. Wright has been murdered. While she listened to her husband give testimony about what he had heard and...
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...Phase5 IP Literature: Reflecting on the big picture LITR201-1502A-08 Professor Wright Terralyn Montgomery May 7, 2015 Literature can be defined as creative writing from creative imaginations. Poetry, non-fiction, fiction, and drama are literature works. It describes tradition and cultures beginning centuries ago. “Saving Sourdi” was set in the United States of America. It takes place at the family operated restaurant. Literature affects people personally according to their current area of their life. It all depends on one’s ability to want to learn literature. We will always find a work of literature that shows values, morale, and attitudes of society. “The men had been growing louder, until they were our only customers, and, finally one of them staggered up and put his arm across Sourdi’s shoulders. He called her his “China doll” and his friends hooted at this”. (Chai, 2001, p.81-82) “He was just this funny looking white kid…Chopstick-boy I called him just to be mean”. (Chai, 2001, p.84) The “Birthmark” was told in third person. The wife’s unwanted birthmark on her face caused problems in their marriage. He wanted to remove her birthmark which caused her death. In “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” the grandmother hats symbolizes her demise in life. She held onto her hat the whole story even after death. The town of Toomsboro means day of doom due to the fact everybody died. The Misfits car described it was built like a hearse which symbolizes death. “Battle Royal”...
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...English 175-‐02: Introduction to Literary Genres Instructor: Aaron Schab aschab@uidaho.edu 209 Brink Hall Department of English University of Idaho Course Meets: Life Sciences South 163 Monday/Wednesday/Friday 9:30 am – 10:20 am January 9, 2013 – May 10, 2013 Course Description In this class, we will learn about the basic conventions and terms used to understand and discuss the three major genres of literature: fiction, poetry, and drama. This class will help you understand the sometimes baffling world of literature, and is intended to provide the general student with basic experience in literary analysis. Additionally, I hope this class will lead you to a lifelong appreciation for (and engagement with) reading literature. Although this class features extensive reading and writing, it is not necessary for you to be a bookworm or a writing superstar to succeed in this class – if you ...
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