The Danger in Susan Glaspells Trifles Essay - 799 Words

The Danger in Susan Glaspells Trifles Susan Glaspells Trifles is a play about a real life murder case that uses symbolism to help bring it to a close. It is easy to see that Mr. and Mrs. Wright live in a society that is cut off from the outside world and also strongly separated by gender. Three of the key symbols in Glaspells play are a simple bird cage, a quilt, and isolationism. Anna Uong of Virginia Tech and Karen Shelton of JSRCC share these same ideas on symbolism. These three symbols are the main clues that help the reader decide who killed Mr. Wright. The bird cage that was found is one of the most profound symbols in the story. Mrs. Hale describes Minnie as, kind of like a bird herself, real sweet and†¦show more content†¦It is said to be ?All over the place as if she didn?t know what she was about,? states Mrs. Hale?(840). This is another clue into how enraged and flustered Minnie was. Minnie?s last straw was when John killed her bird. When the bird died, so did Minnie?s personality. After that murder, Minnie was enraged, confused, and didn?t know what to do. Mrs. Hale wondered ?if she was goin? to quilt it or knot it?(840). By quilting the blanket, she would have chosen to endure the pain that John was putting her through, but by knotting the quilt she chose to eliminate it. Just as a knot represents a finishing or a completion of a project, it also was an end to John. The weaving of the quilt also symbolises the building up of the marriage and then the end of it. ?The quilt started out as a beautiful piece of art and was brought to a close by a couple of sloppy stitches and knots?(Uong). Just like the Wright?s marriage, the quilt was beautiful until the end where everything was simply a mess. Isolationism also plays a very important role in the story. The Wright?s farmhouse is located in a hallow, in the woods. This sets her in a secluded place away from most civilisation. The Wright?s didn?t even have a phone in their house to be able to call anyone. Mr. Hale came to talk to Mr. Wright about a phone a few times but, ?he put me off, saying folks talked too muchShow MoreRelatedFeminist Message in Susan Glaspells Trifles891 Words   |  4 PagesMessage in Susan Glaspells Trifles Susan Glaspells Trifles can be regarded as a work of feminist literature. The play depicts the life of a woman who has been suppressed, oppressed, and subjugated by a patronizing, patriarchal husband. Mrs. Wright is eventually driven to kill her hard (1178) husband who has stifled every last twitch of her identity. Trifles dramatizes the hypocrisy and ingrained discrimination of male-dominated society while simultaneously speaking to the dangers for womenRead MoreFeminism at Its Best810 Words   |  3 PagesJury of Her Peers,† Susan Glaspell articulates the suffrage women of her time had to endure brought on by the weaker sex stereotype that had plagued the human brain for quite some time. Annenberg Learner states that the short story is based on a true event Susan Glaspell had covered in 1900 while working as a reporter for Des Moines Daily News (Annenberg Learner; Glaspell 179). At first, â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† was known as a play by Glaspell called â€Å"Tri fles.† A year later, Susan Glaspell adapted theRead MoreWomen’s Voice in Literature2562 Words   |  11 Pagesgoal of the women participating in the fight was the right vote. In an effort to rally more to their cause, women used not only organized protests but employed literature to speak out. Written during this time period, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† and â€Å"Trifles† are works that portray women as passive timid beings that should listen to their counterparts. These two pieces were composed to expose the outrageous manner in which women were regarded. On the other hand, â€Å"Canceled† is a contemporary piece which