Trifles Woman and Mr. Peters - 1480 Words

Since the 1900’s, women have struggled with gender roles in society that leaned more in favor of men. Susan Glaspell’s play, Trifles, reflects on this struggle by blatantly separating the ideas, opinions and actions of the men and women in the play. As the title Trifles suggests, the men in the play view the two women’s concerns as unimportant and frivolous in comparison to the â€Å"real† work the men have to do. Glaspell’s characterization of the sheriff, Henry Peters, the attorney, George Henderson, and the neighboring farmer, Mr. Hale, portrays them as typical men of the time who decide to take charge because, as men, that is their duty and only they know what can be done and how to go about discovering the truth. They only take along Mrs.†¦show more content†¦Hale into his account of the story and tries to keep the two men on task and focusing on the objective. Mr. Henderson even talks roughly to the sheriff, â€Å"Somebody should hav e been left here yesterday† (1369), showing not only his effort to control the situation, but that because he is younger and more educated, he believes himself to know more. Glaspell is exhibiting Mr. Henderson’s arrogance and self-assurance as a way to make him seem like a young man with that invincible hero-complex. This is seen again after Mr. Peters teases the women for worrying about the reserves and Mr. Henderson declares, â€Å"(with the gallantry of a young politician): and yet, for all their worries, what would we do without the ladies?† (1371) Although this particular line makes it seem as if he appreciates the women more then the other two men do, this is only Mr. Henderson trying to impress the women and show off. For the rest of the play, he mostly ignores their presence, marking the two women as insignificant. At one point, he says to them, â€Å"Well, ladies, have you decided whether she was going to quilt it or knot it?....Well, that’s int eresting, I’m sure† (1375), not even giving the women’s response half a thought when, ironically, the subject of his question was very noteworthy evidence. Glaspell is characterizing Mr. Henderson as cocky, yet ignorant to prove the women’s legitimacy. Unlike Mr. Henderson and Mr. Peters, Mr. Hale is only a neighboring farmer; thereforeShow MoreRelatedTrifles And The Women Who Worry Over Them1037 Words   |  5 PagesTrifles and the Women Who Worry Over Them At the start of Susan Glaspell’s dark drama â€Å"Trifles† we are introduced to the characters as they all arrive at an abandoned farmhouse previously owned by the recently murdered Mr. John Wright and his killer, and wife, Mrs. Wright. The men’s dominance over the situation and the women is clear from the initial understanding of their individual roles. The men all seem to have important tasks to perform. The sheriff and the county attorney are investigatingRead MoreFeminist Criticism Of Susan Glaspell s Trifles 1512 Words   |  7 Pageswomen. One of her most famous dramas, â€Å"Trifles†, Glaspell showed the females capability to stand up for one another. Gender issues play a role in everyday society, oppressing women economically, politically, socially, and psychologically. Glaspell tries to even explain through the title the feminism analyst as you read through her drama. As common as it is for a title of a story reflects the moral of the story, that’s what Gaspell did for â€Å"Trifles†. Trifles meaning very little value, or irrelevantRead MoreChanging The World : One Play At A Time1644 Words   |  7 Pagesand consisted of the man working and supporting the family, and the woman taking care of the home and the family. 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