Time is a term that is closely associated with change. Nothing remains the same over time. Progress and regress are presented in every aspect of life. Literature illustrates this on several occasions. This may be exemplified by observing Trifles by Susan Glaspell. Trifles illustrates adverse identifications of women in earlier Americana that correlate to the identity women maintain in our current society.
Male dominance is one of the central themes displayed throughout the play. The women identified in Trifles have modest voices compared to their male counterparts. This causes numerous opportunities for male dominance from the beginning to the end of the play. Their opinions are blatantly disregarded. An instance of male dominance may be illustrated by the interaction between Mr. Henderson and Mrs. Hale. Mr. Henderson requests information regarding Mrs. Hale's relationship with the Wrights. Once Mrs. Hale begins to provide details regarding the Wrights' lifestyle, Mr. Henderson stops her mid-sentence and demands a brief answer. Another instance of male dominance is displayed when men brought attention to the women's handy work. When Mrs. Wright constructed a quilt, the men basically made fun of the women's craft.
This is illustrated by the lines that state, “Mrs. Hale: It's log cabin pattern. Pretty, isn't it? I wonder if she was goin' to quilt or just knot it? Sherrif: They wonder if she was going to quilt it or just knot it. (the men laugh, the women look abashed).” (Glaspell) The next instance of male dominance is revealed by an interaction between Mr. Hale and Mrs. Wright. Mr. Hale outright identifies Mrs. Wright's opinion as frivolous. This is revealed through the lines that read, "…but I thought maybe if I went to the house and talked about it before his wife, though I said to Harry that I didn't know as what his wife wanted made much difference to John." (Glaspell)
[...] Susan Glaspell has presented an earlier identification of women in Americana society. The same regard for women may be identified in our current society. Advancements have taken place. However, the overall identity of women in society has remained the same. Works Cited Angel, Marina. "Susan Glaspell's Trifles and A Jury of Her Peers: Woman Abuse in a Literary and Legal Context." Buff. L. Rev (1997): 779. Barnett, Randy E., and Ilya Shapiro. "Unprecedented: The Constitutional Challenge to Obamacare." (2013). Glaspell, Susan. [...]
[...] He identifies that women focus on miniscule details daily. The same lack or regard for the opinions of women may be identified in today's society. It is not as blatant as the play presents. Nevertheless, the lack of regard is still present. This may be illustrated by the United States government. Twenty women occupy the current U.S. Senate. This is a 20 percent representation among all sitting senators. (Tate) Similarly, women account for 18 percent of the United States House of Representatives. [...]
[...] Women are identified in an inferior manner throughout the play. This is clearly exemplified through Mr. Wright's death. The men that investigate the crime are not convinced that Mrs. Wright killed him. She is not thoroughly accused of the crime because she is a woman. The men cannot fathom Mrs. Wright being capable of carrying out this crime. (Angel) The primary cause for this is her gender. The women of the play are definitely aware of their identity in society. [...]
[...] Hale outright identifies Mrs. Wright's opinion as frivolous. This is revealed through the lines that read, " but I thought maybe if I went to the house and talked about it before his wife, though I said to Harry that I didn't know as what his wife wanted made much difference to John." (Glaspell) The women of the play were limited to certain tasks. This further promoted the theme of male dominance. Jars of preserves, boxes of fabric, house work, and child bearing seemed to be the primary concerns the women of the play maintained. [...]
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