Trifles

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Susan Glaspell 's Trifles : A Study on Men 's Perception of Women

Susan Glaspell 's play , Trifles ' shows how men sometimes think of women 's concerns as trifles , or unimportant things , as the title itself suggests . The story is not just a murder mystery it also focuses on how men , especially the ones in the play , regard women as the physically weaker and more intellectually inferior gender . Through her story Glaspell portrays men who do not believe that women can be useful

outside taking care of the home . In the end , this makes them think the women unable to help in the investigation . It is also because of this that John Wright 's widow escapes their suspicion

During the investigation of John Wright 's murder , the personalities of the county attorney , the sheriff and Mr . Hale , a neighboring farmer , are revealed through their interaction with the women in the story . When the men are investigating , they talk about clues that they think are significant to the case . They consider their female companions are being silly : Well , can you beat the women ! Held for murder and worryin ' about her preserves (Glaspell . This is in response to the wife of the sheriff 's , Mrs . Peter 's , comment : Oh , her fruit it did freeze .She worried about that when it turned so cold . She said the fire 'd go out and her jars would break (Glaspell . It does not occur to the men that listening to what the women are talking about may provide them with some clues about the case . All they know is that they are doing their best to solve the case , while the women are just worrying about unimportant things , like fruit . They think that this proves how wholly domestic women 's functions can be

The men , especially the young county attorney , believe that the women 's place is in the home and this means that they should be good at their household chores . Not much of a housekeeper , would you say , ladies (Glaspell , he comments on the mess in the Wrights ' home . If he has been expecting agreement from their female companions , he is wrong . The neighbor 's wife , Mrs . Hale defends Mrs . Wright 's ability to keep her home by saying that There 's a great deal of work to be done on a farm (Glaspell . This interaction also suggests that men are unaware about the hard work that women do when taking care of the home they believe that since they are the ones earning money for the family , they are working much harder

Another way that men in Trifles ' see women is that they are close to each other , with a bond that involves gossip and sharing of techniques on how to manage a household more effectively . Ah , loyal to your sex I see . But you and Mrs . Wright were neighbors . I suppose you were friends , too (Glaspell . Mrs . Hale responds to the county attorney in the negative...