The Strength of Women in Literature

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses, and gives details from all three plays, that deal with the strength apparent in the way in which women support one another. The author believes that truth is something which women come by naturally; therefore, it is no accident that "truth telling" and "truth making" are an inherent part of the female support network portrayed in these three plays. The paper points out that the greatest strength of all these female characters is shown in the way in which they walk away from their spouses in order to reconnect with other women.

From the Paper:

"The women in "Trifles" choose not to share this truth with the men, because they do not think it will be fully appreciated and understood -- it would only be used to do harm to another woman. For themselves, however, it comes naturally. As for what they speakout, that is truth of another sort. A cat got the bird, they suggest -- and indeed, a predator did get the bird (John himself) and is now gone. Was she going to sew her quilt? She was going to "knot" it, they say, and one thinks to the knot of the noose upstairs. Truth is inherent even in their most misleading words. In "The Dollhouse", truth is a deeply central theme. Linde speaks of the importance of truth, of course, but Nora really develops it. Every man in the play is somehow a liar and corrupt. Nora lies too, of course, but her lies are productive in that they only existed to save the life of her husband."

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