Women of "Trifles" vs. Women of Today Comparison Essay

Women of "Trifles" vs. Women of Today
A comparison of the status of women today to the status of women as presented in the play, "Trifles", by Susan Glaspell.
# 153641 | 834 words | 5 sources | MLA | 2013 | US
Published on Aug 08, 2013 in Drama and Theater (American) , Literature (American) , Women Studies (Women and Society)


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Description:

The paper analyzes how Susan Glaspell, in her play "Trifles", portrays the role and status of women in early America. The paper identifies the themes of male dominance in the play, and highlights how the opinions of women are blatantly disregarded and the women are limited to certain tasks. The paper then argues that this same lack or regard for the opinions of women is still present in today's society although it is not as blatant as in the play. The paper looks at the proportionally low representation of women in Congress and the Senate to content that while advancements have taken place, the overall identity of women in society has remained the same.

From the Paper:

"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."

Sample of Sources Used:

  • Angel, Marina. "Susan Glaspell's Trifles and A Jury of Her Peers: Woman Abuse in a Literary and Legal Context." Buff. L. Rev. 45 (1997): 779.
  • Barnett, Randy E., and Ilya Shapiro. "Unprecedented: The Constitutional Challenge to Obamacare." (2013).
  • Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. Baker's Plays, 2010.
  • Smith, Steven S., Jason M. Roberts, and Ryan J. Vander Wielen. The American Congress. Cambridge University Press, 2013.
  • Tate, Katherine. "Women, Elections, & Representation." Oklahoma Politics 3 (2013): 63-64.

Cite this Comparison Essay:

APA Format

Women of "Trifles" vs. Women of Today (2013, August 08) Retrieved December 04, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/comparison-essay/women-of-trifles-vs-women-of-today-153641/

MLA Format

"Women of "Trifles" vs. Women of Today" 08 August 2013. Web. 04 December. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/comparison-essay/women-of-trifles-vs-women-of-today-153641/>

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