Apparent Feminisms In The Play Trifles Essays - Trifles,

Apparent Feminisms In The Play Trifles Apparent Feminisms in the Play Trifles Male domination in 1916, when Susan Glaspells play Trifles was written, was the way of life. Men controlled most women and women were not very outspoken during that time period. Mr. Wright in her play was no different from the rest, but she made him a symbol of all the men in the community. The play opens at the scene of the crime. The first three characters who enter the room are the three men involved in the investigation of the murder at hand. The purpose of their visit is to find evidence of motivation of murder, but the women who they leave downstairs find the very evidence that they are looking for. The men presume the women to be harmless for a couple of reasons one being: the women are left in the kitchen where, according to the Sheriff, there are nothing but kitchen things(1174). His comment was in response to the County Attorneys question about the Sheriff being convinced that there was nothing important in the kitchen nothing that would point to any motive (1174). The concerns of the women are considered little or silly and insignificant and this is the most important reason for the mens comments about them. The Sheriff laughs when the women express that maybe the frozen preserves have some meaning (1174). Mr. Hale, who is the husband of one of the women, comments women are used to worrying over trifles (1174). They figure the women are not dangerous because they are in a room where there could not possibly be any evidence, but also because they believe that the womens minds are so limited to trifles that they are not a threat to the investigation. The men feel that the women cannot think, cannot act, and cannot do any harm to their investigative work. However, the women find lots of evidence in that room. They do think, act, and sabotage the investigation. They find the very evidence that the men are looking for. In most stories of this nature the men are the center of attention, but Glaspell opens our eyes to something new. Not only do the men not solve the case, but they also arent the center of attention. Even though the men were not using lots of demeaning dialogue and they are not patronizing the women, it is clear that they are using the traditional manly ways to put the women down. Men say that they are superior to women and that they can do everything by themselves, but why is it that the County Attorneys biggest dilemma is that he cannot figure this case out by himself yet the women can? The mens lack of knowledge, the failure to solve the case, and the mens insignificance in the play speak for themselves. This is a reversal of the characterizations of the women of that time period. Glaspell was successful in showing us this by letting the audience see everything from a womans point of view. Not only were the men superficial feminists, they were simply trifles. Theater

Originality or Comformity essays

Originality or Comformity essays Many people use clothes to communicate thoughts, feelings and expressions. If school uniforms were mandated, this form of expression would be stifled. For most students, uniforms would be a drudgery to wear. First of all, uniqueness would be hard to show amongst the students. If everyone looked the same, how could anyone be an individualist? We d start to become; and eventually be, conformists. In the same way that originality is lost, part of our personal freedom is infringed, by making students wear uniforms. Students use clothing to express opinions, and students have a right to an opinion, dont they? The charter of rights and freedoms states that, every person is entitled to the freedom of choice. If students are forced to wear a uniform, and robbed of their freedom of choice, then several statements from the charter of rights and freedoms, would be made untrue. If a students clothing is dictated to them, it halts their liberty of choice and expression. Another consideration of uniforms is that they must be cleaned constantly. To maintain a consistent personal hygiene, uniforms would have to be cleaned at a constant rate. Rem ember, there is a limited amount of uniforms per student, so students cant wear a different set (of uniforms) everyday. Also, today, no service comes without a charge. Thus cleaning the uniforms regularly would cost money. Some uniforms even need to be dry- cleaned. Through the eyes of a teenager, expression of thoughts and ideas is one of the most important forms of communication, and uniforms would make this almost impossible. Clothing is a legitimate way for many people to express themselves as human beings. ...