Essay on Sacrifices in Susan Glaspell's Trifles

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Recommended: Roles of women in literature

Sacrifices in Trifles

When a woman marries she is expected to give up her family, her last name, and her virginity. In other words she is expected to give up the life she knew. Susan Glaspell’s play Trifles tells the story of a woman that gave up her all to please society and her husband. The story examines a woman who sacrificed her tranquility, her talents, and her individuality. In the end, the woman even gave up her freedom.

A person’s home should be more than a place to shelter them from the elements. It should be a place where one could express him/her self freely and not have to worry about any harm coming to them. In the play Trifles Mrs. Wright lived in a house that was anything but calm. In block eleven, first line of the play one of Mrs. Wright’s friends Mrs. Hale states: “It never seemed a very cheerful place”. This being a very odd remark the county sheriff asked her to elaborate. “No, I don't mean anything, but I don't think a place'd be any cheerfuller for John Wright's being in it.” (Glaspell B: 11, L: 5). On this statement alone one can take from this that Mr. Wright wasn’t a very pleasant man to be around, let alone be married to. She goes on to tell a little more about Mr. Wright’s character “… he didn't drink, and kep...

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... women. So that men won’t follow the path of Mr. Wright and women wont fall into a trap like Mrs. Wright did. Bourn agrees by adding: “Trifles is not just a reflection, however. It is also a call for women to use their perceived powerless as a tool to manipulate the system, and a warning to men that a system where one segment of the population dominates and oppresses another cannot and will not be tolerated forever”(Bourn 2).

Works Cited

Bourn, Bryan D. www.hongik.edu/~yhyo/glaspel.html A feminist Criticism of Susan Glaspell’s Trifles. 04-19-2001

Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. Etext.Lib.virginia.edu/ebooks/Glist.html

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