A Dolls House And Triffles: The Issue Of Women Treatment In The 19th Century

Alexander Pereira da Silva

Kenneth Cotrell

English 102

A Dolls House and Triffles: The issue of Women Treatment in the 19th Century

In both plays the issue of women treatment during that period (end of the 19th century and the beginning of 20th century) is widely highlighted.

The “Anthology of American Literature” observes that Susan Glaspell “insisted that the truth about women lives and struggles for identity, equality, and power be seen and heard” (1259). In the Play “Trifles”, the men make a very big mistake by assuming that women’s identity is solely derived from the relationship with the dominant gender, men. Prosecutor Henderson tells Mrs. Peters that, the fact that she is married to a law enforcement officer implies that she is married

Male dominance is also a major theme (Parker 2). They desire more freedom and personal advancement beyond marriage ties. The author prompts the reader to question both women’s and men’s perspectives on gender issues through tension-filled drama. For example, whereas the women are at the Wrights’ residence to collect some personal effects for Mrs. Wright who has been held in jail, the men are there to fulfill their legal obligations. The women are flexible enough to notice many faults and possible evidence of what may have transpired in the house. The men are too rigid to see anything beyond a disorderly kitchen. In addition, the manner in which the women and men approach the house is different. The women approach the house as a home, but the men approach it has a crime scene. The women’s approach does not only lead them to knowledge, but also enables them to use their knowledge to make decisions. The women do not share their astute impressions and observations because the men do not expect them to make any valuable contribution to the investigation. This is a failure that the women discover and motivates them even more to “find own path in

The play questions the many in which husbands view and treat their wives, responds to male attitudes by women and the manner in which these factors shaped relationships in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Torvald wants to make his wife as comfortable as possible. However, in exchange he wishes his wife becomes his little “little skylark, your doll, which you would in future treat with doubly gentle care, because it was so brittle and fragile” (Ibsen 78).

“A Doll’s House” revolves around two individuals living together as husband and wife-Trervold and Nora, but also focuses on family life, work and societal expectations. Because of these expectations, Nora had to give the borrowed money, as a secret for a long time”, even though the money was suppose to be spend to improve his own health. These were time when it was ethically wrong for a wife to borrow without the consent of her husband”. Nora, on the hand, desires to be appraised, not on her obedience, but on what she has done to improve the welfare of family