Trifles Compare And Contrast Essay

“Well, women are used to worrying over trifles” (Glaspell, 871). This expression used by Susan Glaspell in her play Trifles demonstrates how women were undermined for lacking mental focus to pay attention to the important things. Women had no place at all in the public life; in fact, they were relegated exclusively to the care of their homes and families. The women in Trifles by Susan Glaspell and “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin share that common element. Both stories address the position of women in the nineteenth century and share the notion of marriage as a form of oppression.
In “The Story of an Hour”, Mrs. Mallard is delighted when she is presented with a chance to take back her lost sense of identity after she receives news of her husband's death. Mrs. Mallard suffers from heart problems; therefore, her sister tries to break the terrible news in a gentle way. After taking in the news of her husband’s death, she slowly awakens to a reality that she would live for herself. There would

Mallard does not really interact with the other surrounding characters. She, instead, secludes herself in her room where she finally becomes conscious of her independence by embracing her newfound freedom, “the strongest impulse of her being” (Chopin,128). But before becoming aware of her identity, we are introduced to Louise’s inner life, which depicts a gloomy portrait of marriage. Now, the open window in her room is a very important element, for it represents Mrs. Mallard’s hope, an aperture to the “long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely” (raza and saghaei, 303). “Spring days, and summer days and all sorts of days that would be her own” (raza and saghaei, 303). Perhaps, Louise’s role is physically inactive because of her heart trouble, an illness that intensifies her condition as a restrained woman. However, her reduced physical interaction along the story could be the sign of something deeper (raza and saghaei,