The Elements Of Social Justice In Trifles, By Susan Glaspell

Like writers of fiction, playwrights have many tools with which to craft a dramatic work for theatrical use, amongst those are, engaging plots, textured characters, clever dialogues, expository settings, and lofty themes. Often playwrights may have a specific message in mind. For instance, a popular such topic, is social injustice, by using the elements of drama, plot, characterization, dialogue, theme and staging to expose the evils of sexism and racism, artists can drive social change in a way that is not otherwise possible. The experienced playwright can use these elements to expose injustice through plot constructs and through interactions between characters or dialogue that depict real life situations. Each element creates a story that

It is the sequence of occurrences that allow for exposition of setting or paradigm with which to view the social context for the drama. Furthermore, it can acquaint the audience with the characters, and finally it can guide us through the action to the conclusion to illuminate the theme. One such vivid embroidery is the play Trifles, by Susan Glaspell. In the exposition we learn that a death has occurred in a bleak, cold, disordered out of the way farm house in 1918. The entire play takes place in just one episode or scene. The subject of the play is the mystery of a man’s death, but the theme of the story is the sexist view of women prevalent at the beginning of the last century. The title of the play foreshadows the dynamic between the male and female characters. This gender bias is quickly exposed through the use of dialogue as we see in this line, delivered by the sheriff, “well women are used to worrying over trifles”. The two men in the play are looking for evidence with which to convict the farmer’s wife of murder, yet in a twist of irony, the women, towards whom the men have little respect, conspire to hide the very evidence the men are searching for. They instead band together in a show of sisterly solidarity with abused wife. All of these plot points are strung together with the use of dialogue, and symbolism, and with the benefit strong

The setting can place the story within the context of history, describing the environmental or social conditions that allow the conflict to be possible and believable. Furthermore the setting gives the story tone, for instance, a run down dirty and overcrowded space conveys a sense of dread, or psychological stress in the characters or plot. Conversely the costumes can magnify a characters personality quirks or circumstances. Often the facets of setting allow the introduction of symbols that can communicate abstract concepts without having to spell them out. Additionally it can set an atmosphere that foreshadows future