How Does Susan Glaspell Create Tension In Trifles

Glaspell & “Trifles” Those who are oppressed seek expression; those who are trapped seek freedom. The human spirit rebels against dominance, propelling those affected into action. The short dramatic play, “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell, showcases the oppression of American women by a male-dominated society during the late 1800s. As the title of the play suggests, the concerns of women are often considered to be mere trifles, unimportant issues that bear little or no importance to the true work of society, which, of course, is being carried out by men. “Trifles” reminds the audience that women are not to be dismissed as less intelligent or less able and that to unfairly silence them will lead to revolution. Glaspell uses symbolism to expose
Two important symbols, a birdcage and a canary, emerge in the play to represent Minnie and her home life. The birdcage is intact except for a hinge that is pulled apart. Minnie’s life, once carefree and full of happiness has been “caged.” She has become imprisoned within her home. Held captive by her husband, isolated from her “flock” of friends, she is held solitary in the birdcage of her home life. The broken door becomes the “unhinged” mind of Minnie when she finally breaks loose and lets her mind separate from moral restrictions. The canary is representative of Minnie herself. The symbol is recognized and expressed through Mrs. Hale’s character when she states that Minnie “was kind of like a bird herself -- real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and fluttery” (Glaspell 781). The bird is trapped, forced into captivity for the pleasure of its owner, dependent upon its caretaker for its survival. Mr. Wright, subjected to his determinations of what she can and can’t have, traps Minnie. He was attracted to her beauty and happiness, but held her captive until her spirit could no longer “fly”. The bird remains a symbol even through its death. As the bird dies, so does Minnie’s spirit. The bird’s ultimate “freedom” through death also parallels with Minnie’s freedom through her husband’s death. Even though she is jailed in the play, her spirit
Glaspell puts a vast amount of symbols to use to dramatically describe Minnie Wright and shed light upon society’s prejudices and women’s solidarity that rebellion triggers. She also leaves a strong message with the dialogue between the sheriffs and the dialogue between their wives at the Wrights’ home, which reveals the difference in how the men and women view the evidence and empathize with Mrs. Wright. Throughout the play, discoveries are made to teach the audience that maybe things are not what they seem and that sometimes people must take a deeper look into what is around them. Written obviously to express Glaspell’s concerns about the life women were leading, this play provides a look at the relationship between men and women, from the women’s perspective, which was extremely rare in the 1920s. Filled with brilliant imagery and contextual relevancy, this play’s value will continue to live on a sign of women’s