"Trifles"

In "Trifles" a small group of men and women investigate the murder of Mr. Wright.  The only suspect is Mrs. Wright.  The men investigate by examining the physical facts of the murder, such as examining the windows for signs of being forced open.  The women however observe several little details about the state of Mrs. Wright's kitchen and her possessions.  These little details, these "trifles", give the women an understanding of Mrs. Wright.  In the end, the women discover that Mrs. Wright is guilty without really meaning to, but the men are stumped by the case and can't find any evidence.  The women sympathize with Mrs. Wright and don't tell the men what they have discovered.

Hello all.  I enjoyed reading "Trifles" immensely.  Here are some of my thoughts about it.

It is apparent that the men, in their dismissal of the women's "trifles", are missing what is most important.  It would seem that  Susan Glaspell is saying that men should treat women and their concerns with more respect and interest.

I believe that in reality many people, both men and women, look down upon what they do not know.  They treat subjects, people and ideas that they do not think of as their own with some condescension.  This type of view should be avoided.  It is unpleasant and immature.  The play illustrates this clearly.  However, I must here disagree with Glaspell.  I don't believe that this condescension complex is limited to men.  I think that this tendency is about equally distributed among men and women.  We as individuals must strive to see other people's points of view, and attempt to understand each person fully.

You have an appointment with the Patrician...

Despite being in charge of an entire city, I still find time to read once in a while.  I have, in fact, just read a play named "Trifles".

One of the themes central to "Trifles" is the interaction of the law, justice, and personal feelings when it comes to judging a person guilty of a crime.  In the play the two women are forced to make a choice: do they reveal that Mrs. Wright is the murderer, or do they hide the evidence they have found to protect Mrs. Wright?  Taken out of context this seems like an obvious choice; of course they should do everything in their power to ensure that the murderer is punished and prevented from harming anyone else.  The situation is not that simple though.  Both women can relate to Mrs. Wright.  They understand her.  They sympathize with her.  In fact, they so appreciate her motives that they find it impossible to condemn her.  The internal struggle the two women face forms the conflict of the story.

This conflict raises some questions:  What would we do in their place?  What should we do?  What does Susan Glaspell think about this?  The fact that she seems to be on the Women's side would lead me to believe that she thinks that the two women did the right thing by protecting Mrs. Wright.  This would suggest that Glaspell believes there is a flaw in the justice system.  Perhaps she thinks that a system should be created where personal feelings should be taken into account.  How would a system like this be created?  Would it even be possible to have a system of this sort with constant, unchanging rules?  I believe it is not likely that such a system could work.  I think Glaspell does not intend us to see the women as doing the right thing, she is merely showing us what is natural for them to do under the circumstances.

well then, don't let me detain you...