Analyzing theme in Susan Glaspell's Trifles (Essay Sample)

Running Head: IS JUSTICE SERVED? ANALYSIS OF THE MAIN THEME IN SUSAN GLASPELL’S TRIFLES
Is Justice Served? Analysis of the Main Theme in Susan Glaspell’s Trifles
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What is the Main Theme in the Play?
The main theme of the play is largely embedded and embodied in its title, Trifles. The meaning and usage of this word depict insignificance. But exactly whose insignificance is being projected? This question affords for the deduction of gender differences between men and women, in regards to the roles the society accords them. To put it simply, the whole play seems to suggest that unlike men who are self-centered, women are more intuitive, deliberative, and sensitive to the needs of others. However, most of the time, their actions are largely dismissed as trifles, which is precisely why the men fail to uncover the motive for Wright’s murder. In essence, men, as projected in the play by Glaspell, only believe that women derive their identities solely from their relationships to men, who are the dominant gender. This further enlarges the gender differences theme by solidifying men’s projected patriarchal dominance.
The Socio Cultural Situation as Presented in Play
The socio-cultural nuances innate in the play all go a long way in cementing and accentuating the gender divisions theme. In essence, they bring forth the following sub-themes: loneliness and restriction of women. Loneliness is afforded in the fact that John Wright likes silence and simplicity. To this effect, according to Mrs. Hale, when she approached Wright with the idea of sharing a telephone line, he refused, saying "people talked too much anyway, and that all he wanted was peace and quiet" (36). Inclination to peace and quiet reflects the 20th century Mid-Western social life. The sphere of the home in this period, therefore, is projected in the play as advancing the loneliness of women in society. By Wright denying Minnie the chance to have a telephone line, he isolates her from the world and denies her any form of outside social life.
The sub-theme of restriction of women is accentuated by the fact that the role and place of women in the 20th century is restricted to the home alone; that their value cannot be discovered outside of this sphere of influence. Marriage is a key element that brings into focus the idea that Wright placed certain restrictions on Minnie that curtailed her freedom and enjoyment of life. As observed by Mrs. Hale, Mrs. Wright "used to be like a bird, real sweet and pretty" (43). This observation suggests that marriage did change Mrs. Wright’s outlook on life and her personality. The fact that Mr. Wright seems to have forbidden Minnie from singing in the church choir and from joining Ladies Aid also supports the idea that her marriage placed certain restrictions on her life. Ultimately, her home too, became the frontier for psychological abuse and thus lost its appeal. This is precisely why Mrs...