Trifles by Susan Glaspell
I think that the theme of the Trifles by Susan Glaspell is the plight of women, just as suggested in the question. The play indicates an era in America when women were belittled, ignored, and neglected by men. All the elements come into play in the entire story, which is about two women who hide the evidence that could convict a fellow housewife accused of murdering the Husband. Several topics surface under the plight of women, which serves as a dominant theme in the story. Among the subthemes which feature in the story are spousal abuse, isolation, social expectations, marital expectations, women within the patriarchal society, and Family roles of women. The disempowerment of women is evident in the first segment of the story when Hale asserts that John Write can provide flips regarding what he thinks of his woman. The statement, “HALE: […] I thought maybe if I went to the house and talked about it before his wife, though I said to Harry that I didn’t know as what his wife wanted made much difference to John” portray just how much disempowered Mrs. Wright was, by the male counterpart. Mrs. Peters, as well as Mrs. Hale, have been asked to join their spouses in investigating the items which could prove that Mrs. Wright killed the Husband. While the action begins, Mrs. Wright is in custody in the county jail- the reason why she requests for the bringing back of individual items to her that she requires. Here, gender differentiation, especially in terms of roles, mirrors such that the men let women to investigate their fellow women and find out the sins that could crucify her. Readers can perceive this action as a way for men to realize the kind of tricks that women can use to rebel against the patriarchal powers in society.
Work Cited
Mays, Kelly J. The Norton Introduction to Literature. WW Norton & Company, 2015.