Art can show the Interior of another Person’s Life and Soul

Art can show the Interior of another Person’s Life and Soul

Art comprises of a diverse range of human activities that express their authors’ conceptual ideas and imaginative abilities. In addition to enhancing individuals’ critical and creative thinking skills, art is a form of entertainment. Most communities utilize diverse art forms to convey as well as preserve their cultural practices and beliefs. Edward Bok Lee posits that, “Art can show you the interior of another person’s life and soul, if only just for a few minutes” (Lee 1228). This paper undertakes an intensive evaluation of the application of this quote in relation to Susan Glaspell’s Trifles and David Henry Hwang’s The Sound of a Voice. In reference to these plays, the genre of drama is the “art” while the “interior of a person’s life” refers to the characters.

Art can show the Interior of another Person’s Life and Soul

Susan Glaspell’s Trifles

Trifles is a one-act feminist drama. The play explores the events that led to the death of John Wright. The main suspect of this murder is John Wright’s wife, Minnie. During the investigation, two of the female characters, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters sympathize with Minnie. They utilize their feminine instincts to evaluate the possible causes of Minnie’s action. These two women also discover a bird’s cage with a dead canary. The bird had been killed in the same way as Mr. John Wright. Although the women, conclude that Minnie is the murderer, they decide to hide the evidence. The male characters, however, are prejudiced in believing that nothing of importance can be traced in areas of the house where Minnie had dominance such as the kitchen. During the investigation, male characters disregard important clues indicating that they were mere “trifles” that only appeal to women. The men instead search the bedroom and the barn. These are sections that men had dominance. As a result, the men fail to find crucial evidence that would incriminate Minnie.

Throughout the play, the playwright, through various characters explores Minnie’s life and soul. Mrs. Hale in a conversation with Mrs. Peters tries to contemplate the reason Minnie had a birdcage. She also tries to speculate the whereabouts of the caged bird. Mrs. Hale also feels guilty for not visiting Minnie. She indicates that she never created time to visit Minnie because the house was uncomfortable and lonely. Minnie’s house was also hidden and isolated from most of the other inhabitants in the location. Mr. Wright was also cruel to his wife, Minnie.

“Yes–good; he didn’t drink, and kept his word as well as most, I guess, and paid his debts. But he was a hard man, Mrs. Peters. Just to pass the time of day with him. (Shivers.) Like a raw wind that gets to the bone” (Glasspell 23).

In addition to Mrs. Hale’s in-depth insights into the situation, the bird cage is a symbolic feature that provides an inner assessment of Minnie’s life and soul. Minnie was trapped in her cruel marriage with Mr. Wright. During the investigation, the door to the bird’s cage is open. This symbolizes the broken nature of Minnie’s wedding to Mr. Wright. The open door further depicts Minnie’s desire to escape from the abusive marriage. The symbol of a caged bird provides an insight into how Mr. Wright isolated Minnie from the society. Due to resentment and a need to break free, Minnie decides to murder her husband.

David Henry Hwang’s The Sound of a Voice

The Sound of a Voice is David Henry Hwang’s fifth play. The play encompasses two characters. The woman lives alone in an isolated home in a small remote village. The male character is homeless and wanders on his own throughout the country. David Hwang utilizes the characters, dialogue, and unique settings to explore their lives and soul. Ability to artistically intertwine various literary devices such as symbolism and imagery enables him to explore key thematic concerns such as silence, love, loneliness, and fear. The first scene begins with an awkward interaction between the male and the female character. Both are middle-aged. The woman decides to welcome the man who is a travelling stranger into her house. She says, “You would do a great honor to dine with me. Guests are rare in this house” (Hwang 1739). As they share a cup of tea, their dialogue provides key details of their lives and souls. Both of the characters, for instance, dislike the feeling of solitude and isolation. They also share the fear of experiencing a heartbreak from a romantic relationship. Fear of the unknown hinders them from establishing romantic relationships with other people. At one point, the male character had to sleep near a waterfall. This is because he had a strong desire to listen to human voices. The waterfall helped him to recreate and imagine the warmth as well as the distinct nature of human conversations. The female character has also taught herself how to play the flute with the hope that it will help her mimic human voices.

During the remaining part of the characters’ conversation, the playwright artistically utilizes a spare style of conversation. Both characters’ conversation is filled with a lot of empty spaces. These express the characters’ fear towards interacting with other people. The female character says, “Anything you say, I will enjoy hearing. It’s not even the words. It’s the sound of a voice …” (Hwang 1740). The woman further reveals that she measures time by the presence of another. According to the female character, time begins with the entrance of a visitor and ends with his exit. The man responds to the female character by indicating that he can not sleep into much silence because it is scary. Silence makes him develop a feeling of lack of control of his future. Both characters, therefore, are brought together by their common fear of silence. As a result, the woman requests the man to stay at her house longer. The man decides to spend a few days at the house.

Conclusion

The literary analysis affirms that art can show the interior of another person’s life and soul even if it is only for a few minutes. In reference to Susan Glaspell’s Trifles, the playwright explores the conflicting nature of the main character’s emotions. Minnie, the main character, is depicted as a caged bird. Her husband isolated her from the society. She was also subjected to diverse forms of domestic violence. In an effort to break free, Minnie decided to kill her husband. David Hwang utilizes unique setting and dialogue to explore the lonely nature of the play’s characters.