The Role Of Women In The Doll House And Trifles - 1667 Words

Throughout history women have been handed a subservient role to her male counterpoint. Females in the late 19th and early 20th century were treated like a second-class citizen, and were thought of as being the weaker sex. It was the women’s job to stay home to cook and raise the children. While these are still prevalent issues, it is also true that things has gotten better for some women in recent years. Works like â€Å"The Doll House† by Henrik Ibsen and â€Å"Trifles† by Susan Glaspell have helped advance the idea of what roles women should play in society. In each play there are strong, female protagonists who, despite being oppressed by the societal rules against women, learn to rebel and fight for what they believe is right. While there are†¦show more content†¦MRS. PETERS. We think she was going to—knot it. COUNTY ATTORNEY. Well, that’s interesting, I’m sure. (Glaspell 744). The men in this story are mocking the women, because they do not expect the women to know anything of importance, and to only know their â€Å"womanly† duties, which are deemed unimportant. Another similarity between the two works are the changes that the women undergo towards the end of the plays. In â€Å"Trifles†, the women, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale, are stuck with the choice of aiding a murderer that was in an abusive relationship, or to tell their husbands what they have found: COUNTY ATTORNEY. No, Peters, it’s all perfectly clear expect a reason for doing it†¦If there was some definite thing. (Suddenly MRS. PETERS throws back quilt pieces and tries to put the box in the bag she is carrying†¦MRS. HALE snatches the box and puts it in the pocket of her big coat) (Gladwell). Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale both make the choice to protect Mrs. Wright from the men’s investigation. They believe they are making the right decision in not telling the men because they believe that Mrs. Wright was in an abusive relationship and the killing of her canary finally caused her to snap. In Marina Angel’s analysis of â€Å"Trifles†, she says â€Å"The symbolism is again clear. Minnie Foster ‘was kind of like a bird herself’†¦ But Mr. Wright had been rough with her† (Angel 805). The dead bird that Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale find is a symbol for Mrs. Wright herself,Show MoreRelatedChanging The World : One Play At A Time1644 Words   |  7 PagesOne Play at a Time Throughout history women have fought to be treated equivalent to men. In today’s society, although there are still improvements to be made, it is easy to see that the female population has made a significant step towards equality and independence. Looking back about one hundred years ago, gender roles were still very specific and consisted of the man working and supporting the family, and the woman taking care of the home and the family. Women had very little voice in that time andRead MoreAnalysis Of The Play Trifles And A Doll House 969 Words   |  4 Pages Motives Women in the early nineteen hundreds were not thought of as important as a man. The role of the woman was to stay home and perform household duties such as, caring for the children and the home. The role of the man was to work and speak for the family. The dramas â€Å"Trifles† and â€Å"A Doll House†, show how two women will commit a crime at all cost and somehow contrast with each other. Trifle is a word which is used to describe something with little importance or value. According to Suzy ClarksonRead MoreTrifles And A Doll House969 Words   |  4 PagesWomen in the early nineteen hundreds were not thought of as important as a man. The role of the woman was to stay home and perform household duties such as, caring for the children and the home. The role of the man was to work and speak for the family. The dramas Trifles and A Doll House, show how two women will commit a crime at all cost and somehow contrast with each other. Trifle is a word which is used to describe something with little importance or value. According to Suzy Clarkson HolsteinRead MoreA Doll s House : Henrik Ibsen962 Words   |  4 PagesDrama Analysis A Doll’s House (Henrik Ibsen) And Trifles (Susan Glaspell) In comparing both dramas, the overwhelming aspect of convergence between both is the open discussion of gender identity. Both dramas make similar points about what it means to be a woman. Modern society in both dramas is constructed with men holding power over women. This is seen in Trifles in how men like George Henderson and Mr. Hale are myopic. The premise of the drama is how women worry over trifles, and the dismissive attitudeRead MoreGlaspell s Trifles And The Invisibility Of Women1490 Words   |  6 PagesGlaspell’s Trifles and the Invisibility of Women Susan Glaspell’s play Trifles and Henrik Ibsen s A Doll s House are plays that explore a number of important features of femininity and life as a woman. Trifles explores a number of thematic ideas surrounding a woman’s place and her propensity for violence. The Author explores a thematic idea that centers on the proper dispensation of justice: Glaspell critically investigates the question of whether an individual can truly receive justice fromRead MoreTheme Of Marriage In A Dolls House1624 Words   |  7 PagesMarriage is tough. Nora and Torvald Helmer prove that in Henrik Ibsen’s classic play â€Å"A Doll House†. Not only does the main character’s marriage fail because of secrets, but because of the reasoning behind having those secrets. The late 1800’s when the play was published saw more than it’s fair share of sexism but the twist comes with Nora leaving Torvald at the end of the play, which at the time was unheard of. More ofte n than not this play leaves the reader siding with Nora and for a good reasonRead MoreSusan Glaspell s Trifles And A Doll House 2209 Words   |  9 Pageswould agree that women have established somewhat of an equal status to men in our current society, such was not the case for the female characters of the plays â€Å"Trifles† and â€Å"A Doll House†. Although both pieces are set in different eras, several similarities are evident in each reading. The authors of both plays use gender roles, symbolism, and dramatic realism to tell the story of two females, each faced with different circumstances in a masculine society. A society where women are expected to conformRead MoreComparison essay -- Trifles and A Dolls House1460 Words   |  6 PagesTimes Call For Desperate Change People are capable of doing crazy things! Nora, in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, loved her husband so much that she committed forgery just for the sake of his wellbeing. Susan Glaspell’s character in Trifles, Mrs. Wright, murders her husband after she discovers that he killed the one most precious thing to her, her pet bird. It was out of love that these women committed illegal crimes. Nora wanted her husband to be healthy because she loved him and knew that withoutRead MoreAnalysis Of Susan Glaspells Trifles: Patriarchal Dominance997 Words   |  4 PagesGlaspell’s a stage play Trifles filmed by Jasmine Castillo is based on the theme that two genders are separated by the roles they performance in society and their powers of execution. The story is about the terrible murder of Mr. Wright by his wife, and the women who found the evidence in farmer’s house decided to be silent and hide it. The women unquestionably have a strong motive to be quiet ab out their discovery. The discriminatory separation between two genders proves that women union is necessaryRead MoreTrifles and A Dollhouse843 Words   |  4 PagesThe plays, Trifles and A Dollhouse use the literary tool of symbolism to portray the way women were treated throughout the nineteenth century. Susan Glaspell uses the bird cage and the dead bird to signify the role and life of women in marriage and society, whereas Henrik Ibsen uses the dollhouse. These symbols allow the reader to recognize the plays main similarities in the treatment of women, such as men dismissing women as trivial and treating them like property; however, the plays portray the