Gender Roles In Susan Glaspell's Trifles

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Imagine that things could change drastically if the gender roles were different than the way they are now. Men and Women’s lives would be a whole lot different and more complicated to say the least. Women have had a difficult time throughout history as they were not given as much freedom and opportunities that men were given. Women have always been in situations where due to their gender, they have been held back and not being able to perform up to their potential. In Susan Glaspell’s story, Trifles, she explains how men and women are truly different in their respective genders. She uses to the title Trifles to explain the role of women as diminishing as well as their freedom. Glaspell is able to demonstrate the lack of freedom and power women have by using …show more content…
Mr. Wright hated it so she stopped singing essentially taking the voice and talent away from her. In comparison with the bird, the bird was killed by the neck prohibiting it from singing and also symbolizing how the voice was taken from Mrs. Wright the same way it was taken from the singing bird. This plays an overriding theme of how Mrs. Wright’s freedom and power was affected due to her being a woman. She was unable to voice any of her opinions and was restricted and couldn’t do anything she wanted. In addition, Glaspell shows men as being seen above women by placing all the men upstairs and all the women downstairs as a symbol of men possessing more power and having a higher rank which shows the lack of freedom women had. Glaspell shows how the attorney general reacts as soon as he enters the house looking for evidence. The County Attorney says to the Sheriff “I guess we’ll go upstairs first—and then out to the barn around here. You’re convinced that there was nothing important here—nothing that would point any motive.” The Sheriff responds by saying “Nothing here except kitchen things.” (Glaspell, p.760) They explain how there’s nothing important in the scene and all the places they should
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