Anger in Susan Glaspell's Trifles: Women Oppression and
Isolation Cause Anger in Trifles
Anger is an intense, negative emotion that is based on both cognitive interpretations and previous experiences'. Anger is observed to increase when another individual is held responsible or blamed for the occurrence of a negative outcome.
__Joanna Baillie, Plays on The Passions (320-21)
Anger is a natural human feeling. Throughout history, literature has tackled anger as it considers an outcome for several external factors such as gender oppression, humiliation and inequality of the sexes. Susan Glaspell has been considered as one of the most significant dramatists in the twentieth century. According to Linda Ben-Zvi, Glaspell worked first as a journalist and reporter for the Des Moines Dailey News that expanded her experiences to start writing. The origin of her masterpiece Trifles was a real murder case that Glaspell was in a charge of covering it during her previous job. Ben- Zvi states that the society in which Glaspell lived in affected her as it was concerned with socialism and feminism. Glaspell was one of the founders of Heterodoxy which was a radical group of women activists. Trifles represents a commentary on the societal values of women at that time and their roles in the home (160-63). The inequality between men and women causes clashes and suppress anger that may lead to murders like in this real murder case.
Latifa Jabboury clarifies that Glaspell tackled themes concerning women issues and problems such as conditions of women at twenties and women suppression. Only women who suffer from similar oppressed circumstances will sympathize with her character Minnie Foster. Men of her family were not effective whereas women had significant influence on her
; her mother and her grandmother affected her directions as they represented strong and independent women.
Glaspell walked on the same way her precedes female dramatists walked through. Kate Chopin and Fanny fern were most significant dramatists that Glaspell has influenced by. Glaspell was married to the thinker George Cook after a long relationship but his repeated cheats spoiled this marriage. According to Veronica Makowsky, Glaspell 'used her work as an outlet to vent the anger she felt toward Cook's behavior' ( 20). Glaspell employs her main character Minnie Foster to release her unexpressed anger inside her because of her unsuccessful marriage. It was within this atmosphere Glaspell found encouragement for her interest in creating female characters who desired to free themselves. Her main character Mrs. Wright's sufferings at the hands of her husband may reflect anxieties that would have been to home for her audience. Because of her unpleasant experience of marriage, Susan Glaspell sheds the light on how imposed isolation ,loneliness and oppression of women in marriage for a long time cause anger by using symbolism, props and dramatic irony in Trifles (1916).
Trifles is a one act play. 'Trifles' considers a very significant and symbolic title as it states from the very beginning women from the perspective of men. Trifle means anything that has little worth or significance. Glaspell summarizes men's view on women in 'women are used to worrying over trifles' (19).This key sentence how men underestimate cares and worries of women. Trifles considers a dramatic mystery as its events go around a murder investigation. The play events take place in the kitchen as the domain of women. She describes the kitchen as 'gloomy' in an' abandoned farmhouse' (18) as an indication of the isolation and somberness of this house from the commencement. In winter 'below zero' Glaspell compensates the coldness and solitude of weather for the life in this 'abandoned house'. According to Lizbeth Goodman in her book Literature and Gender , the language of Trifles makes for 'easy reading' enjoyable, entertaining, engaging' in the sense that the element of mystery engages with the reader's imagination.' (364).
Glaspell initiates the play with entering all the characters the kitchen, men enter first 'followed by the two women' stating that women consider nothing but followers to men. The climax arises when the female characters find the dead canary in the kitchen stuff. Glaspell may use the open ending to raise the inquiry about women issues. Glaspell divides characterization into two distant parts: male characters represented in the county attorney Mr. George Henderson, the local sheriff Mr. Henry Peters and a neighbor Mr. Lewis Hale. The second part: The female characters represented in Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale. The two main characters of the play; Mr. and Mrs. Wright do not take part on the stage; instead Glaspell uses the figural technique as the other characters describe and talk about them. John Wright has been described as 'hard man' ( 20), and his wife Minnie Foster has been described as 'real sweet and pretty'. Glaspell implies the contrast between these two characters to highlight the gender difference.
In Trifles, Glaspell highlights how imposed isolation and loneliness result in suppress anger in Trifles. Starting from the setting, the house of Wright is 'abandoned'. Mr. Wright kept his wife Minnie apart from everyone. Keeping suppressed with no chance to get her anger off her chest turned her to be a timed bomb full of anger and fury. Minnie was pretty, sociable and 'lively' before marriage but once she got married everything has changed. The house she lived in represent a prison which is unpleasant to any other woman to enter "she is disturbed now and looks fearfully about as she enters." ( 18). The house itself helps in keeping her isolated as her neighbors did not use to visit her a lot because "it never seemed a very cheerful place." (19). Having no neighbors to visit or attending social meetings with her sex to communicate with them in order to set her disappointments free in addition to her oppressor; her husband who was 'close' increase her anger. Glaspell points out that even when her husband is in the house "no company when he did come in." (20). Moreover, to make sure that the isolation he imposed on her is absolute they do not have a telephone in their house Justifying that "folks talked too much anyway" (18), and the things he needs are "peace and quiet" (18). She continues to show how the isolated location helps Mr. Wright the oppressor to deter his wife from any type of communication "it's down in a hollow land you don't see the road…it's a lonesome place." (20).
Furthermore, Glaspell through her female characters tends to urge the audience to sympathize with Mrs. Wright. Mrs. Hale states that "not having children makes less work__but it makes a quiet house" (20). The two women come to realize why Minnie was full of anger when they knew her harsh conditions "I know what stillness is" (22). When the two women have a duologue about how Minnie was miserable and suppressed, Glaspell sheds light on the similar issues that almost all women face in her society. She demonstrates the real reasons behind the suppress anger of Mrs. Wright. Thus she with all she has been through represents the same for Glaspell's audience. Finally, Glaspell accomplishes to present the problem of alienation women faced in the hands of the western society at her time. Mrs. Hale admits that "she needed help! I know how things can be__ for women…we live close together and we live far apart. We all go through the same things." (22).
Glaspell develops oppression of women for long time causes anger. She portrays the opening scene with an indication of men's superiority to women. The men enter first one another "followed by the two women." .She implies as if women are nothing but followers to their men. Glaspell clarifies from the very beginning of the play that Mrs. Wright ;the suspected in killing her husband, had not much importance to her husband " l didn't know as what his wife wanted made much difference to John" (18). The demeaning way of men treatment may comes from their perspective on women "women are used to worrying over trifles" (19).
They regard women as inferior creatures as they only care for trifles. They stand women's triviality because they need them "for all their worries, what would we do without ladies" (19). Throughout the play, Glaspell tends to clarify the horrible conditions that Mrs. Wright was in not to justify her crime or to give her an excuse but to make people Purdon her somehow as she hide her unexpressed anger for a while. Mrs. Hale states that her husband was horrible "I don't think a place'd be any cheerful for John Wright's being in it" (19). Just because the oppressed husband Mr. Wright "was close" and "all he asked was peace and quiet" (18), he forced his 'lively' wife to live the same life he wanted to live regardless of what really she wanted to do. Glaspell continues to show how this husband kept oppressing his wife. In addition to, her unpleasant marriage life led her to change "she was real sweet and pretty… How__she__did__change" (21).Before marriage, Minnie had a joyful spirit "she used to… be lively when she was Minnie Foster, one of the town girls singing in the choir"( 20). After marriage to John Wright, he deterred her from doing or having things she loved "she used to sing. He killed that, too" (22).
Moreover, Mr. Wright angrily and violently killed her bird the she lived the most just to prove his domination, as he can simply and freely oppress his wife without fear of being socially blamed. He rashly examined her patience without taking in consideration that the consequences of his oppression and anger and rash behavior towards his suppressed wife will be turned upon him. According to Bryan D. Bourn, this kind of oppression brings anger and seeking revenge;
By extension of the analogy between the Wrights and men and women
in general, the idea is that it is only a matter of time before women
who are forced to subjugate themselves to a male dominated society
get fed up and seek revenge on their oppressors".
Glaspell employs symbolism in her play to protest the way men oppress their wives and the isolation they impose on them and the anger caused by them. She criticizes how the society norms allow men to turn their wives' lives into a kind of a prison that causes suppressed anger. Starting from the title of the play; the title 'Trifles' itself considers a symbol of the perspective of male characters on female ones. Men regard women's issues and concerns are of a little worthy, moreover; women themselves are trifles. In the opening scene, Glaspell describes the kitchen as 'gloomy' and the house is cold. This description symbolizes the somber life of Minnie Foster with her husband and the cold relationship between them "Wright was close…she kept so much to herself" (20). The bird counts as a highly significant symbol in the play. Glaspell mentions that Mrs. Wright "She was kind of like a bird herself" (21) . Glaspell suggests that the caged bird symbolizes Mrs. Wright. Her husband caged her in his cold, isolated and tough life. The birdcage represents the marriage of Mrs. Wright as he prisoned her in this "abandoned farmhouse" (18).
Prisoning her in this awful marriage life causes unexpressed and silent anger within her. He deterred her from life the way she used to 'she used to sing. He killed that too' (22). Moreover the broken door of the bird cage symbolizes her unsuccessful marriage life with her husband and once the bird cage has opened she liberated herself and her soul from this prison like the free bird. When he killed her canary he killed the last part of her joyful spirit. From one hand by killing her husband she tends to take revenge of him for spoiling her life for more than "thirty years" (20) . On the other hand she killed him to put an end to this depressed life with her husband. The rope also considers an important symbol. Glaspell employs it to symbolize that Minnie Foster killed her husband the same way he killed her husband "He died of a rope around his neck" (18). She also employs symbolism to highlight isolation. The location of Wright house is isolated. It is 'abandoned' and' it`s down in a hollow, and you don`t see the road.' (20).
Glaspell employs several props to show the anger and fury of Minnie Foster. For instance the killed bird has been used to reveal the real motivation of killing Mr. Wright. The two women come to realize that she was angry and frustrated of the humiliation and suppression she did undergo during her life with her husband. By finding that "somebody_ wrung_ its neck" (21), they understand why Mr. Wright has been killed in that strange and unfamiliar way "funny way to kill a man, rigging it all up like that" (20), moreover they understand she got very upset and angry to kill him the same way he killed her only source of happiness in addition to her soul. Glaspell also uses the quilt as another prop to show the condition of suppressed anger and fury even after she killed him. The two women notice that she started to sew a new quilt but they also notice it was not good sewed as the rest "that's not sewed very good" (20). Mrs. Hale supposes that Mrs. Wright was nervous to make it that bad unlike her beautiful other pieces. Besides they find that the quilt "it's all over the place" (20). This mess indicates the fury and disturbance of Minnie's mind because of anger "The messy sewing is a sign of nervousness" ( Jabboury). Finally when Mrs. Hale searches for some patches to take the quilt to Minnie she finds "some red". The choice of red has a purpose. It reveals how angry and raged she was.
Glaspell makes the use of dramatic irony to sheds light on how men mock women`s worries and oppress them because they are different from them. Ironically, Glaspell intends to make women not men who find the strangled canary; the clue of the murder. Furthermore, the women find it through searching in the kitchen stuff; the domain of women. The difference between women and men does not give men the right to disrespect women as it is part of their nature. 'The ways in which gender difference is defined are from neutral. They involve interests which contrast the meanings of difference in competing and often contradictory ways.' (Wheedon 7). Glaspell wants to say that the 'trifles' women care about what make women find the clue because women take notice of the small detail that men can not see.
Women suppression considers one of the causes of anger in the play. Mr. Wright used to suppress his wife and her desires. He did not care for what she loves; in addition he acted against what she wanted. 'I didn't know as what his wife wanted much difference to John". (18). He toke advantage of his authority given by society as a dominated husband "he was a hard man" (19) .She had lots of housework and there was no entertainment in return "farmers' wives have their hands full, Mr. Handerson." (19). Moreover, the absence of love, intimacy and warmth in the relationship between Mr. Wright and his wife what causes unexpressed anger and frustration. Although there are several reasons behind Mrs. Wright's fury, killing her bird considers at the top of the list. By killing the canary Mr. Wright destroyed the last thing left to her that made her glad so she became angry to the extent that she killed him. "When john killed the bird; he destroyed the last bit of personality that Minnie had held for her self. She was angry and confused" ( Jabboury).
Although there are no patent signs of anger in Trifles 'I don't see any signs of anger around her.' (19), Glaspell implies a number of manifestations of anger in the play. Through the description of the kitchen of MR. Wright 'gloomy kitchen, left without haw long been put in order ' unwashed pans ' other signs of incompleted work' (18), Glaspell reveals the nervousness of Mr. Wright according to Marsha Noe 'signs of an incompetent house keeper to the officers of the court; to the women and to the audience these props help to establish the presence of a disturbed consciousness.'. The wife unconsciously expresses her tension after the murder by 'rockin'back and forth.' (18 ) ,Glaspell repeats the previous sentence in order to show her hidden anger. She does not feel well as 'she looked queer.' (18). Felling upset and being down because of the abuse of her husband continue even after he died ' as if she didn't know what she was going to do next' (18 ) .
Glaspell continues to present the demeaning way that men treat women in 'I asked her out of patience' (18). The choice of diction also has been employed to express anger such as 'Here is a nice mess' , choice of color ' red ' to reveal her un expressed anger during her life in this house .
Mr. Wright used to destroy each and everything she loves. The two women find the bird cage door 'It's broke' (20 ) as a sign of destroying anything left to gild her pill . The canary she has considers her one and only consolation then he killed the bird violently 'Somebody -wrung- its neck.' (20). This way of killing the bird reveals the harshness and anger of her husband, therefore she killed him the same way he killed her bird 'somebody slipped a rope round his neck and strangled him' (20) . After a long time of enduring this suppression she eventually reveals her hidden anger.
Glaspell tends to show the horrible consequences of anger in Trifles, the hidden and unexpressed anger of women as it considers as a timed bomb that may explode in her society at anytime to destroy everything. She discusses failure of marriage life at her time that led to awful results even murders such as the one Glaspell was in charge of covering it when she was a reporter and was one of the reasons behind writing this play. Seeking for revenge represents the first result of anger; Minnie foster has intended to take her revenge from her oppressor who is her husband and kill him as retaliation. "once she is free she takes her revenge for all of the years of abuse and oppression. She strangles the life out of John like he strangled her spirit and her bird" ( Jabboury) . Besides, unity and rebellion against the society heritage about women oppression consider ultimate results of anger in the play. Due to the similar frustration arising from the particular gender relations in the middle west, the two female characters in the play unit together to hide the killed bird which represents the evidence of guilt condemning Mrs. Wright "Mrs. Hale slips box under quilt pieces" (20). In addition, they rebel against the law and justice to save one of their sex because they sympathize with her. They also regard what she endured during her marriage life with this "hard man" as a "crime" (20).
Glaspell lived in a society that empowers men and enables them to oppress women. She tackles issues related to women as a result of her influence of the two female dramatists Kate Chopin and Fanny Fern who struggled with similar issues in addition to the powerful women in her life. Glaspell has experienced failure in her marriage because her husband cheated her. She wrote Trifles as an expression of her anger. She releases her frustration of her society that makes men superior to women.
In Trifles (1916), Susan Glaspell tackles the long term effects of women oppression in marriage, the forced isolation, and solitude and the suppressed anger caused by them. Symbolism is of great significance in conveying both women oppression and isolation in Trifles. Props also are employed to show the reasons behind the unexpressed anger that result in the murder. Besides, Glaspell uses dramatic irony to show how men arrogantly misunderstand women care for details as caring for 'trifles'. Through it, she intends to justify women anger because of unfair oppression by making women not men find the clue to negate men superiority. Lacking to be loved, women suppression and intending to destroy each and everything woman loves cause anger that turned to be upon man's head. Trifles includes several manifestations of anger in addition to presenting results of suppress anger. The greatest achievements of women oppression are unity and rebellion against society's suppressed norms.