Different Women, Same Battle

Different Women, Same Battle
Trifles, a one act play written by Susan Glaspell, displays the sexist injustice towards women before the nineteen twenties. Mrs. Wright, accused of killing her husband, John Wright, awaits trial while others investigate the crime scene that would lead to her guilty plea. Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale, wives of the town’s sheriff and neighbor, tagged along to the scene and surprisingly sought evidence to aid in the trial of Mrs. Wright. However, the women withheld their discovery from the investigators as a way to stick together and strike back! After all, Mrs. Wright was oppressed, lonely, and deprived of her happiness for many years.
Beginning before the 1920’s Women’s Rights Movement, many women faced oppression in their marriage, even in society. Men were the head of the household, leaving bright and early in the morning to tackle heavy hours at the workplace. The woman, on the other hand, spent hours of the day cleaning, cooking, and caring for the children, if there were any. In the meantime, women would sew, quilt, knit, and do any other crafty things. In fact, an unfinished quilt is one of several things found by Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, revealing it was possibly something that Mrs. Wright enjoyed doing. Also, women were to respect their husbands and more importantly, any man because they were in the dominate position. As all investigators entered the Wright’s home, the men headed upstairs, leaving the women on the lower level. This act can seemingly represent symbolism of Glaspell showing exactly how superior men were to women during that time period. The county attorney near the end of the play made the statement, “For that matter, a sheriff’s wife is married to the law” (1.424-425). The statement perhaps meant that regardless, a woman was to represent her husband no matter what. And in this case, Mrs. Peters is the sheriff’s wife and she is to act accordingly.
Also, Mrs. Wright was a lonesome woman. John put her in...