Susan Glaspell's Trifles: Gender Oppression and Symbolism

Historical Context of Susan Glaspell's Trifles

The play Trifles by Susan Glaspell was written in 1916 within a society segregated by race, religion, and gender. In 1916, while World War I was underway and American troops had traveled to Europe to fight, Trifles was composed. This one-act play focuses on women’s oppression in a male-dominated society.

In contrast with the works of Gilman, Trifles deals with rural, uneducated women. Instead of utilizing an attic as the primary setting, the play develops in the kitchen of a lonely, isolated house surrounded by fields. The kitchen is established as the woman’s place, a "queendom" related to class, religion, and race.

Gynocide and Systematic Violence

Gynocide was a term coined by the radical feminist Mary Daly to designate the relentless violence perpetrated by the gender class "man" against the gender class "woman." It is defined as the "systematic crippling, raping, and/or killing of women by men." Examples of gynocide include:

• The Indian Suttee
• Chinese Footbinding
• African Genital Mutilation

Literary Analysis of the Play

Trifles is an experimental drama. Susan Glaspell was a member of the "Provincetown Players," a group known for their experimental drama. The play is heavily inspired by Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House.

The Voiceless Protagonist: Minnie Wright

The protagonist, Minnie Wright, never appears in the text. She is voiceless, and the audience never directly learns what she has done. Our knowledge of her is filtered through the interpretations of other characters. Though she is imprisoned in the kitchen (her "queendom"), she must find a way to rebel within that feminine space while remaining silent.

The Kitchen as a Site of Rebellion

While women must often find their happiness in the kitchen, in this play, the kitchen is not a place of domestic bliss. Instead, it is a site of criminal destruction where the protagonist initiates her rebellion using the only elements she can handle. The title "Trifles" refers to women's activities—things deemed unimportant or indecisive by the world.

Evidence and Interpretation

Minnie is restricted in a prison of domestic confinement, fighting her oppressor through silence. The play never explicitly states that Minnie killed her husband; her guilt remains uncertain. Two women, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, enter the kitchen, which serves as a "text" written by Minnie. They read and interpret this domestic space to uncover the truth.