Blog Post #4

Trifles by Susan Glaspell is amazing. I love plays, so this was one of my favorite pieces throughout the whole course. Overall, I think this play really pointed out the major characteristic differences between men and women. This piece highlighted that men tend to be rough, and self centered, whereas women generally are more sensitive and observant. This was shown through the whole investigation of the murder. On page 983 and 984, the County Attorney is picking apart how the woman cleaned the house. He made it seem as though that is a woman's only job, so she should keep the house spotless and perfect. The men laugh off the house work like it is such a miniscule job. The attorney said, "Not much of a housekeeper, would you say, ladies?" He also said, "No—it’s not cheerful. I shouldn’t say she had the home-making instinct.” This piece is trying to show that all men can see in women is that they take care of the home. That is all that women have as an identity. Sadly, for Minnie, she was a singer. She had something that made her cheerful, but her husband killed it for her. Multiple times as the women were examining everything about Minnie’s house and life so carefully, it was mentioned that her joy came from singing. On page 985, Mrs. Hale said, “She used to wear pretty clothes and be lively, when she was Minnie Foster, one of the town girls singing in the choir.” That was taken away from her by her husband. The women kept searching throughout the house and found the dead bird. This is when the women really started feeling sympathy for Minnie. Even though she had committed murder, her husband had already emotionally killed her. He took all joys out of her life that she had ever had. On page 988, Mrs. Hale said, “No, Wright wouldn’t like the bird—a thing that sang. She used to sing. He killed that, too.” This piece shows that women are more observant and that they can piece together that there is more to a story than meets the eye. The male investigators didn’t bother looking into the woman’s world to uncover the story for the motive; just the man’s world. As horrible of a crime as it was, the women still feel sympathy for Minnie for living so unhappily and emotionally abused. Minnie had her identity stripped from her. Once you lose your passions and self, there is no happiness left. The male investigators couldn’t even imagine that as a motive because the only identity they saw Minnie having was being a housewife.

            I have a connection to this piece that may be random, but I think it shows how important a woman’s identity is, and that men still take for granted women in society. I watched a special on 20/20 over break on families that live in a polygamist community that follow the FLDS faith (Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints). These are very strict communities, where the people must follow the word of their prophet. This special followed a family, whose husband left them, and they snuck out of this very controlling and threatening culture where not much is known about how they truly live. This now single mother with many children had to learn how to live in a real society. Her children were uneducated and so was she. They finally learned how to live in a normal American society. In one part of the special, the girl children all got their hair cut for the first time and it is an extremely emotional and exciting moment for them. Girls and women are not allowed to get their hair cut in their old community. This was a very liberating moment for these girls. Also, the girls found hobbies and loved going to school. They found out that there was more to life and who they are than just following the commands of a male prophet. When the women reflected back on their old life, they couldn’t imagine going back because they wouldn’t want to be married so young and be only housewives. They like having unique identities.

Here is the link to the special on 20/20 if interested in watching: http://abcnews.go.com/watch/2020/SH559026/VD55250801/2020-1123-breaking-polygamy-secrets-of-the-sect