Topic > Susan Glaspell's Use of Symbolism and Characterization in Trifles

In the one-act play “Trifles,” there are countless examples of symbolism and characterization through the use of strong female roles. By presenting women as protagonists in this play, she was able to take on a more feminist essence, which is something readers would not have been able to experience if the play had been written from a man's point of view. Susan Glaspell was able to show plenty of character development for a short play using strong symbolism and the prevailing idea of ​​the point of view and roles between men and women because after all "women are used to worrying about nonsense" (Glaspell).Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay First, “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell is a one-act play originally performed in August 1916. This is a time period, as many know, where women are seen as inferior to men. At that time, women didn't even have suffrage yet. The show begins with the discovery of John Wright strangled to death in his home. The County Attorney and Sheriff Peters believe that Mrs. Minnie Wright is the prime suspect in this murder. Although these two men are investigating the murder, it turns out that Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale are the ones who will actually solve the crime. Of course the men didn't think anything of the women, they simply observed that the women only cared about "nonsense". Men imply that women are inferior when they talk about how women only care about trivial things. Regardless, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale solved the case when they came across Mrs. Wright's dead bird, mangled by the neck. They realized that Mr. Wright killed Minnie's dick and that was the last straw. The women knew how badly Mr. Wright treated Mrs. Wright during their abusive marriage. It became clear that Minnie killed Mr. Wright as final revenge for his dead bird. The women decide to stick together for Minnie's sake and hide the evidence of the bird. They know how Minnie feels because the two of them have felt it in this oppressed lifestyle. The work ends with the unsolved case. Furthermore, symbolism is discovered in many parts of the work. For example, the dead bird found during the show symbolizes the marriage between Mr. and Mrs. Wright. It can be inferred that they were involved in a domestic abusive relationship. At first, just like Minnie, the little bird was exuberant and full of life. In fact, she was even compared to a bird by another character in the play. “She… now that I think about it, she was a kind of bird too: very sweet and cute, but a little shy and… fluttering. How it has changed” (Glaspell). This type of symbolism can very well be considered a “2 by 4 symbolism” because of how obvious the second meaning is. At the end of the show, it is revealed that Mr. Wright killed Minnie's bird. Readers can infer that this was just the final nail in the coffin and that is why Minnie decided to kill her husband. The dead bird makes it clear to readers that it represents Minnie and her marriage. Mr. Wright had chipped away pieces of her with his abuse. The dead bird means it's the end. Another thing that struck readers was that women were rarely called by name. They were all called “Mrs”. This means that women are simply seen as property to their husbands. It shows that society doesn't think about women at all, it thinks that women all belong..