Argumentative Essay

Argumentative Essay

  • Submitted By: mbaig
  • Date Submitted: 05/28/2013 10:52 PM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 2233
  • Page: 9
  • Views: 2

A woman’s got to do what a woman’s got to do
While many would agree that women have established somewhat of an equal status to men in our current society, such was not the case for the female characters of the plays “Trifles” and “A Doll House”. Although both pieces are set in different eras, several similarities are evident in each reading. The authors of both plays use gender roles, symbolism, and dramatic realism to tell the story of two females, each faced with different circumstances in a masculine society. A society where women are expected to conform to the demands of men at any cost, even if it means to sacrifice their own freedom.
Susan Glaspell’s play “Trifles” revolves around the murder investigation of John Wright, which took place at his farmhouse. The prime suspect of the investigation is John’s wife Mrs. Wright who had been apprehended due to her presence at the crime scene when the murder occurred. Mrs. Wright requested her friends to accompany the authorities at the site of the homicide, in order to bring her some of her belongings. While the authorities searched the house for evidence linking Mrs. Wright to the crime, her friends inadvertently came across some compelling clues that may have had something to do with the murder after all. Glaspell’s use of gender roles is embodied throughout the play. Indications of female subordination are an example of Glaspell’s use of gender roles. As Mrs. Wright’s friends Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peter reached the scene of the crime with the authorities, they naturally happen to pay attention to small details such as the jar of preserves in Mrs. Wright’s kitchen. The Sheriff who was Mrs. Peters’ husband quickly retorted by stating “Sheriff: Well, can you beat the woman! Held for murder and worryin’ about her preserves” (598). The chauvinistic attitude of another male character in the play is also evident in the following example, “Mrs. Hale: Those towels get dirty awful quick. Men’s hands aren’t always as...

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