Portrayal of Social Oppression of Women in Trifles by Susan Glaspell

Regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, financial status or even accomplishments, women have always experienced oppression. Despite how essential they are in our world, women have faced unjust treatment from men throughout history. Even though women have equal opportunities as men today, that was not the case in the early 1900’s. Author Susan Glaspell portrays the social oppression of women through key themes and symbols throughout the play Trifles. Strict gender roles are shown by Glaspell through many instances. In this world, men occupy everything. In relation to that, the few liberties that women were allowed to have are also not appreciated and often overlooked:

MRS. PETERS (to the other woman). Oh, her fruit; it did freeze. (To the Lawyer.) She worried about that when it turned so cold. She said the fir’d go out and her jars would break.

SHERIFF. Well, can you beat the woman! Held for murder and worryin’ about her preserves.

COUNTY ATTORNEY. I guess before we’re through she may have something more serious than preserves to worry about.

HALE. Well, women are used to worrying over trifles. (The two women move a little closer together.)

All of the men’s lack of caring for Minnie’s preserves represents social oppression and shows their disrespect for something she worked diligently on. Glaspell also exhibits social oppression by referring to every woman (other than Minnie Wright) only by her husbands’ last name. Minnie is only given a first name to show her transition from Minnie Foster to Minnie Wright:

MRS. HALE (examining the skirt). Wright was close. I think maybe that’s why she kept so much to herself. She didn’t even belong to the Ladies’ Aid. I suppose she felt she couldn’t do her part, and then you don’t enjoy things when you feel shabby. She used to wear pretty clothes and be lively, when she was Minnie Foster one of the town girls singing in the choir. But that – oh was thirty years ago. Glaspell does this to show that women basically have no identity other than that of their husbands’.

Social oppression is also displayed through symbols. The unclean house also represents gender roles of how women are supposed to act according to men. Rather than John Wright or even both be held responsible for the condition of the house, only Minnie is blamed for the dirtiness and disorganization of it:

MRS. HALE. I’d hate to have men coming into my kitchen, snooping around and criticizing. (She arranges the pans under sink which the Lawyer had shoved out of place.)

MRS. PETERS. Of course it’s no more than their duty.

MRS. HALE. Duty’s all right, but I guess that deputy sheriff that came out to make the fire might have got a little of this on. (Gives the roller towel a pull.) Wish I’d thought of that sooner. Seems mean to talk about her for not having things slicked up when she had to come away in such a hurry.

The women feel uncomfortable being in another woman’s house before she has a chance to tidy up, but the keeping of the house should not have to be the sole responsibility of the woman. Glaspell uses this scene to show that women are expected to be homebodies that exist only to cook and clean.

The social oppression of women was completely and utterly unjust. Influential women such as Susan Glaspell paved the way for all of womankind to be where they truly deserve to be, right alongside mankind.