Gender and Puzzles Paper - Essay Example

Full Gender and Puzzles Trifles is a short story that exemplifies how one could make the mistake of taking for granted seemingly irrelevant things which might be the very important piece of a puzzle. Such attitude could be the effect of differences in perception influenced by norms and mores as well as gender. The male characters are actively involved in determining and gathering information that could make the motive of the murder clearly point to the criminal. On the contrary, the female characters are placed in the setting as passive players who are just there to get some necessities for the accused, Mrs. Wright. However, although their opinions are not sought for, Mrs.

Hale’s and Mrs. Peter’s thoughts are revealed in the story through their conversations which proves to be crucial in solving the case. As the story develops, the female characters show an entirely different perception and reaction to how the case should be treated and how justice should be achieved. The men look for evident evidences in order to solve the case that is why they spend much of their time in the bedroom where the crime was committed, trying to figure out what could have happened when Mr.

Wright died. They try to eliminate other people who might have been involved so they spend much time in looking for evidences of the presence of other people like a break-in or forced entry. Ironically, the thing they consider trifle, is where the very important evidences are found. Had the county attorney not cut off Mr. Hale’s telling about what might have been Mr. and Mrs. Wright’s opinions and reactions about suggesting a phone hooked in their home (Meyer 1069), he might have seen a probable picture of how things go in the house and a possible motive.

In fact, he seems to avoid the picture of Mr. Wright not being a good husband when the issue is brought up by Mrs. Hale (1071). Instead, he is more interested in knowing what happened during the discovery of the crime and the questions he asks seem to be leading to evidences that could be used against the victim’s wife. On another note, the men are influenced by how they are perceived by the public in resolving moral and legal issues. Being in positions where their roles demand legal and moral obligations to be performed at the same time, the male characters try their best to put their images in a good view.

Specifically considering the county attorney for instance, he has the legal and moral obligation of seeing justice brought to a close in the murder case. A crime is a crime and the criminal suffers the consequences of his actions. However, the attorney seems to do anything to prevent the image of the deceased to be tainted by what could have motivated the murder and he shows signs of disdain towards Mrs. Wright as he despises her kitchen despite the explanations of Mrs. Hale (1071). Moreover, ‘with the gallantry of a young politician’ (1071), he also considers the women not just as a moral consideration but people who would benefit him in his political career. Mrs. Peters believes that the ‘law is the law’ and believes that their presence in the Wright’s house is but right, even if the owner is not home because she is locked up for the murder of her husband (1073).

As a woman, she feels her moral obligations should be performed just as the men were doing. However, when faced with the reality of the presence of evidence that could be used against the accused, she helps conceal it and in the end decides to have it forever undiscovered by the authorities despite her nervousness. She decides Mrs. Wright deserves some understanding as there are certain things that happen to women, ‘only a different kind of the same thing’ as Mrs. Hale puts it (1076). She probably finally agrees with the other woman that justice has to be given to the accused after years of suffering in the house of her husband.

How the women perceived and resolved the case is an entirely different story to that of the men. As their male counterparts spent time looking at important matters, working on the difficult tasks, finding the pieces of the puzzle, the women dealt with unimportant things like simply taking care of the needs of the accused. However, behind their simplistic thinking, it was unknown to the men that the women also discussed the possibility of Mrs. Wright killing her husband. More importantly, they looked at things reflectively which was important in solving the murder case.

The men overlooked an important evidence because they considered it as a trifle that was appropriately for the women to take care of. In the handy work of Mrs. Wright, the women found out that she was nervous about something because her sewing was entirely messed up (1073). The women seem to look into the mind of the accused and understand what might have happened in the house. Considering the psychology involved, they look into what is important to Mrs. Wright and it is just what should have mattered most in solving the case.

Ironically, it is found out by people who are thought to be talking about useless, feminine matters who in turn felt the obligation of protecting a caged bird, Mrs. Wright. Reference Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking Writing, Ninth Edition. Ed. Meyer, Michael. Connecticut: Bedford St. Martins, 2011. 1068-1077 Print.