StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Trifles by Susan Glaspell as Representation of the World of the Play - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
From the paper "Trifles by Susan Glaspell as Representation of the World of the Play" it is clear that the Directorial Concept would be currently important even for modern audiences, as regardless of visible man-woman equality womenfolk’s independence is still somehow perceived in a skeptical way…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER98.9% of users find it useful
Trifles by Susan Glaspell as Representation of the World of the Play
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Trifles by Susan Glaspell as Representation of the World of the Play"

“Trifles” by Susan Glaspell as Representation of the ‘World of the Play’ Among great variety of literary genres a play may be perceived as one of the easiest to grasp. Still, that is not so. If only to consider the whole complicated world of a play with its numerous essential in their unity and entwinement aspects, it appears one of the most interesting genres in the point of its possible hidden secrets of the plot as well as other factors, such as possible mysterious background, social, spiritual, political and economic issues, which are brought up to the foreground by a playwriter’s concept and are represented by touching performance of actors. In this regard, Susan Glaspell’s play “Trifles” appears to be a perfect example of representation of all essential literary elements of the play’s world for their research and analysis. Research For the beginning it must be said that the play “Trifles” is based on real-life story from the experience of Susan Glaspell as a reporter. The thing is that “…she was assigned to report on a murder case: the homicide of John Hossack, a prosperous Warren County farmer who had been killed in his sleep” in approximately 1900 year (MidnightAssassin.com). Being one of the first reporters who arrived at the accident site, Glaspell has been aware that Hossack’s wife is suspected in her husband’s murder, while she swore it was an intruder blood-guilty for John’s death. In a few days, Susan Glaspell has visited Hossacks’ farmhouse. The scenery of its kitchen has made a striking impression on the reporter. As we can see, the story of her further play’s character John Wright’s murder almost doubles the true story from Glaspell’s experience of the reporter. But there is one interesting point, that is, the time of the writing and performance of “Trifles”: “First performed by the Provincetown Players at the Wharf Theatre, Provincetown, Mass., August 8, 1916” (Glaspell). The time gap accounts for almost sixteen years. Then the obvious question arises: what circumstances prompted Glaspell to write the play? Having her previous practice of writing plays during 1909-1915 years, the playwrighter has decided not only to convey her ideas on paper, but also to animate them onstage before audiences. In this intention her husband has served as an active supporter and immediate participant of Glaspell’s ideas. “In 1915, at their summer home in Provincetown on Cape Cod, the couple organized a group of local artists as an amateur theatre group and staged a number of one-act plays in a converted fish warehouse” (Britannica.com). The Provincetown Players, as they called their group, have raised numerous sharp socially driven issues of that time, including the theme of women’s oppressed position in a males’ society, which is magnificently shown in “Trifles”. In particular, the action of the play takes place in Wrights’ farmhouse, probably in the same Provincetown, Massachusetts, the USA. That house belongs to the dead John Wright and his wife Minnie, who has spent almost all her time in the kitchen, where the whole play’s scene or rather to say its key part happens. As it becomes obvious at the end of the story, every tiniest detail of the kitchen settings is of a great importance for understanding of Wrights’ life within their house, as well as for realization of possible Mrs. Wright’s motives for killing of her husband. There are several semantic worlds of the play “Trifles” presented in their brightest way. Notably, the Social world includes manifestation of prejudiced societal beliefs on the part of traditionally thinking men and some women that females’ destination is caring for their husbands and children without any notions of their self-realization out of the house’s bounds. This certain legend determines the lifestyle of its characters. The male part of the townspeople feels themselves extremely comfortable in such a context where they occupy the place of so-called world owners, while females suffer from spiritual humiliation and even emotional abuse that describes the Spiritual world of the play. In such a manner Glaspell’s particular emphasis on ‘trifles’ (which are not trifles actually) from women’s being serves as a manifestation of the urgent need to change their life through changing of their perception in the males’ society. This is the very point where Glaspell’s feminist position is brightly reflected, as she has been “…a founding member of Heterodoxy, a radical group of women activists who were prominent in the feminist movement of New York in the years 1910-1920” (Evans). As for the Political world, it finds its depiction in the domestic issues of the characters, namely: the investigation of John Wright’s death shows that the whole rule belongs to men, while women are almost politically deprived from any authority, starting from the right to speak. So it is undoubtedly that finances of family are concentrated in the hands of males, as all property belongs to them, while their wives are perceived as just work force for their wellness. That is the Economic world of the play’s characters. Directing and Design Proposal “Trifles” is a great play itself in all its aspects from Glaspell’s idea to its realization onstage. But nevertheless it is possible to direct another theater production of the play. Here is how it would be presented in our Directorial Concept. The particular theatre space that would be chosen is in the Provincetown Theater (TripAdvisor.com). https://www.facebook.com/pages/Provincetown-Theater/53645057538?sk=photos_stream As it is seen, there is no large field in the theater. In fact, the large acting area is not even required, as the whole visible essential scene takes place in the kitchen. Surely, the key idea of our choice in favor of the Provincetown Theater lies in ideological area, that is, not to remove the play from its original stage. This aspect adds to refreshment in audience’s minds the spine of the play, which is the manifestation of women’s ability to occupy equal status in the society, as they are groundlessly considered to be almost unable to any other activities except house-holding and caring for their families. Surely, we would not be a kind of skeptical director, as our idea of the timeliness of that issue agrees with Glaspell’s feminist point of view. So, there would not be serious changes in the scenery or correction of actors’ performance. Still, one original notion is presented in our Directorial Concept: it would be rather useful for audiences to hear an open proclamation of women’s fatigue of their oppressed state in the males’ society where only men held the whole power in their hands. In particular, this might be realized in one additional closing scene of the play by the means of dialogue between the three female characters of “Trifles”: Mrs. Wright, Mrs. Peters, and Mrs. Hale. In practice, their exchange of ideas in that very kitchen of Wrights’ house (where Minnie comes to take her necessary clothes being released on bail) might serve as a kind of counter-argument to men’s narrow-mindedness in their vision of women’s part in their life. Surely, this Directorial Concept would be currently important even for modern audiences, as regardless visible man-woman equality womenfolk’s independence is still somehow perceived in a skeptical way in some aspects of life. The Directorial Concept would be realized through the Unified Design Concept. Among major scenery elements everything would be remained at their places, including its key elements of a birdcage, rocking chair, kitchen table being left in half a mess, as they all represent major so-called trifles from women’s life of housewives. As for the characters’ costumes, they would be in the manner of that time, with a small accent on women’s appearance in clothes – they might be a bit brighter for underlining their at least visible importance and physical presence among men. In this respect, light and sound elements would be of a great assistance for the aim: backlight and downlight are enough for illumination of the stage, while there would be suitable music bridges between scene changes. There is no doubt acting would be extremely touching and dramatic with its emotional climax in the closing scene. To sum it up, our research of Susan Glaspell’s play “Trifles” has changed our primary view of the story and directly affected the creation of the Directorial Concept. Its particular impact accounts for realization of women’s extremely oppressed position in the men’s society and the urgent need to change it through compelling attention to females’ thoughts and feelings in the additional closing scene of our production of the play. Works Cited Britannica.com. Susan Glaspell. American Dramatist and Novelist. Retrieved June 11 from: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/234882/Susan-Glaspell Evans, Elizabeth M. Biographical Influences on Glaspells Trifles. American Literature Research and Analysis Web Site, 30 July 1996. Retrieved June 11 from: http://itech.fgcu.edu/faculty/wohlpart/alra/glaspell.htm Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. 1916. Retrieved June 11 from: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/10623/10623-h/10623-h.htm Midnight Assassin.com. Susan Glaspell. Retrieved June 11 from: http://www.midnightassassin.com/Glaspell.html TripAdvisor.com. Provincetown Theater. Retrieved June 11 from: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g41778-d103696-Reviews-Provincetown_Theater-Provincetown_Cape_Cod_Massachusetts.html Read More
Tags
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Trifles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5”, n.d.)
Retrieved de https://studentshare.org/visual-arts-film-studies/1697881-trifles
(Trifles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words - 5)
https://studentshare.org/visual-arts-film-studies/1697881-trifles.
“Trifles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words - 5”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/visual-arts-film-studies/1697881-trifles.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Trifles by Susan Glaspell as Representation of the World of the Play

The Role of Irony, Symbol, and Setting the Issue of Gender Differences in Susan Glaspell's Trifles

However, as the play progresses, one gets a glimpse of how men and women in America in the early 20th century would define their roles according to their gender.... The use of irony, symbol and setting in Susan Glaspell's Trifles helps define the various differences between the gender roles of men and women during the time when the play was written.... The men in the play, the Sheriff, Hale and the County Attorney, enter the house of Mr.... ” unlike the two men who are addressed as “County Attorney” and “Sheriff,” somehow simply ascribes to the women the subservient role of wives and demeans the role of women in the play in particular and in society in general....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Feminist Inquiries in Trifles

This, in and of itself, gave the women of the play enough reason to declare Minnie's innocence based upon the situations of her home life.... Just as in the play, Margaret (named Minnie in the play itself) was given close study and it was discovered that she was clearly unhappy in her marriage, which prompted the gruesome murder of her husband.... Within the play, it is clear, despite the male or female perspective, that something is a tad awry with the legal system....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

Analysis of Trifles by Susan Glaspell

The paper "Analysis of trifles by susan glaspell" discusses that 'Trifles' by Glaspell is an interesting play, which through its title, setting, plot, language and the development of female characters, propagates the theme of asserting women's individuality in a male dominant society.... he title of the play is significant to its theme as it refers to the concerns of women which are considered unimportant by men.... Through the setting of the play, the writer points towards the position of women in society....
9 Pages (2250 words) Essay

A Jury of Her Peers

This research paper "A Jury of Her Peers" talks about a one-act play that was written by susan glaspell, and it highlights the subservient roles played by women.... The Sheriff and the County Attorney open the play, which is set in the patriarchal society in the wake of the 20th century.... trifles is a classic feminist drama that highlights the predicament of women at the hands of men in a society such as Minnie's; female characters such as Mrs....
6 Pages (1500 words) Research Paper

Relationships and Roles During the period 1879 to 1916

Similarly, the play 'Trifles' by susan glaspell was written, at the time when, like other educated women at this time, Glaspell "grew restless with the numerous restrictions on women and became inspired by the avant-garde social, political, and cultural movements happening in the United States and Europe" (McMichael, et al.... hen the play 'A Doll's House' was performed for the first time in Copenhagen in 1879, it revoked severe criticism from the society as it was against the society's values and attacked men's dominance over women (Templeton 142)....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

The paper "The Color Purple by Alice Walker" states that it is significant to believe how a woman can "define herself another way, disengage her self from the educational scripts of sexuality and sexual category that construct her as feminine subject".... ... ... ... The matter of the book is to be true to yourself in spite of complicatedness and never let go of what you consider in....
9 Pages (2250 words) Essay

Symbolism in Trifles

The first part of the play showcases the sheriff and his wife and the neighbours who come to Minnie's house after the husband dies.... The title of the play, ‘Trifles' is also symbolic of the trivial things in Minnie's life that later grew bigger culminating to the death of her husband.... innie's farm house in which the play takes part represents her life in isolation from the rest of the world.... The setting around her and the Symbolism in Trifles Trifles, a dramatic play by susan glaspell expresses the repression of American women inthe late 1800's by a male dominated society....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay

Susan Glaspells Play Trifles as a Manifestation of Womens Oppressed Position

In fact, the play puts a question of women's perception as men's property and the negligence of the latter towards females' needs of mental and spiritual development and self-realization alongside with achievement of marital duties.... the world belonged to men, and women accepted it as such.... This paper "susan glaspell's Play Trifles as a Manifestation of Women's Oppressed Position" discusses susan glaspell's play 'Trifles' that appears to be a vivid literary work representing an acute issue of women's position in the patriarchal society at the beginning of the twentieth century....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us