Trifles by susan glaspell - Essay Example

Indeed, one can see the big picture after reading the story however, one will be able to appreciate it further when he knows about the meanings of the things and words which are used in the story. The Wright’s farmhouse is located “down in a hollow where one cannot see the road” (Glaspell). This makes the place look and feel lonely. Such description at first glance, may simply refer to the location of the farmhouse. Nevertheless, a closer look at it will reveal that it is actually a symbolism of how women are hidden from the view of other people.

The good deeds of women are often covered by the works of men. For instance, in the past, women have been known to be homemakers who take care of household chores and raise the children. When the house is clean and the children grow up to be excellent citizens, the father is often praised because he is said to have well provided for his family. People often forget to look at the woman who is a major player behind all the good things they see. In addition, the farmhouse also symbolizes the protagonist herself. Mrs. Wright lived a lonely life because she was often left alone while her husband goes to work.

She never goes out and she is not even visited by friends. Therefore, she is as isolated and lonesome as her house. The rope is another symbolism in the story. It was used to kill Mr. Wright. Through critical analysis, one can see that the rope points to Mrs. Glaspell again, the very person who killed the man. During the investigation, the county attorney decided that the rope used to kill Mr. Wright is “their own rope”. When one looks back to the lives of the couple based form the information gathered through the conversations, Mr.

Glaspell seemed to have choked his wife with an invisible rope. He is said to be a good man, able to pay his debts and keeps his words but at home, he was a hard man who turned the once cheerful Minnie Foster into the friendless Mrs. Wright. As a result, the wife who perhaps could not take any more of her husband’s character, took a tangible rope which she used to kill her husband. The telephone symbolizes communication. Mrs. Hale says she never went to the farmhouse because it always seemed gloomy.

She said time and again that she should have gone there to visit Mrs. Wright. This shows how the accused suffered lack of communication. Her husband was often away and when he goes home, he makes things hard for his wife. In addition, she had no confidant tell her problems. The telephone that was never installed symbolizes the absence of communication in the life of Mrs. Wright. The canary is also a symbolism of the protagonist. This is explicitly expressed by Mrs. Hale who said, “come to think of it, she was kind of like a bird herself—real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and—fluttery.

” She also said, “No, Wright wouldn’t like the bird—a thing that sang. She used to sing. He killed that, too. From the aforementioned statements, one can see what a wonderful person Minnie Foster was. However, when she became Mrs. Wright, she did not sing anymore but rather was left alone in their house to take care of all the things that need to be dealt with. The very thing that made her important and alive was taken away from her and just like the canary, she was killed, at least emotionally and psychologically.

The birdcage is another symbolism of Mrs. Wright and other abused women. As Mrs. Peters