The Relationship between John Wright and Minnie Wright in the Play Trifle - Essay Example

The Relationship between John Wright and Minnie Wright “Trifle” is an intriguing story filled with humor, tension, and search for identify for the woman, not just in her matrimonial home, but also in the society at large. The main characters in “Trifles” are John Wright, Minnie Wright, Henderson, the Peters, and the Hales. Henderson represents the law investigating the death of John Wright. Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hales are friends of Minnie Wrights and are always sympathizing with her situation as a woman, and the troubles she passes through in the male-dominated world where the woman has little to contribute in matters communication and family. Following the presumed murder of Mr. Wright in their home, unnamed men follow George Henderson upstairs (Walker et al. 57). Henderson allows Mrs. Peters to take some items to Mrs. Wright, but only after, she shows him the items. Henderson represents the law that seeks to investigate the death of John Wright. At the kitchen, items and foods are haphazardly arranged. The women take offense with the men for disarranging the kitchen, what comes out is that lately Mrs. Wright has been having a trouble life, preferring to keep silent most of the time. Mrs. Hales, a childhood friend to Mrs. Wright observes that Minnie Wright has become different; she mentions that she used to be lively, but this changed when she became married. They speculate whether Mr. Wright’s mistreatment to her would have prompted her to murder him. There is overwhelming evidence, with the women observing the most intricate issues that even escape the investigators. Minnie is restless and suspicious, a factor that could easily make her suspect of the murder. The women are analytical in the way things are arranged; for instance, the unfinished bread and disarranged kitchen could show Minnie’s disturbed mental state and her displeasure with the marriage. During investigation, the men treat the women with contempt, typical of male chauvinism and the misplacement of women in the contemporary society. The women find evidence enough to show that Minnie murdered her husband, but choose to hide it, perhaps in solidarity with their role as women and what they go through in their marriage lives. From the events, one infers that the John Wright and his wife had a difficult marriage, with Mr. Wright domineering over Minnie, a fact that would have led to resentment and choosing to murder him in revenge (Walker et al. 15). Men in “Trifles” assume that women develop their identity singularly from their relationship with men; that men are the overriding gender. This is evident when Henderson mentions to Mrs. Peters that she must follow the law simply because she is married to the sheriff. The women in “Trifles” neglect male obsession with identities and focus more on their experiences as women, what they go through in their daily lives, and the unequal treatments they get from not only their husbands, but the law and the society in general. This therefore justifies Mrs. Wright’s murder of her husband. It shows that she rejects Mr. Wright’s imposed identity over her; the fact that she changes her name from Mrs. Wright to Minnie shows this particularly well. Perhaps she wants to break from the bondage and identify with her old, free self; when she used to be lively and could sing. The men in the “Trifles” despise the women. They are only viewed as subjects of men, where their identities depend on how they relate to the men. Minnie’s murder of her husband is reminiscent of a revolution that the women stage to have not only their husbands, but also men in general, to appreciate qualities inherent in women. For instance, all the women in “Trifles” are forced to use their husband’s last name instead of their first names. Mr. John must have exercised male superiority over his wife. The women are able to observe intricate issues clues in the kitchen that could be helpful in the investigation. Mrs. Hales and Mrs. Peters sympathize with Minnie Wright and what she must have been going through; even to cause her to murder her husband. Perhaps the climax in this story occurs when the women, having more instincts and clues to the murder, than the trained investigators, discover a dead canary. They supersede the law and discover their own identities. The women depend on the emotional implications of their relationships with their husbands. They are able to empathize with Minnie Wright’s psychological state such as messy stitching, unbaked bread, and dirty towels (Walker et al. 67). The objects represent a distorted domestic life. Minnie’s state of mind becomes more obvious in her disinterest with domestic issues, which then justifies her actions. By murdering her husband, she represents a new liberation; a new freedom, where the woman identifies with her personal experiences, rather than rules imposed on her by her husband or male figures in their lives. Symbolically, the quilt emphasizes Minnie’s loneliness and uncertainty in her domestic role. Probably, John Wright has mistreated his wife to the extent that she feels her freedom and femaleness are robbed. The incomplete quilt shows Minnie’s dissatisfaction regarding love and warmth. Apparently, she never received these from her husband. This symbolizes the deteriorating relationship between the Wrights prior to the murder. Perhaps Minnie prefers to knot the quilt because she has nobody to assist her. The catastrophe in the life of Minnie is that she learns to save rags of cloths for making quilts for self-discipline devoid of gaining social benefits of stitching. This further proves her loneliness and lack of affection from her now dead husband. This is especially true when towards the end of the story, the women sympathize more with Minnie, than her murdered husband. Minnie is depicted as the everyday woman who represents the tribulations of women in their love lives; in their domestic lie. Her feelings resonate across comments made by Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hales. The inescapable progressive bond between these two female protagonists and Minnie Wright is enough to tell the story of Minnie, even without her physical presence in “Trifles”. The void birdcage clues at Minnie’s psychological struggles and one observes that her identity derives from her intimacy to the canary (Walker et al. 45). Concisely, “Trifles” is a story that highlights the women’s underrepresentation in the society; male chauvinism and dominion over their daily life, to the extent that they lose their female identity. The murder of John Wright represents a new revolution and search for liberty and ultimate happiness. Work Cited Walker, Pamela G, Sabine Koch, Alex Mandel, Mark Andrews, Peter Sohn, Cynthia Slavens, Michael A. OBrien, Bob Roden, Carrie Winchell, Austin Madison, Teddy Newton, Todd F. Krish, Susan Glaspell, and Susan Glaspell. Trifles. S.l.: Ghost Ranch Productions, 2008. Read More