Research Paper: Writers can help but be influenced by the events and people around them. The question is; to what extent do these influences become part of their work and how authors communicate their...

Trifles- A representation of society in the early 1900s
Women’s suffrage in America began early during the 19th century. From not being considered socially adept, women fought their way into the voting system and then into the parliament. 'Trifles', was a play written by Susan Glaspell at a time when the suffrage movement was at its height. Changes had started to take place in most American communities. Women had started making their mark in all walks of life. However, even with these changes, women were in a sensitive position. Glaspell’s ‘Trifles’, captures this sensitive position in a most extraordinary manner. We find that Trifles both champion’s women, exposes their weaknesses, reveals men’s hypocrisy and unravels each one’s understanding of women as individuals.
Glaspell wrote the play Trifles, at the peak of her career and it was played in the theatre owned by her and her husband. Glaspell even played the character of Mrs. Hale in the play. This shows the deep attachment of Glaspell to the cause of women's treatment in society. She uses Trifles to display the way men treated women at that time and what they thought about them. She also discusses the mentality of women of her time through the female characters of her play, including Mrs. Wright, who never appears on stage. There is an enormous focus on how both men and women behave and treat each other in general.
Susan Glaspell employs a unique way to convey her message in ‘Trifles’. She sets the stage for this with an unlikely murder of a husband by his wife. The murder itself is shown as a rebellion against the norm where usually a husband, who is dominant, murders the wife, who is weak.
Women’s incapability of committing murders due to being weak and submissive is a reason for juries to not convict a woman unless otherwise proven. This is a stereotype addressed in itself (Ben-Zvi).
‘COUNTY ATTORNEY: No, Peters, it's all clear except a reason for doing it. But you know juries when it comes to women (Glaspell, 141)’
We also see further manifestations of social bias against women when we find just how slightly Mr. Wright treated his wife. It seems that he didn’t listen to her at all. His treatment was so cold that even his friend knew of it.
‘HALE: [...] I thought maybe if I went to the house and talked about it before his...