Trifles, A Feminist Play

 

 

Trifles

 

 

 

 

Explorations of the Text

 

 

1- What clues lead the women to conclude that Minnie Wright killed her husband?

 

     I assumed that Mrs Hale and Mrs Peter got the feeling that Minnie Wright killed her husband due  

     to their discovery on silly things that man things. As far as I know, women are more detailed with

     small little things that their do. Even the man in the story pointed out about how women used to 

     worrying over trifles. I assumed that small details at the kitchen such as stove, pot and pan,

     kitchen table, towel are not in its best. For me it showed there is something wrong with her

     because you cannot beat women with house chores especially their kitchen. I also assumed that

     Mrs Hale and Mrs Peter also found out that her technique of piecing a quilts are not at her best.

     They felt that Minnie Wright are nervous about something ( murdering her husband).  Besides, her

     dead canary bird are found dead by Mrs Hale and Mrs Peter due to someone who had killed it. As

     for me, the bird itself was something that precious to her ( I assumed it symbolize her freedom)

     because she made  pretty box for the bird. Mrs Peter herself said that she would hurt  a boy who

     took her kitten when she was little girl. As for Minnie, that bird been killed by someone ( I   

     think  her husband.)

    

 

2- How do the man differ from the women? from each other?

 

    In the beginning of the play the women are not judging Mrs Wright or accusing her of

    anything they are defending her at a sad time in her life. On the other hand, we read about the 

    County Attorney talking about how much of a mess the kitchen is and ridiculing Mrs. Wright in

    her absence about how her husband has been murdered and she is worried about her fruit being

    frozen; "I guess before we're through she may have something more serious than preserves to

    worry about," he boasts. The County Attorney has basically claimed her guilty for the murder of

    her own husband and at the same time teases about her fruit. The women immediately go to her aid

    talking of how hard it is to keep a farmhouse in order. With women, once we have to go on the 

   defensive, we will find every way to find the good or bad in something no matter what the cost.

   This is how the women drew their conclusion. They speak about how much of a nice person she  

   was and because of that kindness, they think more of Mrs. Wright's well being and begin to aid he

   in her housework by cleaning the kitchen and thinking of things that will make her comfortable 

   while she is in jail. By doing so they draw conclusions like, if she did kill her husband she had

   reasons to. "She used to wear pretty clothes and be lively, when she was Minnie Foster," says Mrs.

   Hale. She implies how sweet and outgoing she was until she was married. They characterized Mr.

   Wright as someone with a mean spirit. The men, however, were looking for clues to pin the murder

   on the wife and convict her for murder since they already believed she killed him anyway. The

   women use casual conversation with a bit of being nosey or trying to help out in order  to judge her

   by what they know and her surroundings.

   

 

3- What do the man discover? Why do they conclude " Nothing here but kitchen things"?

   

            I assumed that the man in the story discover nothing unusual accept only kitchen thing like 

    the Sheriff said. They only pointed negative things such as dirty towel and mess kitchen. They

   sarcastically and cynically criticizing the women about trifles and others. However, Mrs Hale get

   irritated and defending Minnie Wright. Here, I think the reason why they cannot find any evidences

   or hints is due to underestimating women and the ignorance to women. Sheriff and County

   Attorney thinks all things at Minnie's  kitchen not useful as evidences and also clouded their

   investigations. As for me also, I think, its show how Glaspell criticizing man on how ignorant they

   are about small things. I think, as a man, small detailed not really important but not to women. They

   care abou small things. That's why, Mrs Peter and Mrs Hale found the proofs and decided to hide it

  from the man world. I think the women assumed that no matter what the man still will accused

  Minnie in killing her own husband no matter they have evidence or not. 

 

    





Susan Glaspell, True Feminist Playwright

Susan Glaspell ( 1876- 1948 )

 

 

 “We all go through the same things - it's all just a different kind of the same thing."   -Susan Glaspell

 

        Susan Glaspell was born in Davenport, Iowa by the married couple of Elmer Glaspell and Alice Keating. She graduated from Drake University in 1899 and works as journalist after that. Glaspell began her career as an author for popular magazines.

 

       However, in  1915, she had turned her energies to the theater especially after she married with George Cram Cook. With him, she helped found a theatrical group called, Provincetown Players which for experimental dramas until later became extremely successful as one of the most influenced on American drama. However, she got divorced with her husband after years of marriage.

 

      Eventhough, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize  for one of her famous play, 'Allison's House' (1931),  that was also her downfall in her personal life. She fell into her first and only period of low productivity as she struggled with depression due to divorce, alcoholism, and poor health.

 

       As for me her feminist work in plays production especially 'Trifle' (1916) has change my mind a little bit about human right against gender. I never thought it was such big issues back then because nowadays people are treated equally. Trifles is a play based on the John Hossack  case, for the group. It has been argued that the play is an example of early feminist drama. "A Jury of Her Peers", was adapted from the play a year after its debut.

 

       On 2nd December, 1900, John Hossack was murdered with an axe as he slept. His 57-year old wife, Margaret, was charged with the killing. Glaspell covered the trial for her newspaper. The jury did not believe her story that she slept through the killing, even though she lay next to her husband as he was murdered and she was found guilty. The story Trifles almost inspired by this cases and also inspired me to look into feminist perspective about the play more thoroughly.

 

       A journalist who worked with her on the Des Moines Daily News described her as "a strikingly handsome young lady with a nobility of character and charm of manner that command more than passing attention."After nine novels, fourteen plays and numerous short stories as well as articles, Susan Glaspell passed away at the age of 72. She remained as an inspiring writer, a dear good friend to all. 

 

 

Youtube link : Susan Glaspell- Trifles

Arthur Miller, Marilyn Monroe & Death of Salesman

                                                              Arthur Miller ( 1915 - 2005 )

 



         " The theater is so endlessly fascinating because it's so accidental. It's so much like life."

     Arthur Miller was born in Harlem, New York on 1915 and were raised to middle class Jewish parents. His father, a clothing manufacturer experienced failure in his work. So they had to move from Manhattan to Brooklyn.

    

      He attended University of Michigan where he had started writing plays and won several prizes in drama. His plays include ' The Man Who Had the Luck' (1944), 'All My Sons' ( 1947), 'Death of a Salesman' ( 1949), ' The Crucible' ( 1953), ' A View From the Bridge' and ' A Memory of Two Mondays' (1955), 'After The Fall' (1964), 'Incident at Vichy' (1964), 'The Price' ( 1968), ' The Creation of The World and Other Business' (1972), 'The Archibishop's Ceiling'  (1977), 'The American Clock' ( 1980).

 

      Later, he wrote the plays, ' The Ride Down Mt. Morgan' (1991), 'The Last Yankee' (1993), 'Broken Glass' (1994), ' Mr Peters Connections' (1998), 'Resurrection Blues' (2002) and 'Finishing The Picture' (2004).

 

       He had his first Broadway production, ' The Man Who Had the Luck' although it closed for only a few performances. His second play on Broadway 'All My Sons' however was both critical and commercial success. However, his next and most successful play of him, 'Death of a Salesman' had launched his career and deserved several awards such as Pulitzer Prize, New York Drama Critic's Circle Award and even Tony Award.

 

     His private life such his marriage had been under people's microscopes. He was married to Mary Slattery but had divorced in 1956. Shortly after that, he was married to one of the famous actress, Marilyn Monroe. However, sadly they are divorced in 1961. Within several months, Miller was married Inpe Morath, the Austrian born photographer.

 

       He died on February 10, 2005 due to heart failure. He was 89 years old. Arthur Miller was one true unique American playwright whose biting criticism of societal problems. As for me he remained as one talented playwright especially, Death of a Salesman.     

 

         " A playwright lives in an occupied country. And if you can't live that way you don't stay."

 

A Date with a Literary Scholar, Refaat Alareer

                                                                  * Refaat Alareer*

 

“Generally, calling it a poem makes it more universal than calling it an article. If you write an idea in a poem, it may make it into the books.”

     On last Monday of 20th October, our Poetry and Drama class was lucky with the opportunity of listening to a wise talk by Mr. Refaat Alareer,  a young academic and a writer from Gaza who blogs at thisisgaza.wordpress.com.

 

     All of my classmate including me were enjoyed with his speeches about Gaza, War and his famous poems. A lot of people concluded his poem's content as war-based poetry but for me it more than blood and war. Its about hope, love and faith.

 

     Mr. Refaat  started the talk with a brief historical review regarding Palestine issues and the occupation of the Jews. As we know, there a lot of misconception about religion between Muslims and the Jews. He were expressing his thought about this sensitive issues to us. For him, put aside the war and lets us talk about how its really has to do with literature and how that inspired him.

  
     We then have the chances to hear and immerse with his underrated poem by others such as I Am You, Freshly Baked Soul, If I must Die. We are lucky to know more about what his poem is all about and the deeper meaning behind those word in his poems. He recommended few notable Palestinian poet such as Mahmoud Darwish, Tamim Bargouti, Susan Abulhawa and some other more.

      Eventhough his speech just for two hours duration, there's so many input and how its inspired me to write a poem. I still remembered his word of wisdom. He quoted " Doesn't matter what language you use to write a poem because that's the magic of poem, people just get related with it." To be able to listen directly from someone who were actually a part of this war of resistance we so often only hear before through the medias. all of us were truly grateful to Mr. Refaat for his time and dedication, and we wish for all the best for him, his fight and his journey.

 

 

                                                                    Refaat Alareer ^^

 

 

 

     

 

    

 

     

 

Refaat Alareer and his poems

  If I Must Die 

  by : Refaat Alareer

If I must die,
you must live
to tell my story
to sell my things
to buy a piece of cloth
and some strings,
(make it white with a long tail)
so that a child, somewhere in Gaza
while looking heaven in the eye
awaiting his dad who left in a blaze–
and bid no one farewell
not even to his flesh
not even to himself–
sees the kite, my kite you made, flying up above
and thinks for a moment an angel is there
bringing back love
If I must die
let it bring hope
let it be a tale

 

 

Over The Wall

   by : Refaat Alareer

 

‘There,’ points Grandma.

She had a tent that was a home.

She had a goat and a camel.

She had a rake and a fork and a trowel.

She had a machete and a watering can.

She had a grove and two hundred plants.

She had a child and another one and another one.

***

‘There,’ she insists.

I could not see

Because of the wall.

I could not hear

Because of the noise.

I could not smell

Because of the powder.

***

But I can always tell,

I am sure of Grandma

Who always was

And is still

And will always be.

She smells like soil.

And smiles like soil.

And blinks like soil

When touched by rain.

***

She has a house that is a tent

She has a key

And a memory.

She has a hope

And two hundred offspring.

***

Grandma is here

But lives there.

 

Freshly Baked Souls

 by : Refaat Alareer

 

As fire balls and sparks descend,

And the little ones rejoice,

Look up, and cheer, unable to comprehend,

Sooner than they expect

They will be blown

(It’s none of their wishes

If only they had known!)

And more freshly grilled balls of flesh ascend.

And fall on full dishes

And fill the boxes.

And the hollow minds.

The full bellies.

They look down. Rejoice. Cheer.

“Freshly baked!”

“Freshly baked!”

“Who wants freshly baked flesh for breakfast?”

“Throw me a piece. “

“Throw me  four.

I have just eaten but crave for more.”

***

The hearts are not hearts.

The eyes can’t see

There are no eyes there

The bellies craving for more

A house destroyed except for the door

The family, all of them, gone

Save a photo album

That has to be buried with them

No one was left to cherish the memories

No one.

Except freshly baked souls in bellies.

Except for a poem .

 

 

What is War Poetry?

                                           
                                                 Characteristics of War Poetry

 

* The war poetry is introduced by the poets who have experienced the terror of War World I and  

   World War World II. War poetry is considered as contemporary poetry which is authentic,  

   original,revolutionary and free from the classical rules. 

*Lesley Jeffries maintains that modern poets were trying with "new material" and "new methods of 
  writing" (Jeffries 1993:10). 


*Dennis Brown attributes the subject of experimentation in modern poetry to the "disorientation"
  induce by the shock of the Great War, among other reasons (Brown 1989:11). 

*Most of the common themes, like the casualties of war and the inevitable deaths, can be found in the
  most well-known poets like Rupert Brooke, Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon.

*Many of them suffered from psychological problems during and after the war due to shell shock or
  the horrible scenes of mutilated bodies and human parts scattered on the battlefield. 

*War poetry captures the physical and emotional features of modern war: the pain, weariness,
  madness, and degradation of human beings under intolerable strain. 


* It attempts to crystallize the moment as it offers images of young soldiers in action. 

*Some poems of this era highlight the case in which a soldier survives war physically but remains
  obsessed with its bitter horrifying memories which drive him crazy. 

* Samuel Hynes expresses the way the poets were affected by the war.

                                                                Peace, Love & Respect

Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori

Wilfred Owen

Dulce Et Decorum Est

 

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of disappointed shells that dropped behind.

GAS! Gas! Quick, boys!-- An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And floundering like a man in fire or lime.
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,--
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.

 

         This poem was actually my first war-based poem that I read. I like it a lot because it has such strong poetic values in it. It is making this poem memorable. I actually read it 1 years ago but I still remembered this poem and it is about. Dulce et Decorum est actually from Latin word and often quoted at the start of the First World War. They mean "It is sweet and right."  In other words, it is a wonderful and great honour to fight and die for your country.

 

         “Dulce et Decorum Est” is a lyric poem expressing in stark language the poet's reaction to the horror of war. The source of the quotation is the second ode in Book III of Carmina (Odes) by the ancient Roman writer Quintus Horatius Flaccus, or Horace (65-8 BC). The meter pattern of the poem is iambic pentameter, which consists of five pairs of syllables. The first syllable of each pair is unstressed; the second, stressed.

 

         The first stanza sets the scene, a battlefield with war-weary soldiers on the march. The second stanza centers on the central image of the poem: a gas attack in which one soldier, failing to put on his gas mask in time, dies in agony before the speaker of the poem. The remaining lines present the theme.
.