Example Of Drama Essay

Prejudice against women is the central theme that the play ‘trifles’ addresses. The play was converted into a short story ‘A jury of her peers’ which centers on a similar theme line. There are however numerous difference on the texts that were used in writing the play and the story. All this is because of the difference in audience, where the author aimed at ensuring that the message was communicated in the best way that could be understood. There is a lot in the novel, which has not been written in the play. This is simply because of the advantages that the play has over the novel. The play concentrates more on graphic images, which are used to communicate the message clearly, while the novel uses more words to ensure the audience gets a clear picture of the message that the author intends at conveying.
The first difference we notice is on the title of the play and the novel. For the play, the author chose to use ‘trifles’ and used ‘A jury of her peers’ for the novel. ‘Trifles’ is a title that was considered for the play considering the attitude that the men in the play have towards the women. The word was used to refer to the strong evidence that the women presented to aid in the investigation of Mr. Whites death. They were dismissed as ‘trifles’, which implied that women had nothing important to offer and that contribution was not necessary in the case. The title of the play shows the attitude that the men had towards women, not realizing their analytic skills that would support the case of Minnie being the perpetrator of the murder against his husband. However, the trifles could also be seen as a strong point for the women, who were given more time to carry out a personalized investigation into the murder and even soberly analyze the issue. They were able to cover their fellow woman, realizing the issues that led to the murder that was witnessed (Glaspell 20). Compared to the men who only analyzed the end results, the women looked at the procedure that led to the final case and realized that even though Minnie committed the murder, she was not guilty of the offense.
The title of the novel ‘A jury of her peers’ gives a summary of the message. At the end of the novel, we realize that Minnie is just a representation of the many issues that women go through and the wrong punishment they receive for the mistakes of the men. The jury in this case is Minnie, whose actions reflect the kind of life that married women have to go through. The story revolves around a male dominated society, where women are looked at as the main cause of the problems faced by the society. A woman is considered a subject t a man, and stops living her life to live the life of her man, once she gets married. The two women, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale describe the kind of woman Minnie was before she got married. She was jovial, lovely and loved to sing. She participated in group activities, which gave her a sense of belonging and happiness. However, after she got married, she lived an isolated life, life stopped for her as her husband dictated her actions. She was a depressed woman and knew that her husband was the main reason behind her misery. The only way she could go back to living her life was to get rid of her husband, who had also killed the pleasure in her life. Minnie was hence defending her cause of life as well as the course of her peers, through the case; Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale were able to understand the reason behind her actions and hence deriving many lessons from her.
Women in the novel and the play coincidentally find themselves in the mix of things to analyze the case, when the intention of them being involved was not to analyze it. Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale were called in to pick some personal belongings and take them to Minnie who was already behind the bars. That was the only activity they would participate in the murder of Mr. White and not help in investigating the case. The prejudice that the men have against women is revealed on how the case is investigated. The man is the main focus of the case, neglecting the important role of the woman, who was the main perpetrator of the act. Even though they gather evidence against Minnie, they do not take time to visit his office, which is the kitchen. The men concentrate on areas that represent male dominance such as the living room and the bedroom and not taking a critical analysis of the kitchen. When the women try to mention this to them, they dismiss them as mere trifles and ridicule them as they go ahead to focus on areas of interests.
Another incidence that shows how women are prejudiced in the society is the loneliness that Minnie was found in. the people that visited their house since she got married to Mr. White were the men. The women even express regret that they did not pay Minnie a visit, which would have minimized on the tragedy that was now facing the family. However, the kind of life that Minnie lived implied that women were not allowed to go out visiting without getting permission from their husbands. It should be noted that the reason why Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale came to Minnie’s was because their help was needed in taking personal effects to Minnie. Men had the freedom to visit whoever they wanted at whichever time, yet women had to get permission from their men, which were only given on rare occasions and when things had gotten worse. Minnie got no chance to go out and sing, as was her passion before she got married. The only consolation and companion that Minnie had, was her song bird, which was strangled by her husband, living her lonely and dejected.
It is easy for the two women, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale to investigate and analyze the murder because they could easily relate with the predicament that Minnie was going through. They went straight to the kitchen, because, just like them, they knew all the secrets of a woman were hidden in her kitchen. They understood the things that a woman kept and engaged in to show that her life was good. By looking at the kitchen, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale were able to notice something strange that is not common to a woman who is living a happy life. The kitchen was abandoned, meaning that the woman had basically stopped living her life. She had neglected the things that made her life tick, such as knitting and singing. The site of the kitchen made them investigate further and found clear evidence that showed what happened the night before the murder. However, as they continued to search the kitchen, they made a decision to cover Minnie, realizing that her predicament was in fact caused by her husband (Glaspell 54). Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale thought that the only way they could show care and concern to Minnie was to relate with her case and not submit the evidence that would ultimately turn against them.
Before the murder incidence, the women did not understand the prejudice that was held against them. they may have accepted their predicament as normal and manageable until when they realized how far it can go. Their eyes were opened to the make dominance that affected the women in their society and knew that it was not just about Minnie but the female gender. They empathized with the issues, knowing that in case a similar happens to them, no man would come in their defense. The men had stood in solidarity to plead the case of their fellow man, and it would be ridiculous if the women sided with them by not keenly looking at the case. Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale together agreed that the predicament that Minnie had gone through is the same as what they are going through and unless they stand in unity, then they will continue facing the consequences of prejudice. Before they noticed this, they were siding with the men, but realized how they were being sidelined in the issue. When they got the final evidence, they decided to cover it, with the hope that Minnie will be set free and therefore setting themselves free too.

Works cited

Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. Baker's Plays, 2010.