Eng 1020 - once You Choose You Never Go Back

ENGL 1020 – Assignment 1

Cole

September 14, 2014

Once You Choose You Never Go Back

        Have you ever wondered why some people hide the truth even when they could have serious consequences to it? It’s strange but it seems that the closer you are to the law the more daring some people are. In the play “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell the authority’s and their wives enter a farm house where there is a dead body. They seem to believe the wife did it, the authorities are struggling to find evidence; the wives on the other hand find some interesting things. These women in the play symbolize the inner struggle between what we think is right and what the law thinks is just.

        When people feel guilty or if they can relate to someone they tend to be more sympathetic towards them. It is always hard to see someone in trouble and feel like someone could have done something to prevent it, especially if they seemed to just ignore the signs. Mrs. Hale experiences this first hand she says “I might have known she needed help! I know how things can be- for woman.”(451) When she found the bird she feels the need to protect her and keep it a secret. It is the guilt from being her friend and watching her change and hurt through the time and doing nothing about it help make this decision. (452) She blames herself for the situation that Minnie is in. Mrs. Peters on the other hand tells the reader how she can relate; “I know what stillness is… my first baby died after he was two years old, and me with no one other than.” (451) She seems to have the same or similar home life as Minnie. Granted that for some reason Minnie gets the liveliness drained out of her for her to make the decisions she did.

        Unfortunately this play was during a time that it was perfectly fine to disrespect their wives. Sexism was a reoccurring thing, women were treated as property and when even law enforcement is partaking in this it is hard to want to help. The court attorney even says “Not much of a house keeper…” (446)The woman’s husband is found dead with there being no evidence that leads anywhere and he is judging her house keeping abilities. This wasn’t the only comment that was made in regards to the cleanliness of the kitchen and yet there is a great chance that they don’t do anything around their own houses. The sheriff also makes a comment of “… held for murder and worrying’ about her preservatives.” (446)him and the other men seem to not care about what is important to the women. They don’t understand the hard work she put in and not wanting it to go to waste, even in the situation. The most ironic part of the play would have to be when the sheriff asks the court attorney “Do you want to see what Mrs. Peters is going to take in?” he replies with  “Oh I guess they’re not very dangerous…a Sheriffs wife is married to the law.”(452) This is ironic because the men would not has suspected that the women would smuggle the dead bird out of the house. They also wouldn’t think that the women were threats in any way to the case because they are “married to the law.” Always being undermined, treated like they are stupid and even property at some times can make it hard to take the laws side even though they are married to it.