Discuss your judgment of the women's decisions in Trifles
Remember in a previous unit, when you read William Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” and little Sarty had to make a big decision? Well, now you get to judge the women’s decisions in Trifles. Basically, you must ask yourself why the women don’t share the evidence they discover that would provide a possible motive for the murder. Then you must ask yourself if you sympathize with the women’s actions or not. Finally, you get to discuss whether or not you approve of the women’s actions, and this may not be a simple “yes” or “no” depending on your perspective. Once again, this activity depends on your reading ALL of Glaspell’s one-act play, Trifles, very carefully. Also, you must watch the two (2) videos. •Glaspell: What (and Who) is Responsible for the death of Mr. Wright. (2013). Retrieved from “What So Proudly We Hail: The American Soul in Story, Speech, and Song” at Vimeo.com at http://vimeo(dot)com/37714626 NOTE: There are several other videos related to Glaspell’s work at this site. •Glaspell: Why do the Women Withhold the Evidence that Would Have Supplied the Motive? (2013). Retrieved from “What So Proudly We Hail: The American Soul in Story, Speech, and Song” at Vimeo.com at http://vimeo(dot)com/37714835 In particular, you should pay attention to the women’s actions “takin’ up . . . time with little things” while the men go outside, paying particularly close attention to the discovery of the canary and subsequent actions. While previously, you were asked to summarize the facts of the play, now you are asked to examine the “trifles” the women discover and discuss whether or not the women do the right thing. Do you approve or not of the women’s actions withholding evidence? How do you respond to the actions of the women collecting things for Mrs. Wright when they find the dead canary? Would you want to report them for withholding evidence? Why or why not? In no fewer than 250 words, using at least two (2) quotes from the play, discuss your judgment of the women’s decisions in Trifles. As mentioned in the introduction to this activity, basically, you must ask yourself why the women don’t share the evidence they discover that would provide a possible motive for the murder. Then you must ask yourself if you sympathize with the women’s actions or not. Finally, you are to discuss whether or not you approve of the women’s actions, and whatever your reaction, you must provide no fewer than two (2) quotes from the play to illustrate and support your points.
M6D2: Discuss your judgment of the women’s decisions in Trifles
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M6D2: Discuss your judgment of the women’s decisions in Trifles
A close analysis of the play "Trifles" shows that Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale behaved justly and appropriately when they protected Minnie Wright. If the law was the only factor of judging the appropriateness of the women’s behavior, it can be noted that women in the early 20th century were treated unjustly by the law (vimeo.com, 2013). For instance, Henderson and his men believe that women profoundly achieved their identity based on the relationship they form with men. Mrs. Peters is told by Henderson that since she is the sheriff’s wife, she is married to the law and she is expected to follow the law. Mrs. Peters replies "Not-----just that way," which implies that she rediscovered her identity from her womanhood experiences and not just from her marriage (Glaspell, n.d). Mrs. Hale also says that women "all go through the same things--it's all just a different kind of the same thing." This...