Doubt and Trifles Research paper.

Name Tutor Course Date Doubt and Trifles Research Paper What Makes a Person Guilty or Innocent In both "Trifles" and "Doubt," the decisions to prove someone's guilt or innocence are made on a tangled web of relationships and subtle interactions. In "Doubt," the fact that the Father is popular among people and a prominent person in the Catholic Church makes some people feel that he is not guilty initially (Shanley). However, the steadfast belief of Sister Aloysius that he is guilty is attributable to the norms that she embraces, together with her perceptions that are being reinforced by hearsay and intuition. Through the same instance, Sister Aloysius's proceedings may show how complex prejudice and subjective judgment may jeopardize the determination of guilt and innocence. The very ideas that support the contempt of women are evident in "Trifles" through the attitude of the male characters who keep aside the opinions and views of their fellow women (Glaspell 2). This refusal reveals how power relations and gender stereotypes may influence the verification process of guilt or innocence by lifting up the opinions of some and putting down others. Circumstantial proof or social paradoxes may determine guilt or innocence. In "Doubt," Sister Aloysius's accusations caused a moral and ethical dispute regarding Father Flynn's guilt and a civil war in the Catholic Church. Mr. Flynn's indecisive behavior towards Donald Miller makes his guilt unfathomable. "Trifles" women's action of concealing the evidence is a collective resistance to patriarchal norms (Jamali 32). The cases above indicate that social norms and power relations either determine a person guilty or innocent, thus complicating judgment and justice in their works. Instances Where Guilt or Innocence are Inconsequential Based on Past or Present Actions In both "Doubt" and "Trifles," there are cases when major societal attitudes and politics overrule guilt or innocence. The patriarchal structure of the Catholic Church and its authorities have a central role in how Father Flynn's accusations are dealt with in "Doubt." Being in a position of power and authority and not considering challenging the traditional system, many people stood up for Father Flynn even when he was in question (Shanley). This proves that structural inequalities and built-in power imbalances may impede the path to questions of innocence or guilt and distort the sense of justice. "Doubt" is a puzzle where there is an ambivalence in the case of Father Flynn's guilt that is deeper than those facts alone. Sister Aloysius's strict adherence to moral principles in the Catholic religion is seen throughout her unstoppable drive for justice. In addition, Father Flynn's efforts to assert his innocence inspire doubt, but instead of admitting his guilt, he tries to preserve his authority and reputation. In this case, the focus shifts from the specific actions or events to the broader implications for one's sense of integrity and the institution's future (McClure 12). Therefore, a person's guilt or innocence becomes insignificant because the ethical and moral issues, the core of the accusations, swallow the investigation's results. In "Trifles," the disdain of male characters for the female observations represents the widespread gender bias commonly regarded as a devaluation of women's opinions (Glaspell 5). The female detectives bring crucial leads that unravel the mystery, while the male investigators overlook what the women find. This shows that cultural prejudice...