Trifles and Fences

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Burt Reynolds 1 24OCT13 Gender Roles in Trifles and Fences Throughout history there have been many literature works that show the concept of gender inequality, and you can often use these works as a scale to show where we as a society use to be and where we are today. Two examples are the plays Trifles and Fences. The period in which a piece of literature is se greatly affects the meaning and attitude portrayed in the writing. Values, ideals, and attitudes of people change as a result of societal norms and taboos changing. Trifles, published in 1916, is set during the second half of the 19th century (Waterman). Women at this time had been granted suffrage and also could not sit on juries. Men dominated all facets of life at this time, save for caring of the home and children. Women were “decorative, useful in the home, but that’s all” (Carter 188). Glaspell clearly points this out in Trifles by having all of the women's conversation occur in the kitchen, while the men go to other parts of the house. Even though in this play women are considered to belong in the kitchen, in the initial scene you see the men gather around the stove to warm up, leaving the women in the door way. This is an intentional setting, as it displays women's position in society at the time, e.g. outside it. The women however complete the circle of alienation by believing this position is natural. Mrs. Peters gives an example of how many believe that a woman's place is in the home. While gathering items for Mrs. Wright, Mrs. Peters picks up an apron and says, "Funny thing to want…goodness knows. But I suppose just to make her feel more natural." This allusion to her feeling better in a kitchen setting shows how the roles women are expected to fill in this time

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