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Mollie Stein

Dr. Jerz

SEL 267 75

January 23, 2017

The Representation of the Inequality and the Freedom of Women Through Murder

Freedom comes at a cost for women in literary works such as Trifles and Machinal,

and the payment for this cost is murder. Both of these works highlight the treatment of women in

the early twentieth century and also the standards and societal expectations women had during

this time. Both literary works involve the women seeking justice for their treatment by trying to

end it through murdering their husbands. With Glaspells interpretation of a life of a woman in

Trifles and Treadwells in Machinal, the ultimate theme is the inequality of women during this

time with undertones of the freedom of breaking from their social norms.

In the play Trifles, a woman living in this situation kills her husband to escape his

chains which highlights the inequality and mistreatment of women while also providing a

character who lived outside of these societal expectations. Not only is a woman who kills

frightening given her action of taking a life but for even more than that. Linda Ben-Zvi further

explains this concept in her article "Murder, She Wrote": The Genesis of Susan

Glaspell's "Trifles" when she writes, Women who kill evoke fear because they challenge

societal constructs of femininity- passivity, restraint, and nurture (Ben-Zvi 1). The woman who

is questioned of murder in the play, Mrs. Wright, seems to be a woman who lives up to the

societal expectations during the early twentieth century until she murders her husband. The fruit

preserves and the knitting of the quilt, hint at the fact that Mrs. Wright was a domestic servant. It
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also become quite clear that Minnie was a domestic housewife when Mrs. Hale says, Theres a

great deal of work to be done on a farm (1.1 32). She says this in defense to the mens

comments on the mess of the kitchen and Mrs. Wrights worry over her preserves. Trifles also

offers other female protagonists, but these characters live inside the walls of these social norms

during this time, not yet brave enough to break out.

The women in Trifles, Mrs. Wright and Mrs. Hale, find the key piece of evidence that

could certainly convict Minnie of murdering her husband, but decide to hide it for two reasons.

One being the fact that it might convict Minnie, and given the sympathy they had for her, it did

not seem just. The other reason is their fear that the men would never believe them, for how

could a woman ever solve a crime before a man? The reader understands the women believe the

men would not believe them when Mrs. Peters says, My, its a good thing the men couldnt hear

us. Wouldnt they just laugh! Getting all stirred up over a little thing like a dead canary (1.1

137). Not telling their husbands about the evidence they have found both proves that they still

live within their societal expectations and that it was an act of defiance. Mrs. Hale and Mrs.

Peters have sympathy for Minnie, further proving that they can relate to her. The reader gets a

hint at their sympathy towards Mrs. Wright when Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters both react to

Minnies fruit preserves. The county attorney even makes the comment to them, Ah, loyal to

your sex, I see (1.1 35). As the women react to Minnies fruit preserves and the men make

comments lumping all of the women together, it can be seen how similar these women and Mrs.

Wright really are. They have lived through this murderers experiences prior to her crime, which

gives them sympathy towards her, although there is no evidence of abuse towards Mrs. Hale and

Mrs. Peters. Suzy Clarkson Holstein explains this part of the play when she writes, Certainly,

during the early part of the twentieth century, the duties and structures of womens lives would
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have predisposed them to approach a problem from a different angle than that of men (Holstein

288). This is why these women were so quick to find the evidence, and yet so quick to hide it. A

strangled canary would mean nothing to a man, but to a woman who can sympathize with the

treatment of her gender, the evidence is quite clear.

Murder, inequality, and societal expectations of women were further examined in Sophie

Treadwells play Machinal. In this play, a woman working in an office feels forced to marry her

boss but she does not want to. She explains that she does not want to marry her boss because she

does not love him. She wants to be independent and find true love. All of these attributes were

definitely qualities of a woman shying away from societal expectations, something frowned upon

by others. A woman marrying for love and not for societal standards was odd during this time. In

this play, Helen worked in an office where she met her boss. Even if Helen, the main character,

continued to be independent and hold her job, would that have really been escaping the

mistreatment and societal expectations? Jane Marcellus explains the role of a secretary during

this time for a woman when she writes, the office became on a subtle level an extension of

the domestic realm, rather than a place entirely separate from it (Marcellus 570). Despite

marital status, there seemed to be no escape from this treatment and these social norms for

women. Although, an independent, employed woman may not look to murder for a sense of

freedom.

During the early twentieth century, women were in search of the same rights as men were

entitled to. Women were presented as a housewife, and any other form of employment was

looked down upon. Mrs. Wright in Trifles, worked as a housewife on her farm which was her

home she shared with her husband. In the article, Women and the Paradox of Economic

Inequality in the Twentieth Century, the authors explain that a being a domestic housewife was a
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womans major occupation, excluding agriculture, during this time and traditional work of theirs

included tending to children and the sick and minding the home (Katz Stern Fader 70). If a

women were to find employment elsewhere although unlikely, their pay was no where near that

of men. In Machinal the young woman, Helen, did have a job in the office. Although, Helens

pay was never mentioned within the play. A woman could not live sufficiently on just their own

income if they had one at all. Essentially, women were not anything in society without their

counterpart, a man. Where would this leave Minnie and Helen if they were to escape

consequences for their actions? While Helen did not escape her actions, the reader never learns if

Mrs. Wright did or not. As the other women in Trifles hid the key piece of evidence, it can be

assumed that Mrs. Wright did escape the consequences because the evidence was never found.

Given the large pay gap and Mrs. Wrights experience as a domestic housewife, it can be

wondered how Mrs. Wright could fend on her on with such a large farm after the crime.

Not only has gender inequality hurt women financially and socially, but inequality can

leave some women feeling physically or emotionally hurt as well. Many women were abused

because of their expectations and also as a result of their inequality. Within Trifles, it can be

assumed that Mrs. Wright was abused by her husband causing her to retaliate against him. It can

be assumed when Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters talk about how Mr. Wright was a man and how

much Mrs. Wright has changed being married to him. Michael Salter describes the correlation

between violence and gender inequality in his article Real men dont hit women: Constructing

masculinity in the prevention of violence against women, Nationally and internationally

prominent violence against women prevention activities are grounded in a view of masculinity as

a normative phenomenon dis-embedded from economic and political processes (Salter 463).

This means that the way masculinity is viewed and expected, men are supposed to be
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dominating, strong, and over-bearing. The reader begins to learn of Mr. Wrights demeanor when

Mrs. Peters talks of him and says, But he was a hard man, Mrs. Peters. Just to pass the time of

day with him like a raw wind that gets to the bone (1.1 107). This sentence hints as the fact

that Mr. Wright was a frightening man, even to women other than Mrs. Wright herself. These

qualities seemed to lead to the dominating of a woman physically, thus leading to violence. It is

further explained when Salter says, a one-dimensional account of masculinitypotentially

reinforces violence-supportive attitudes (Salter 464). As women were expected to be passive to

their husbands, men were expected to be dominating in a marital relationship. It seems as though

even violence was justified for men in the early twentieth century. Just as men had the bias of

being domineering and violent, women had many standards and expectations during this time as

well.

In the plays Trifles and Machinal, the passive aggressive societal expectation of

women was shattered when the two main women murdered their husbands. Each woman

committed this crime due to their husbands treatment towards them and due to the inequalities

that they had faced. Joanne Belknap explains in her article Offending Women: A Double

Entendre, The most poignant difference is the invisibility of trauma, especially abuse, as a

precursor to womens and girls offending (Belknap 1065). By offending, Belknap is referring

to offenses of incarcerated women. Minnies murder of her own husband helps prove this point

that abuse is one of the main causes of womens offenses. The abuse of Mrs. Wright by her

husband becomes clear when Mrs. Hale says, No, Wright wouldnt like the bird a thing that

sang. She used to sing. He killed that, too (1.1 129). Mr. Wrights treatment of his wife changed

her into something completely opposite than what she used to be. She used to be a happy

woman, but Mr. Wright changed this which lead to her breaking societal expectations of women.
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While there is no clear explanation of abuse within Machinal, it is hinted throughout the play

that the husband was domineering and Helen is fed up with her treatment. We begin to see the

domineering side of the husband when as soon as their honeymoon starts, he tries to take Helen

to bed. Despite Helens attitude toward his gesture, the husband says, Say stay there! What

you moving for? You know you got to learn to relax, little girl (3.1 27). His use of the term

little girl shows his dominating, masculine side. Helens attitude toward her husband and her

actions to get away from him prove how fed up Helen is with her treatment as a woman. It can

be questioned whether the husband did not pick up on Helens distaste for sex with him, or he

did and he simply did not care. When Belknap talks of one authors experience, the question is

presented as to whether or not these crimes are justifiable. Belknap then later refers to this

authors experience with these incarcerated women when she writes, Bryant went on to report

that she followed up on the injustices in the system that some of the women reported and, in

some cases, was able to help the women with earlier releases (Belknap 1067). This indicates

that at times the injustices these women endured were simply justified by their crimes. If readers

were shown Minnies trial in Trifles, would her crime eventually be seen as justifiable?

Perhaps Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters could have helped Minnie justify her murder. Readers learn at

the end of Machinal that Helens crime was not seen as justifiable by the court, but is that truly

fair? Helen did not have anyone on her side in Machinal, especially not her mother, so no one

would have been there to help her justify their crime. It is hard to see any type of murder as

justifiable, but maybe these womens past endurances could have equaled a lesser sentence.

While women had unequal treatment from society in the early twentieth century, women

also had expectations from society as well. Women during the twentieth century had an image

and expectations to maintain. This not only included their work and physical attributes, but also
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included their emotions and qualities. Women were expected to follow their husbands orders, be

a domestic housewife, and be a maternal figure. These were included in their societal

expectations, or so called social norms. These societal expectations were highlighted within both

of these plays. It is shown within Trifles, when the men complain of the mess of the kitchen

and criticize Mrs. Wright for worry about her preserves and her apron. After seeing the mess in

the kitchen, the county attorney even says, Not much of a housekeeper, would you say ladies?

(1.1 31). Feminists are seeking equality, something most women want, but fear that equality in

some aspect will only further prove their expectations. Women were seen as fragile and passive,

and any special treatment might prove this. The whole fact that Helen married a man who she

was not in love with proves just how passive she was with societys standards, at least in the

beginning. Helen explains that she believes that she should only marry a man if she loves him

and her mothers response was, Love! what does that amount to! Will it clothe you? Will it

feed you? Will it pay the bills? (2.1 106). Despite her differing views, Helen becomes passive

and follows her mothers orders, marrying that man. Cunningham-Parameter further explains the

goal of feminists when he talks of their effort to downplay certain biological and socially

constructed differences between the sexes (1). There are no denying biological differences

between men and women but there is also no doubt that they should be equal.

The only feminists in these plays were the women themselves. Although, in Machinal it

seemed that there was no one else upset by the treatment and societal standards of women except

for Helen herself. Arielle L. Bardzell defines gender stereotypes in her article, Eliminating

Gender Stereotyping in the United States through Ratification of Cedaw Law, Gender

stereotypes continue to foster rampant discrimination and gender inequalities in the United

States. Gender stereotypes arise from the idea that men and women are essentially different
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and naturally categorized for different roles, professions, and skills (Bardzell 1). This is why

stereotypes affected inequalities so much, especially the employment of women. Women were

expected to step up for men during World War I, since the women could not fight themselves,

while still fulfilling their duties as a domestic housewife and a mother. There was no effort in the

aspect of childcare, leaving it almost impossible for women to endure both roles, yet women

were deemed responsible for the rise in child delinquency for example. (Reynolds 210). Within

Machinal, Helen had a child with her husband and in Trifles it is mentioned that Mr. and Mrs.

Wright did not have children, which seemed quite odd at this time. Despite their efforts to work

hard, pay was minimal and no where near to the usual pay of men. After the war, women

increasingly were taken from their jobs and the concerns of womens expectations and the way

that they serve society became questioned (Reynolds 210). While Helen in Machinal held a job,

she still often questioned her place within society.

While Trifles and Machinal both depict murdering for justice, both also portray the

hardships women had faced during the early twentieth century. Women were mistreated by those

around them, especially their partner, because of the strong societal expectations they were

supposed to hold. Women during this time were expected to be domestic housewives, a maternal

figure, and passive to their husbands, which is depicted in both plays. Also depicted in both plays

is the breaking of these societal expectations from both women. These women murdered their

husbands, proving themselves to be the complete opposite of what society viewed them to be.

Can men really be blamed for their actions when they were taught to follow these societal

expectations as well? Both Helen and Minnie believed that these men deserved punishment, but

society in the early twentieth century did not see it that way.
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Works Cited

Bardzell, Arielle L, Eliminating Gender Stereotyping in the United States Through Ratification

of Cedaw Article 10. Georgetown Journal of Gender & the Law, vol. 17, no. 3, 2016,

pp. 809-930.

Belknap, Joanne. Offending Women: A Double Entendre. Journal of Criminal Law &

Criminology, vol. 100, no. 3, 2010, pp. 1061-1097.

Ben-Zvi, Linda. ""Murder, She Wrote": The Genesis of Susan Glaspell's "Trifles". "Theatre

Journal, vol. 44, no. 2, 1992, pp. 141-62.

Cunningham-Parmeter, Keith. (Un)Equal Protection: Why Gender Equality Depends On

Discrimination. Northwestern University Law Review, vol. 109, no. 1, 2014, pp. 1-56.

Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. New York: Frank Shay, 1916. Print.

Holstein, Suzy Clarkson. "Silent Justice In A Different Key: Glaspell's 'Trifles'." Midwest

Quarterly, vol. 44, no. 3, 2003, pp. 282.

Katz, Michael B., Mark J. Stern, and Jamie J. Fader. Women and the Paradox of Economic

Inequality in the Twentieth-Century. Journal of Social History, vol. 39, no. 1, 2005, pp.

65-88.

Marcellus, Jane. "Moderns Or Moms?: Body Typing And Employed Women Between The

World Wars." Women's Studies, vol. 34, no. 7, 2005, pp. 551-573.

Treadwell, Sophie. Machinal. Manhattan, 1928. Print.

Weiss, Katherine. "Sophie Treadwell's Machinal: Electrifying The Female Body." South Atlantic

Review, vol. 71, no. 3, 2006, pp. 4-14.

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