The Oppression Of Women Susan Glaspell s Trifles And...

The Oppression of Women in a Male Dominated Society The plays Susan Glaspell’s Trifles and Sophocles’ Antigone, examine the contrast between the roles of women versus that of a man. The women in Trifles are viewed as second class citizens, who are expected to follow the beliefs and commands of the man, whereas, Antigone is a head strong and defiant woman, who didn’t mind challenging man’s authority. From the beginning of time, the view of women is that as inferior to men. In both of these plays, the women are expected to be seen, but not heard. In Trifles, the women are portrayed as housewives, responsible for bearing children, and keeping the house. Throughout the play, the attorney made several comments insinuating that Mrs. Wright wasn’t keeping up with her womanly duties. He stated â€Å"here is a mess, dirty towels! Not much of a housekeeper would you say, ladies† (Glaspell 1109-1110)? The men are viewed as head of the house and of the woman. The women’s input and ideas are often overlooked and they have no say in the final decisions. Before her marriage, Mrs. Wright was described as a nice and pretty, but a bit shy and nervous. But that changed greatly after her wedding day. Her spirit was reduced to nothing. She spent her days focusing on her quilts, preserves, and caring for her canary. She didn’t receive any type of appreciation for her hard work. After the death of her beloved canary at the hands of her husband, she lost control of her emotions and killed him. Her