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Essay / Use of Symbolism and Characterization in Bagatelles by Susan Glaspell
In the one-act play “Bagatelles,” there are countless examples of symbolism and characterization through the use of strong female roles. By featuring women as the protagonists of this play, she was able to give it a more feminist essence, something readers may not have experienced if the play had been written from a man's perspective. Susan Glaspell was able to show an abundance of character development for a short play using strong symbolism and the dominant idea of point of view and roles between men and women, because after all "women are used to worrying about trifles” (Glaspell).Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayFirst, “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell is a one-act play originally performed in August 1916. It is a period, as many know. , where women are considered inferior to men. At that time, women didn't even have the right to vote yet. The play begins with the discovery of John Wright strangled to death in his home. The County Attorney and Sheriff Peters consider Ms. Minnie Wright to be the prime suspect in this murder. Although these two men investigate the murder, it turns out that it is Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale who will actually solve the crime. Of course, men didn't think about women at all, they just made remarks about women while only caring about "trifles." Men have implied that women are inferior when they talk about how women only care about trivial things. Regardless, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale solved the case when they came across Mrs. Wright's dead bird, twisted by its neck. They realized that Mr. Wright had killed Minnie's bird and that was the last straw. The women knew how badly Mr. Wright had treated Mrs. Wright during their abusive marriage. It became clear that Minnie had murdered Mr. Wright in revenge for his dead bird. The women decide to stick together for Minnie's sake and hide the evidence of the bird. They know how Minnie feels because they both felt it in this oppressed lifestyle. The play ends with an unsolved case. Additionally, symbolism is discovered in many parts of the play. For example, the dead bird found during the play symbolizes the marriage between Mr. and Mrs. Wright. It can be inferred that they were involved in a domestic violence relationship. At first, just like Minnie, the bird was exuberant and full of life. In fact, she was even compared to a bird by another character in the play. “She… come to think of it, she was a bit like a bird herself – very sweet and pretty, but rather shy and… fluttery. How she changed” (Glaspell). This type of symbolism may well be considered "2 x 4 symbolism" due to the obviousness of the second meaning. At the end of the play, it was revealed that Mr. Wright had killed Minnie's bird. Readers can infer that this was just the final nail on the coffin and that is why Minnie decided to murder her husband. The dead bird clearly shows readers that it represents Minnie and her marriage. Mr. Wright had destroyed pieces of her with his abuse. The dead bird means it's the end. Another thing that struck readers was that women were rarely called by their first names. They were all called “Madame”. This means that women are simply considered the property of their husbands. This shows that society does not think about women, it thinks that women are all part of their..