American Literature

The play was set in a house located in an isolated area which makes it uninviting and lonesome thus creating a gloomy atmosphere. The weather at that time was cold creating a feeling of dampness. and Tthe house, being in disarray, creates a feeling of unease.  The atmosphere was also tense because everybody was wary and uncomfortable being in a house where murder was just committed.

As a whole, the men in the play were patriarchal, believing that they concern themselves with important things whereas theand that women only care about the trifles. Mr. Hale in particular can be considered insecure since he answers the County Attorneys questions timidly. He is also easily distracted because he easily gets off topic. Mr. Peters on the other hand, despite being in command all the time, is easily intimidated by Mr. Henderson. This was made explicit by the way he assumed an official business stance when he asked Mr. Hale to explain what he witnessed  but. However, he was easily cut off by Mr. Henderson when he was defensively explaining why he was not able to insure a guard for the house the night before. Mr. Henderson is the type of person who considers himself important.  and He is always sure about what he thinks and believes. He does not hesitate to voice out his opinions since he thinks he is a man of great intelligence.

Including the story of Mrs. Peters cat is important since it shows us that people under extreme emotions are capable of hurting others. Extreme emotions can be triggered by events concerning loved ones. In the case of Mrs. Peters, it was her cat and for Mrs. Wright, it was her bird. It can be interpreted as a suggestionsuggests that everybody has an evil side and that Mrs. Wright, despite her good-natured background, is capable of murder.

The womens concern over the trifles points out that the little things people that concern themselvespeople, tell more about their emotional, psychological or financial state. It can actually hold abe of bigger greater importance if you want to know more about a certain person. The last line signifies how Mrs. Wright strangled her husband. It can be interpreted as a confirmation that Mrs. Wright did commit murder. It is ironic because the knitting patternknotting it was the most important clue of all and the men thought it was insignificant. The County Attorneys mocking statement about learning the knitting patternabout it, at the very least, added to the humor.

Minnie Foster was a timid type of person. She was quiet and sweet. Mrs. Hales testament to her good nature attests to her kindness. She loves music and she loves to sing. This was made obvious when Mrs. Hale said she was a choir member and a good singer. Minnie Fosters special affection towards the bird, however, signifies her loneliness. Her husband was a hard man, someone who keeps to himself. His need for isolation restricted made Minnies connection to society restricted. Her rRestrictinged social activities alienated her from her friends and made her feel alone. Having no kids and the lack of compassion from her husband drove her to the edge.

At the beginning of the play, it was already obvious that the women have stronger personalities than the men, making them capable of doing something out of character. Based on the same reason it came as no surprise when Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters hid the dead bird. However hiding the bird will only make them accomplices of a crime since they would be tampering with the evidence. Other than that, it will not correct the situation of Minnie Fosters unhappy life. Exposing the bird might shed light to M.innies Fosters  emotional state and could serve as a warning to other women. It could also break the social stigma that womens concerns are mere trifles and unimportant. For that, I believe what they did was wrong.