The men in this play treat the women as if they were nothing more than senseless little creatures who live their lives to do housework. The County Attorney and Mr. Hale speak of the women as if they worry about silly "trifles" (994). They continue to criticize Mrs. Wright's housekeeping skills. Discusted, the two women defend her, explaining how difficult the chores can be. At one point, the men even laugh at the women as they are discussing a quilt (996). These examples reinforce the theme of inequality that Glaspell attempts to convey.

When the women are alone, they are much more vocally sympathetic in defending their sex. While waiting for the men to finish, Mrs. Hale reflects on how she wished she had spent more time with Mrs. Wright (997). She recognized the loneliness and restricted lifestyle, and regretted not visiting. A very important comparison made by Mrs. Hale is brought to light when she

This play was written in 1944. The narrator, Tom Wingfield, is also one of the characters, and gives the audience a clear description of the time period in which it takes place. He begins by going backward in time to describe that the stage is set in the nineteen-thirties (695). During this time, gender issues were present in a much different way than they are today. Young women were expected to either study in a business school or marry into a well-off family. Amanda clearly states her view supporting this idea while telling her daughter Laura that girls like her usually just marry "nice men" (701). Laura lived her life listening to her mother in desperation for the male callers that were sure to come in want of her daughter. Amanda had fallen a victim to society expectations (or lack there-of) on a woman. Her daughter could not type, therefor, she would find a suitable husband to marry. This element of the setting aides the audience in realizing the gender inequalities during the time of the play.

parallels the characteristics of the bird to those of Mrs. Wright (998). This helps the audience recognize the major symbolism of the play. The dialog between the women when they are alone displays the fact that they have more knowledge of the situ

Some common words found in the essay are:
Attorney Hale, Tom Wingfield, Guernica Spain, Glaspell's Trifles, Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams, St Louis, setting play, Short Answer, short answer, play play, daughter amanda,
Approximate Word count = 852
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)