Gender Roles and Stereotypes in Trifles and Oleanna.

             Individuals commonly address the issues of gender roles, gender stereotypes, feminism, and political correctness in everyday conversation as well as in modern literature and modern drama. Questions have arisen concerning the differences between men and women other than obvious physical variance. Are men and women inherently different? If so, are they equal? Should men and women fill different societal roles? Are potential differences a result of gender roles and the stereotypes associated with these roles? Two modern plays, Oleanna by David Mamet and Trifles by Susan Glaspell address these types of issues. Both plays address the above themes of gender roles, stereotypes, and the differences in the way men and women perceive each other. More specifically, in both plays, all of the female characters take advantage of gender roles and stereotypes in a manner that allows them to reverse the roles of subservient females and dominant males.

             In her play, Susan Glaspell blatantly comments on feminist ideals and criticizes female gender roles and stereotypes. Throughout the play the reader is able to find examples of the playwrights feminist ideals. As early as the description of the setting, the criticism of ownership and property rights typically associated with males is shown. By describing the house as "the farmhouse of John Wright" Glaspell expresses her distaste for the male-dominated culture found during this period and rural area. Also early in the play, the reader is given the names of the dead man and the woman accused of murdering him-Minnie and John Wright. The name Minnie may symbolize the sense of inferiority felt by women during this time period, while the name of the insensitive Mr. Wright may be a sarcastic play on the term "Mr. Right". Also regarding the use of names, the fact that the women are never addressed by their first name at any time in the play may express the male attitude that women are not supposed to act individualistically.