Plays and Novels

Prompt

Many plays and novels employ a character whose absence is especially significant. Such a character often serves as an important foil to the main character(s). Select a play from the list above (the one you were assigned), and in a well-written paragraph analyze the which in which an absent character illuminates the motives and actions of one or more focal characters, and how the absent character contributes to the meaning of the play as a whole.

Response

In Susan Glaspell's "Trifles," the absence of John Wright illuminates the oppressive conditions of Mrs. Wright's life, reflecting a broader societal commentary on gender roles. Wright's character is revealed through the dialogue and setting, highlighting the isolation and emotional abuse his wife endured. Glaspell uses the male characters' dismissal of household items as "trifles" to criticize societal undervaluing of women's experiences. This dismissal ironically leads them to overlook key evidence in the murder investigation. The women's discovery of the dead bird, with its neck wrung, symbolizes Mrs. Wright's suffocated spirit, suggesting her motive for murder. Glaspell's play thus critiques the gender dynamics of the early 20th century, using the absent character of John Wright to reveal the hidden depths of women's lives and struggles.