Throughout history there have been many literature works that show the concept of gender inequality, and you can often use these works as a scale to show where we as a society use to be and where we are today. Two examples are the plays Trifles and Fences. The period in which a piece of literature is se greatly affects the meaning and attitude portrayed in the writing. Values, ideals, and attitudes of people change as a result of societal norms and taboos changing.
Trifles, published in 1916, is set during the second half of the 19th century (Waterman). Women at this time had been granted suffrage and also could not sit on juries. Men dominated all facets of life at this time, save for caring of the home and children. Women were decorative, useful in the home, but thats all (Carter 188). Glaspell clearly points this out in Trifles by having all of the women’s conversation occur in the kitchen, while the men go to other parts of the house. Even though in this play women are considered to belong in the kitchen, in the initial scene you see the men gather around the stove to warm up, leaving the women in the door way. This is an intentional setting, as it displays women’s position in society at the time, e.g. outside it. The women however complete the circle of alienation by believing this position is natural. Mrs. Peters gives an example of how many believe that a woman’s place is in the home.
While gathering items for Mrs. Wright, Mrs. Peters picks up an apron and says, “Funny thing to wantgoodness knows. But I suppose just to make her feel more natural.” This allusion to her feeling better in a kitchen setting shows how the roles women are expected to fill in this time period. The men in Trifles are depicted as was probably appropriate at the time, as being dismissive and disdainful of the women’s thought processes and ability to use logic and reason. The most obvious example of this is the actual setting of the play, in the house of a husband who was probably murdered by his wife.
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The author depicts the husband, Mr. Wright as a very cold and unenjoyable person. Mrs. Hale says, I don’t think a place’d be any cheerfuller for John Wright being in it.” (663) We are led to believe that John’s coldness ultimately led to his death, and this is pointed out when Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale discover a canary that has had it’s neck broken, similar to what would happen if a person were hanged. The author shows that the relationship between men and women is changing however. In the opening scene, the younger Country Attorney actually asks the women to join him around the stove to warm up, indicating that younger generations are not as close minded about womens’ roles in society.
In the play Fences by August Wilson, we are now in the 1950’s. Women have more rights, but are still not universally accepted as man’s equal. Troy, the lead character, is a garbage collector who still is haunted by his past experiences playing baseball and how life has past him by. He is married to Rose. Rose becomes the strong archetype of the African American woman. She has put her life and soul into Troy, and yet he has sought out the companionship of another (Gantt, 11).
Throughout the book, we are shown that women (in this case usually Rose) are not thought of as equals. While Troy’s dreams and needs are clearly shown, we are left to believe that all Rose desires in life is children and a husband. Case in point, when Troy has an affair that leads to the birth of a child, Rose takes the child into her home and raises the child as her own. While that is a noble thing to do, Troy treats it as something that would come naturally to Rose.
In the play, we are shown that Troy is working on a fence surrounding the house. This fence carries many meanings and is often a form of irritation in the family…. Go on, Troy! You supposed to be putting up this fence (p.1036) Troy believes that the fence is designed to keep people out, while we are led to think that Rose wants the fence to keep her family close to her. This style of thinking typifies women’s roles in society at that time, with men still being considered the protector of the family and the women as the primary care giver.
It is interesting to see that Troy, having escaped the fence by being involved with another woman, voluntarily returns inside the fence when he needs help with the child from the other relationship. Rose seems to believe that as a couple, Troy and herself are the two halves of one thought; she puts her faith in her husband. Therefore it is quite reasonable to see her first reaction when Troy tries to explain about his affair with another African American woman named Alberta.Even though it seems that she is able to accept and treat Raynell (Troy and Albertas child) as if she is Roses own daughter. However, she refuses to be Troys wife, for her Troy is only a womanless man
Rose believes that children are born innocent, as a result she does not blame the child for the acts of her adulterous husband. I see this not so much as stereotypical woman’s response, as much as it shows why she is a better person than Troy. She can be seen as a successful mother because of this, this is also typical of her because she provides shelter to her other children from Troy’s failings as a father. From this we learn that Rose is a representation of the typical woman in her time, choosing responsibility over her own personal dreams. When Rose finally listens to her heart and stands up to Troy by making him her husband in name only, she becomes independent emotionally and spiritually.
