Jailed & Stuck Essays - Family, Gender, Marriage, Trifles

Jailed & Stuck Jailed and Stuck The authors Kate Chopin of ?Desiree's Baby? and Susan Glaspell of Trifles present a caste system of the 19th century. They both focus upon the theme of the inferiority of women with respect to marriage, gender, and prospective positions in a caste system of society. Actually, these two authors can be thought of as feminists of their times. Surely, many readers thought that these two authors were very liberal in their writing. Many of today's readers would be in agreement of the women's plight of past times. In each of the stories, the women characters are inferior to their husband counterparts. In ?Desiree's Baby,? Desiree knows she must believe and follow her marriage vows of ?honor, obey, and respect.? When Armand listens to gossip and does not inquire further, he believes his wife is not a white woman. He shuns both her and the baby. Desiree asks him, ?Shall I go, Armand? Do you want me to go? (Chopin 359). She finally leaves with the child without any pleading or begging for justice or explanation but out of consent. In addition, the characterization of Armand points to his dominance over his wife. This is seen when Desiree realizes ?a strange, an awful change in her husband's manner, which she dared not ask him to explain? (358). During this time, women were forbidden to question their husbands. In Trifles, Mrs. Peters is said to be ?the sheriff's wife? and ?married to the law? (Glaspell 65). She is unimportant and belonging to the sheriff more like property that one owns. This tolerance of being dominated by her male husband is emphasized by Mrs. Peters stating to Mrs. Hale, ?But Mrs. Hale, the law is the law? (61). Her husband makes the law for everyone and for her. She does not question him. Glaspell describes Minnie Foster, later known as Mrs. Wright, as happy when she was young. She dressed nicely, she sang in a choir, and she was out in society a great deal. Her husband, Mr. Wright, is characterized as being like a hermit, ?saying folks talked too much anyway? when referring to buying a telephone (57). Once Mrs.Wright married Mr. Wright, she obeys him and ends up changing her whole lifestyle. The other husbands' wives notice her change saying ?she used to wear pretty clothes and be lively, when she was Minnie Foster, one of the town girls singing in the choir. But that?oh, that was thirty years ago? (60). Because these women were thought of as the ?wives,? they were told what to do, when to do it, and how to do it by their husbands. The husbands, because of their gender, see themselves as the authority figures. They do not value any of the women's opinions, thoughts, or even intelligence too highly in these stories because of the women's gender. In ?Desiree's Baby,? the baby is determined to be black; one of the parents is black. Armand sort of takes the initiative and declares himself, who is of nobility and master of the plantation by gender not to be the one tainted with the inferior bloodline. This only leaves Desiree, who does not really know her background. However, it does not matter. Desiree, being female, assumes the guilt and gets no chance to explain, or to seek explanation. This is significant because the one who actually had the black heritage was Armand. In Trifles, the men criticize the women's thoughts and opinions. The men even make fun of the women. When the women are talking about the fruit, the sheriff says, ?Well, can you beat the women! Held for murder and worryin' about her preserves? (58). Mr. Hale also says, ?Well, women are used to worrying over trifles,? about the same situation. Neither man fully comes to understand the significance of the women's opinions nor thinks that the women could add anything to help solve the case at hand. The reader realizes that the women, with their opinions and thoughts, are the ones who actually figure out the how, who, and why of the murder. Because of the women's gender, the men in these patriarchal societies in each story do not fully realize the women's' values or intelligence. When looking closer, one can see that the wives in these marriages are also restricted to being homemakers and mothers. The males agree that there was not much more for