Trifles

Does anyone else feel bitter sweet about the tragic death of Mr. John Wright?  Sure, the guy is murdered in his sleep, but GIRL POWER!!!!  I do not know who to root for in this DRAMA!  I know that this is a bit of an extreme case where it is the battle of the sexes, but you cannot help but feel for the women and Mrs. Wright.  They live in a patriarchal society where men treat them like idiots.  Intelligence is attractive; arrogance is not, especially when the men do not even solve the mystery, the women figure out the motive.  However, the women did not give up the motive to the men, showing a kind of loyalty per say.  Being a feminist, I have very mixed feelings about this play.  On one hand, yes, Mrs. Wright is guilty and should be trialed for murder.  However, it sounds like he asked for it.  He killed the woman’s one happiness in life, so she killed him.  She has no more happiness so she has nothing to lose.  John Wright however had a lot more to lose, and he lost everything.

Overtones

Whoa!  CAT FIGHT!!!!!!!!!  If anyone knows how to be fake, it’s these two ladies, Harriet and Margaret!  Throughout the play, they go back and forth with each other and in their own heads as well!  As Harriet and Margaret have their tea party, on the side lines are their “real” selves, Hetty (Harriet’s counterpart) and Maggie (Margaret’s counterpart).  There was so many conversations going on it was hard to keep up!  I can somewhat relate however to the characters because I have a part-time job as a server.  Daily I feel fake to everyone I server.  Even though I am smiling, saying things like, “How are you doing today?” or “Are you enjoying your food?”  Honestly though, I usually do not care what you have to say.  In my head, I am saying some very rude things sometimes.  My job has unfortunately changed me to where sometimes I feel fake outside of work in my everyday life.  That is what these girls are going through.  They have sunken so deep into their fakeness, they can never be real.  

Night, Mother

I do not believe that "Will Jesse kill herself?" is the Major Dramatic Question.  I agree that it could work as the Major Dramatic Question; I just think that there is a better one.  Yes, there is much suspense that hints at the fact that she may or may not kill herself, but what is really driving her into these thoughts.  That is the true Major Dramatic Question to me, why does Jesse want to kill herself?  Throughout the play, Thelma Cates (Mama) is trying to distract Jesse from committing suicide.  In doing so, she is also trying to figure out the reasoning behind Jesse wanting to kill herself.  Mama continually thinks that it’s because of her that Jesse wants to end it all.  Jesse, after reassurance and more reassurance, finally tells her Mama the reasoning behind her dark intentions.  Jesse shows a picture of herself to her mother from when she was a baby and says that that little girl is not here anymore.  She lost who she was or whom she wanted to become again, but she couldn't.  Jesse could not live without her own self.  Once Jesse finally reveals to Mama the reasoning behind her wanting to kill herself, Jesse makes her finally preparations and does the dark deed.  Once the question "why does Jesse want to kill herself?" gets answered, the play quickly end.  This feeling of being lost is what drives Jesse into committing suicide.  In this case, the Major Dramatic Question dealt with not Jesse's objective of killing herself, but the reasoning behind why she wants to kill herself.