During your 50-minutes class time (1:00-1:50 p.m.) on
Monday, September, please publish a comment of at least two well-developed
paragraphs about this topic:
Compare and contrast the marriage of Minnie and John Wright portrayed in "Trifles"
by Susan Glaspell with the marriage of Daisy
and Tom Buchanan portrayed in the first chapter, pp. 1-21, of The Great Gatsby
by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
After you publish your two-paragraph comment, please reply in one well-developed
paragraph to at least one of the other students' comments.
Do not merely write that the comment is awesome! Please explain why
you think the comment is well-done.
As we have discussed, you should compose your comment and reply paragraphs in a
separate Word document or in an email to yourself so that you would not have to
rewrite them in case you have a technical glitch when you try to publish them.
If you have trouble publishing them at first, just copy and paste them into the
comment and reply boxes a second (and even a third) time until they are successfully
published.
This glitch usually happens when a student is not logged into a Google
account (gmail) when he or she tries to submit the comment or reply. To avoid that
possibility, be sure to log in first. However, this glitch also sometimes happens
even when a student is logged in, so, to avoid being frustrated in either case, you
should compose your comment and reply in a Word document or an email to yourself.
If you cannot submit your comment and reply after a few attempts, please email them
to me to publish on your behalf: linda.kornasky@angelo.edu.
Reminders: On Wednesday, September 15, we will continue to discuss The Great Gatsby.
Please finish this short novel by that day. We will meet back in Academic 101 again then.
Thank you,
Dr. Kornasky
Marriage is a fickle thing. Anybody who has been married knows that it comes with highs and lows that must be fought through in order to succeed. However, sometimes it cannot be done and relationships become a shell of what they once were. This is true even in fictional relationships, specifically pertaining to the marriages of Tom and Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby and Minnie and John Wright in Trifles. Both of these couples were alike in the sense that their relationships were tainted by plenty of problems that should have or did end the relationship. In Trifles there is plenty of evidence that Minnie and John did not have a happy marriage, mainly the fact that Minnie was one of the first to be accused of killing John, and the fact that the couple could not have children. Tom and Daisy had their own problems; Tom had many poorly hidden affairs, and Daisy had a clear love for Gatsby throughout the duration of the novel.
ReplyDeleteHowever, these two marriages are not completely similar. Despite both of these marriages having clear problems, The Buchanan’s had some saving grace in their marriage, while no such thing can be said for the Wright’s. Despite his constant affairs, Tom shows some sense of love towards Daisy and enjoys having a beautiful wife that is the envy of every party. In Daisy’s case, despite her love for Gatsby, she turns him down because she prefers the materialistic lifestyle that Tom can provide her. This shows that even though the Buchanan’s may not love each other like they may have once have, there are still redeeming qualities about the other one in their respective eyes. The Wright’s have no such redeeming qualities to speak of for each other. John possibly saw their inability to have children as Minnie’s fault and began to resent her for it. In addition, Minnie was also heartbroken at this perceived notion of resentment from her husband, and consequently began to resent him back. This vicious cycle then resulted in a loveless marriage that was doomed to fail.
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DeleteI completely agree with you that The Buchanan’s marriage was not devoid of love, they cared for each other in some ways unlike Wrights. The Wrights relationship just seemed like an abusive one that had no love in it whatsoever. Unlike the Wrights, Tom and Daisy seemed like they could at least depend on each other a little bit, even if their marriage is one without love.
DeleteThis is Aaron McGuire. I agree with this comment, excellent work. I also noted that the relationships seemed strained and rife with problems, each in their own way. I didn't bother to mention that the Buchanan's did seem to at least try to share a sense of love still, even if it was a facade. I also hadn't mentioned the final outcome of their marriages as I was worried about staying within the first chapter, but it is definitely something worthy of noting when it comes to comparing the two relationships. Outstanding work!
DeleteI very much enjoyed your insights relating to both the Buchanans and the Wrights. I was especially intrigued by your assertion that the Buchanan's marriage may be redeemable, while the marriage between Minnie and John is not. I would argue that the marriage between Daisy and Tom is just as unredeemable though, however, as they display such contempt for each other, especially in public for others to witness. I feel that their marriage, although seemingly in tact, is held together not by love, but by a sense of strandedness. Both Daisy and Tom remain together out of fear of social embarrassment. And like you say about the Wrights, I believe the Buchanans have already entered their own doomed "vicious cycle."
DeleteIn “Trifles” the marriage between Minnie and John Wright seems to have been a bad marriage for a long time. Before Minnie Wright was married she was remembered by Mrs. Hale as a youthful, happy and innocent girl who loved to sing. When she got married to John Wright though she noticeably became timid, sad, and isolated, showing that she was somehow being abused and controlled by John Wright while they were married. This was not a good marriage because Minnie would later kill John because he killed her bird, which was one of the last things that she loved and found comfort in.
ReplyDeleteThe marriage of Daisy and Tom Buchanan seems to be one between two perfect people at first. They are a rich and beautiful couple with a nice home and baby daughter, everything in their life seems perfect. It is later revealed near the end of the first chapter that Daisy and Tom Buchanan are not living the fairy tale life that people think they are. It is revealed near the end of the first chapter that Tom and Daisy are not really close at all and that Daisy is actually very sad with her marriage. It is revealed that Tom was not even their for the birth of his daughter because he was doing something else
You can compare both of these marriages very well because both of the women in them were very unhappy with the people that they have married. While one is rich and the other is not, they both seem to suffer from having bad husbands who neglect and mistreat them. Daisy was at least better off, so she was probably able to find some happiness in other things. Minnie on the other hand was not, which is probably why she killed her husband when he killed her bird.
I agree that the two marriages, although quite different at first glance, actually share a remarkable amount of similarities. The Buchanans seem to exist in a facade. They are able to put on a smile, live a lavish life, and trick everyone into thinking they are a happy couple. I would argue that they even attempt to trick themselves into believing their own happiness. The Wrights, on the other hand, do not have the time or circumstances to put on a mask. They keep to themselves and their misery, and no one thinks that they are particularly cheerful. I agree that it is largely their circumstances that create different attitudes, both in the husbands and the wives. Mrs. Wright is driven to violence by her husband's actions, while Daisy remains where she is because at least she and her child are provided for. Great job!
Delete(Katherine Spitzer)
Omar, I love your comment, especially the part discussing the seemingly perfect marriage between two equally perfect people between Tom and Daisy! The integration of Tom missing their daughter's birth is a perfect representation of how even the most seemingly perfect marriages can sometimes crumble. I also enjoyed your analysis of women being unhappy in their marriages for various reasons. I too made a point of showing how Daisy could at least find solace in materialistic matters unlike Minnie could, so I appreciate knowing I was not alone in that train of thought
DeleteTo begin with, let’s start with the similarities between the two marriages. The most readily apparent similarity between the Buchanan’s marriage and the Wright’s marriage is their abusive nature. In the case of the Buchanans, it is implied throughout the chapter that Tom abuses Daisy, as seen in Daisy accusing Tom of hurting her after she sees the bruising on her pinky finger, and that Tom is having an affair with another woman, as shown through the repeated phone calls and Jordan’s gossip. In the case of the Wrights, the multiple pieces of evidence gathered by Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale suggest that John had abused Minnie, such as the dead canary. Another similarity is the dynamic of abuse, as in both stories it seems the husband in the relationship is abusing their wife.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there are also several differences. One major difference between the two comes from the way in which the abuse is enacted. In The Great Gatsby, it is implied and shown at times that Tom is much more physical with his abuse, being called a “brute of a man” by Daisy herself. However, seeing a mistress most likely has also caused its fair share of emotional abuse. Meanwhile, the abuse in Trifles seems to be more restrained by comparison, instead being more emotional and verbal. Throughout the story, it is implied through the shared experiences the women have that John’s abuse of Minnie is through the oppression of her joy and desires, extreme isolation, and through the general societal belief at the time that women were not equal to men. Another similarity comes from how the women responded to their abuse, with Daisy reaching out to those around her through dialogue and Minnie choosing to kill her husband to stop the abuse altogether.
This is Aaron McGuire by the way, I don't know why it says my name is Unknown.
DeleteHi Aaron, I know my name is about to show as unknown, but this is Maddy. I just wanted to know that I really enjoyed this comment on this blog post. The way you discussed the abuse aspect of the two couples is something that really sparked my interest when reading your post as this was a topic that I did not see when I was drafting my own response to the overall prompt. The abuse concepts shown by both couples is not only different in the types but also in the fact that it almost seems as though Daisy carries the more dominant aspect in the relationship that is shown in Gatsby. Overall, this was a very well-worded and well-thought out response and I can't wait to see what you will continue to write in this class.
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ReplyDeleteJust to preface, I was unable to get my copy of the Great Gadsby from the bookstore because it is on backorder, so I used a free online version that had the same cover page as the edition chosen for this class.
ReplyDeleteAs I read both Susan Glaspell’s Trifles and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s opening chapter of the Great Gadsby I was immediately struck by the difference in setting between the two homes of the Wrights and the Buchanons. In Trifles, the home of Minnie and John Wright is a seemingly desolate farmhouse that lacked even the most basic of decorations and is labeled “gloomy” and barren. Whereas the home of the Daisy and Tom Buchannan is adorned with wealth in all aspects, containing extravagant and “gleaming” qualities (Fitzgerald 9). Another similarity between the tow homes is the effect of the husbands within them. John, who is regarded as a miser, does not allow for any decoration or pleasantry within his walls. Simmilarly, although to a different degree, the presence and aura Tom exudes kills the “wind” as he closes the widows, thus killing the lively spirit of his wife and other residents (9). Despite the dichotomous nature of the two homes, because of their inhabitants and the relationships contained within, they are each somewhat grotesque in atmosphere; both homes display the same tyrannical ambiance of an all too overbearing husband.
Moreover, the seemingly dissimilar relationships between the Wrights and the Buchanons display a deeper similarity in their essences. Minnie Wright, who is “timid” and “fluttery” like a bird, lives a solemn, reticent life. It can be assumed that she did not like to speak out against her husband, which is why she chose to murder him as he slept. Minnie did not like conflict. On the other hand, Daisy is an ostensibly outspoken self-reliant woman who is not afraid to speak her mind, even in the most controversial of circumstances, like in the presence of a long-missed family member. She speaks with passion to her husband, Tom, over a wide array of topics, and despite her insistences, Tom ignore her every word (Fitzgerald 15). In a way, each women are overlooked by their husbands and their “trifles” are neglected. John fails to recognize Minnie’s yearning for happiness, and Tom chooses to treat Daisy as if she were a child whose opinions are of no value. Both relationships and the individuals within them display the same element of veiled disdain.
I really enjoyed reading your comment, Wyatt. The part that I liked the most is the part where you compare the characters of Minnie and Daisy. This part shows clearly that Minnie and Daisy are in a comparable situation in their marriages, both are unhappy with their husband's behavior. But as you already emphasized, Minnie and Daisy act very different as a reaction to this behavior. Minnie does not speak out against her husband and instead sees murdering him while he is asleep as the only solution to end her misery. In contrast, Daisy is outspoken and comments on her husband's behavior.
DeleteI myself did not think about comparing the characters of the two wives, but I think it was a very good idea to do that because it shows why the two women act different in reaction to their marriages even though they are in a comparable situation.
Daisy and Tom Buchanan of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, are depicted as a lavish young couple who are in a rather unhappy relationship. The two share much in common with Mr. And Mrs. Wright of Susan Glaspell’s “Trifles”. Both relationships feature a man who mistreats his wife, and a woman who is, or was, young and innocent. The Wrights are a harsher form of the Buchanans in a lot of ways. Mr. Wright is vicious and abusive, and Mrs. Wright is subdued and desperate. Tom is unfaithful and controlling of Daisy, but Daisy willingly feigns ignorance and cheer in order to appease her husband. Mr. Wright is characterized as a “hard man” who kills the spirit and joy of Mrs. Wright. Tom is characterized in a slightly gentler manner. While he is controlling and tough, his flaws seem to lie more in arrogance and entitlement rather than cruelty. Daisy, on the other hand, echoes the character of Minnie Foster, or Mrs. Wright, in many ways. Minnie Foster is characterized much like a bird. Young and pretty with a love for song. Daisy is much the same, at least on the surface. Obviously capable of deep thought, she chooses to be seen as flighty and bubbly because “the best thing a girl can be in this world, [is] a beautiful fool” (21). Where Mrs. Wright is driven to desperation and revenge, Daisy is capable of exercising her own form of power through the façade she puts on.
ReplyDeleteWhile there are many minor differences between the two relationships, one of the most significant is that of finances. The Wrights are humble farmers and Mr. Wright is quite stingy with his purse. Conversely, the Buchanans are exorbitantly wealthy and live a quite lavish lifestyle. This difference in turn causes many other differences to emerge. Tom is wealthy enough that he can do what he wants without having to worry about the consequences. He can be unfaithful and controlling towards Daisy and know that she will not leave him, partially because of the shame of divorce, but also because Daisy will want to keep her lifestyle and raise her child within that wealth. Tom’s primary flaws seem to lie within arrogance and entitlement, and these are sins that often accompanied and encouraged by exorbitant wealth. Mr. Wright, on the other hand, can be inferred to control his wife through physical threats and harsh words. He does not have the money to bribe his wife into complacency. Tom has the privilege to be subtle in his manipulations and ill treatment, whereas John Wright must resort to the uglier, more upfront form of abuse.
In the women, money creates a similar difference. Daisy, though hurt by Tom’s actions, is willing to put up with it for societal gain. She will put on a smile and feign ignorance in order to keep the peace and to remain in her position. This option is not as possible for Mrs. Wright. Her husband does not have the means to keep her comfortable, and he is more vicious in his mistreatment of her. This leaves Mrs. Wright with no choice but to end her suffering and to avenge herself and her bird. Tom will not force Daisy into rebellion, but Mr. Wright pushed things too far and caused Mrs. Wright to finally take action. Had their societal positions and finances been swapped, it is arguable that Tom would have been driven to violence, in turn driving Daisy to desperation. It is not that poverty caused Mr. Wright’s viciousness, but rather that Tom’s wealth gave him the ability to be sly and subtle with his own brand of mistreatment.
I don't think it's showing my name, but this is Katherine Spitzer :)
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DeleteHello Katherine! I loved your analysis of both stories and completely agree about how money makes a big difference. When I was writing my response I did not think of the issue of money but after reading your response I can see now how because Tom is wealthy that would play a big role in Daisy staying with him in order to keep her lavish life. While on the other hand the Wrights were not well off and so in a way she had nothing to lose when she killed John.
DeleteJohn and Minnie Wright’s relationship is similar to Tom and Daisy Buchanans in the way that both these women are unhappy in their relationships. In Trifles when the two women are talking about Mrs. Wright the ladies begin to discuss how she was before she was married. They talk about how she dressed nice and was very lively before she was Mrs Wright. Once she got married she stopped going out and dressing nice. This shows that Mrs Wright changes after her marriage and not in the best way. She stays in her house and hardly anyone would see her anymore thus resulting in her marriage falling apart. In The Great Gatsby when Nick goes to visit Tom and Daisy he finds out that Tom is having an affair. It’s evident that everyone, including Daisy knows about this affair. In the first chapter she talks about how unhappy and cynical she is about life, but that does not change the fact that she is going to stay with Tom. Both these women are struggling in their relationships which makes them sad and miserable.
ReplyDeleteThe Wright’s relationship is different to The Buchanans relationship in the way that the women are treated. In Trifles it is suspected that John Wright is abusive to his wife and thus the reason she killed him. Mrs Hale talks about how the house where the Wrights lived never felt like a cheerful place, which shows that there was always a sort of darkness in this house. The reader can infer that John Wright was not a kind man to his wife and that’s why it always felt gloomy. In The Great Gatsby Tom is cheating on Daisy but in the first chapter there is no sign of physical abuse. Although both men are terrible to their wives they do have their differences and that's what makes their relationships different. The way these women are treated is also a factor in their decisions to stay in the relationships. Mrs. Wright was tired of the abuse and so that could be a big factor as to why she decided to kill her husband. As to where Daisy is being cheated on but so far in the book there has been no sign of physical abuse and so she feels a bit safer in her relationship to stay with Tom through his affair.
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DeleteRenee Balboa
DeleteI think you made great comparisons between the two marriages. It is unfortunate that the two women were being mistreated but the point that you made about Mrs. Hale said she never felt as though their house was a happy place. I also think about how if the men had shown some respect toward the women, instead of mocking them, they would know more about the case and know the truth behind the murder. As for Daisy it is sad to think that she feels safer to stay in the relationship than to get out and be alone. It may simply be easier to stay in the relationship but under the circumstances there doesn’t seem to be a way for her to win.
Hello Rebeka, I think you made a good point when saying despite the affair, Daisy chooses to stay with Tom because evidently, she feels safer with him. Although both theses woman had unhappy marriages it seems they were both for different reasons. Toms being he was having an affair and John possibly abusing his wife. Despite the differences, you show that they are both just as unhappy with their marriages.
DeleteThe marriage of Minnie and John Wright portrayed in “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell is charac-terized by Minnie’s unhappiness. As one can tell from Mrs. Hale’s description, the marriage was marked by loneliness and sadness for Mrs. Wright. Mrs. Hale describes the house of Mr. and Mrs. Wright as a place that never seemed cheerful (Glaspell 5). She also says that she does not think that “a place’d be any cheerfuller for John Wright’s being in it” (Glaspell 5). Mrs. Hale also states that Mrs. Wright kept much to herself since she married John and stayed alone often (Glaspell 6). According to her, Mrs. Wright “used to wear pretty clothes and be lively, when she was Minnie Foster, one of the town girls singing in the choir” (Glaspell 6) but that was already thirty years ago. Mrs. Hale also notes that since Mr. and Mrs. Wright had no children and Mr. Wright was outside of the house all day because of work and not keeping Mrs. Wright company when being in the house, the house must have been quiet and lonely for Mrs. Wright (Glaspell 9). The fact that Mr. Wright killed his wife’s bird seems to be the moment when the marriage of Minnie and John hit bottom because the bird was apparently the only thing that made her happy and the only company she had (Glaspell 10). As a rection to her husband killing the bird, Minnie strangled John while he was asleep, and ended the re-lationship that made her feel so desperate.
ReplyDeleteThe marriage of Daisy and Tom Buchanan portrayed in the first chapter of The Great Gats-by by F. Scott Fitzgerald seems to be a marriage that is also overshadowed by an unhappiness especially visible in the reactions and statements of Daisy. However, in contrast to Minnie and John, Daisy and Tom appear to be together as a couple most of the times instead of doing things by themselves (Fitzgerald 6). It is already noticeable in the first chapter of the novel that Tom interrupts Daisy regularly when she is speaking or ignores her if she asks a question which is not a sign of a healthy relationship. Even Nick notices that the marriage of Daisy and Tom is perhaps not perfect. When Tom leaves the table, Nick observes that “[a]s if his absence quickened something within her, Daisy leaned forward again, her voice glowing and singing” (Fitzgerald 14). An-other important information about the marriage of Daisy and Tom is that Tom has an affair with a woman in New York and Daisy knows about this affair (Fitzgerald 15). It is likely that Daisy is not happy about this situation, and she even tells Nick that she “had a very bad time” (Fitzgerald 16). Another relevant information about the marriage is that when Daisy and Tom’s daughter was born, Tom was not present, and Daisy did not even know where Tom was at that time (Fitzgerald 16-17). She “woke up out of the ether with an utterly abandoned feeling” (Fitzgerald 17) which shows that, like Minnie, Daisy experienced loneliness in her marriage.
When comparing these two marriages, one can notice that although both marriages are marked by unhappiness of the wives, the reasons for the unhappiness are different. Daisy is unhappy because of her husband’s behavior and an ongoing affair. Minnie on the other hand seems to be restricted and is alone in her house all day what makes her sad. The feeling of being left alone is still noticeable in Daisy’s marriage but not that prominent because she and her husband always travel together and attend events together. Nevertheless, during the birth of their daughter Tom was not present. Therefore, Daisy must have felt as lonely as Minnie at least once in her marriage. The striking difference in these two marriages is that Minnie must have felt so desperate that she did not see any other solution for ending her misery then kill-ing her own husband. On the contrary, Daisy seems to accept her husband’s behavior and even accepts the affair without deciding to do something against it like Minnie Wright did.
The marriage in Trifles between Minnie and John wright isn’t exactly shown in the actual play. instead, we are given context clues by the surroundings and other characters to try and decipherer what their marriage was really like. From what was gathered it seems that John Wright treated his wife Minnie very poorly. Her neighbor explain how Minnie used to seem so happy and full of joy but that slowly started fading as time went on after her marriage. It is suspected that Minnie killed her husband but certain characters in the play seem to think it may have been some sort of self-defense. It’s safe to say that they clearly didn’t have a happy marriage even if it was kept behind closed doors. The problems are not as obvious and are not directly shown but clearly Minnie was unhappy with her husband John.
ReplyDeleteIn The Great Gatsby, Daisy and Tom Buchanan give much more context about their marriage. Their problems are more obvious and put out on display regardless of who is around. Firstly, Tom and Daisy seem very distant from each other seeming that they have little to no interest in each other. Tom seems to just look at his wife as some sort of trophy rather than someone he loves and cares about. They even explain later in the chapter that Tom is cheating on Daisy after tom gets a phone calling the middle of dinner from his mistress. Later when Daisy is talking to her cousin, Nick, she says “the best thing a girl can be in this life is fool” which I think she is referring to herself when she says that. Despite Tom being very arrogant and controlling over Daisy and cheating on her, she chooses to overlook those things and ignore them making herself a fool.
Camryn, I liked how you explained that even though there was not a lot of interaction between Minnie and John Wright actually shown in the play, the two women were able to shine light about how terrible their marriage actually was. I also think you did a great job of saying how Tom and Daisy did not really care about if anyone knew about the affair, and aired their problems in front of anyone. You show how evident their lack of care for each other is through their actions and words toward each other.
DeleteI really like the way you explain the ambiguity of the struggle between Minnie and John, seeing as there is no real context to their lives other than what is mentioned by Mrs. Hale. I do feel that their marriage was unhappy, but I would say it was much more than that, maybe miserable or contemptible would be better ways to describe it. In those words, I believe the two marriages we read about are more similar than different.
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ReplyDeleteIn The Great Gatsby, Tom and Daisy Buchanan had a very neglectful marriage. This is evident when Jordan Baker openly talks about how Tom is having an affair and everyone knows about it. Tom clearly has no regard for Daisy or her feelings. Similarly, so did John and Minnie Wright. In the play Trifles, the two women talk about how Minnie used to be so happy and lively until she married John. Both couples harboured a hatred and disdain for each other, that is very evident in the way the couples speak and act toward each other. While there is not much about how Minnie and John spoke to each other, the fact is that Minnie became significantly unhappy when she married John Wright. Overall, both men in their marriages held power over their wives that created a toxic relationship.
ReplyDeleteHowever, in Tom and Daisy’s marriage, Daisy tends to play into their unhealthy relationship by looking for attention elsewhere. She often snaps back at him with witty remarks in an attempt to get back at Tom for all his cheating. In contrast, Minnie takes the abuse for a while without any form of rebellion until she eventually snaps and kills her husband. In the play, the woman insinuates that John may have killed Minnie’s bird. While Daisy would simply play along and try to hurt Tom, Minnie endures the abuse until she can’t. In the end, Daisy and Tom will never leave each other, and that is where these two relationships differ.
Hi Veronica,
DeleteI like what you said in your post. I agree that Daisy does tend to play into their unhealthy relationship by seeking out attention. It is painfully obvious when Nick describes the way she leans into him and how she carries conversations with others. It is interesting to observe how unhealthy and even unhappy their marriage is, yet how well it fits and how they still feel a connection through the statuses they hold. It is odd how some can find comfort and become content in a relationship so unsettling while Minnie does have a sense of rebellion and a "last straw". Nice contrast!
The marriage between John and Minnie Wright portrayed in the play "Trifles" was rather negative, considering their marriage ended with Minnie murdering John. Mrs. Hale having known Minnie personally before her marriage remembered and described her as someone cheerful and lively. This is highlighted throughout the play as it is revealed how cold and reserved John was. It was assumed that he killed Minnie's canary, the one thing she cherished and enjoyed since they did not have any children. John is overall rather abusive, controlling, and domineering over Minnie before she reaches her last straw, the killing of her bird, and murders him while he sleeps.
ReplyDeleteThe marriage between Tom and Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby is one of negative connotation as well. It is revealed to Nick that Daisy is deeply unhappy and Tom is being unfaithful with another woman he has in New York. Although the two are beautiful, wealthy individuals they are both in an unhappy marriage and everyone around them is aware of it when in their presence such as Jordan Baker and Nick. Tom talks with a more stern voice while Daisy's is always described as light and soft. Tom seems to be more reserved with how he acts while Daisy is free. It is apparent the two are opposites within only a brief dinner, but both share the feeling of superiority due to their wealth and social class.
The relationships are the same for their controlling and negative natures. Both males are domineering over their wives and ultimately suck the life out of them as time passes, leaving them cynical. On the other end of things, the two relationships are different in the sense that the Buchanan's have the ability to hide their troubles with their appearance and wealth. The Wright's also appeared to be more abusive with the murdering of the bird and the murdering of John himself while Daisy and Tom struggle with cheating and their obvious lack of intimacy. Daisy also has a child, whereas Minnie did not, but even with the child she is dissatisfied.
Hey Brittney. You bring up a lot of great points in your post. How both men are trying to dominate in their relationship and end up leaving their wives sad cynical is a very sad but very interesting point. The parallels are very clear in that regard. I like how you pointed out how one of the relationships had a child and the other didn’t, as many unhappy marriages tend to stay together because of children. Great post!
DeleteIn the marriage between John and Minnie Wright it is obvious that there were many problems being faced from both John and Minnie. Although at this time it was the social norm for the man to be controlling and overbearing, there still seemed to be a breaking point for Minnie. Through the time of her marriage she would fall victim to many different forms of abuse, along with her many children. Although the play doesn’t go into all the details of their relationship it is clear to see that it was not healthy and overall Minnie felt she needed to take matters into her own hands. No marriage is perfect by any means but it is safe to say that the two were in no way good for eachother. They made it out to be an okay marriage until the end. The play made it clear that Minnie was acting out of character and that is apparent enough to understand they were not in a good place.
ReplyDeleteThe Marriage between Daisy and Tom is one that can be admired from the outside looking in. They try to make it out to be everything everyone wants. In the beginning of the chapter they let us know that both Tom and Daisy are rich, beautiful, and successful people who seem perfect together. As the chapter continues it becomes obvious that Daisy is being mistreated and she is very sad. She never knows where her husband is, and she goes on to say that she hopes her daughter is a fool because if a woman is a fool it will work in her favor. There was no longer any love between the two, it felt like she became so numb to or used to the idea of her husband not being around and she understood there was nothing for her to do about it.
Both the marriages are suffering. Although the marriage between Minnie and John ended in a tragedy it almost seems like she felt it was her only way out. It is interesting to see that Daisy would like for her husband to be around and more involved, while Minnie wanted nothing more to do with hers. Comparing the two it is interesting to think that while Minnie and John were young they could have possibly been in the same situation. It is interesting to think that Daisy and Tom could somehow be on the same path of destruction. Even though that is my imagination roaming I find it interesting that even though these marriages are so different there are a lot of similarities.
This is Renee Balboa, my name is coming up as "Unknown"
DeleteHello Renee,
DeleteI agree and love that you brought up how, in the time that both of these stories are set in, it was a social norm for the man of the marriage to be controlling and maybe even abusive to an extent. I also touched on how Daisy has become numb and even passive in the sense of how she allows Tom to go, say, and do whatever he wants while also just going through her lavish life in utter disillusion as she realizes her life isn't what she had assumed or hoped.
While they are not exactly the same same, the marriage between Daisy and Tom Buchanan in The Great Gatsby has some similarities to that of Minnie and John Wright in the story of “Trifles”. Both of these relationships look to be perfectly functional marriages on their surfaces, just below the veil was the lurking unhappiness and strife. John was thought to be a good enough man, but in reality, the relationship was anything but happy. Likewise, from an outside view, the life of Daisy and Tom might seem to be a good one. They are a young, beautiful couple with lots of money, a glamorous home, and a young child. Yet in reality, it is not as perfect as it might seem at first glance. Tom is a racist, arrogant man and is even having an affair.
ReplyDeleteWhere they differ, however, is in the nature of their discontent. Mrs. Hale notes that Minnie was once a joyful young woman who loved to sing in the choir, but after marrying her husband John, she became reserved and isolated. Despite him seeming like a good man John was cruel and abusive. He killed Minnie’s pet bird, one of her only sources of happiness, and exercised an unhealthy control over her, which would eventually lead to his murder. Daisy is also unhappy in her union with Tom, she even points out how he was not even there when their daughter was born. Daisy, however, stays with Tom because of her love of material things and Tom stays because she is beautiful. There is a form of love between them, even if it is only material and physical.
Hello EmaLee! I would like to point out that your blog post is very well done, primarily because it clearly and concisely highlights the implicit perceptions of the marriages, among many other characteristics, in well-worded detail. I especially liked how you pointed out the material, visible excess of Daisy and Tom's relationship that really does make you question on examination "how could they not be happy?!" I quite enjoy the parallel you drew between John and Tom having undesirable personality traits as that's something I never would've considered, much less highlighted in a post. Finally, I enjoy the reasonings you drew from context of Tom and Daisy's reasons for staying together. These observations changed my perspective on the marriages in both stories and I appreciate these thoughts.
DeleteMarriage is a very strange concept. The process itself is scary as well as having to deal with the unrelenting lifetime commitment that comes with having a partner the rest of our eternal days on this planet. However, with all of this being said, marriage especially in the sense and period that these two works are written is not a perfect reality. The relationship between Minnie and John is for sure not a happy marriage and has apparently not been one from the start. The overall consistent nature of John being the overbearing dominant in the relationship has overall had not only a traumatic affect on Minnie but also constituted her feeling as though she will never be content in a situation. Thus, she killed her husband as well as the canary she once has because both at one point had brought a sense of happiness that she did not feel as though she deserved.
ReplyDeleteWhile re-examining the relationship of Tom and Daisy, it became prevalent that this relationship is purely a game of remorse and who can hurt the other the fastest. While the beginning of this relationship seemed to be a happy and content one, the obvious attraction towards others has sent this couple on a downward spiral. Between Tom and Daisy both searching for affection in other places than themselves, it is clearly noted that these two have lost their spark that the so called "soulmates" of the time would have carried through their whole lives until death do them part. Yet, despite all of the remorse and one-upping that these two carry for each other, they will still always hold some sort of compassion and respect for each other and this is the biggest difference of these two couples.
This response was published by Madelyn Mendoza
DeleteThough marriage is often regarded as one of the strongest, ever-lasting bonds a pair of people can form, these two marriages (the pairing of Minnie and John Wright as well as Daisy and Tom Buchanan) stand as prominent yet unique examples of failure. The two differ in the severity of discontempt with one another, the former ending in a murder, whilst the latter merely hinges delicately on tense secrecy and unresolved issue. In the case of Trifles' pairing, Minnie felt the joy in her life slowly suffocated by John's suppression of the positive aspects of her life. Though it was never evident nor relevant that John and Minnie loved one another, John's living preferences, including near total seclusion, silence, and an apparent desire for maximum privacy, overtook Minnie's needs and desire's for a brighter, more sociable, enjoyable life. Simply put, as partners, the two were not compatible. The same could be said, in a sense, for Daisy and Tom of The Great Gatsby. Though the two married and had a child, the two appear to have some form of a chemistry still left over from what could be presumed to be the basis of their marriage. Daisy still makes a conscious effort to work into Tom's good graces, and the two live together in a tense, but unhappy harmony. After all, Tom wouldn't have a mistress (or multiple other mistresses) if he considered Daisy his one and only woman. In this relationship, Tom appears to be greedy, maintaining both his marriage at home as well as a mistress on the side, all the while lying to both women in tandem with the truth.
ReplyDeleteIn reality, both marriages are utter failures, where the woman in the relationship is suffering for the consequences of the man's actions in these appearances. Both Minnie and Daisy are subject to their husband's wills regardless of their input, and both women are unhappy with their living circumstances as a result. The similarities end here, however, as both marriages carry their own unique baggage befitting of their literary origin. The root of Minnie and John's disagreement is buried in John's treatment of Minnie and his imposition of a depressing, oppressive lifestyle on to his wife's own life. By isolating her, implicitly killing much of her enjoyment of the world, and literally murdering her bird - her last solace in married life - John effectively killed the person who was Minnie Foster. In return, Minnie effectively took the most extreme step she could and killed her husband with no gratuitous showmanship, but just enough to get the job done. Daisy, on the other hand, does precisely the opposite. In light of discovering her husband's affair, Daisy refuses to confront nor separate from Tom. Instead, she elects to speak in whispers and grieve to friends, reluctant to leave the man she believes she still loves while accepting her grief as a maintainable but continually unpleasant reality. Both women struggled in marriage, but the reasons and results of their situations play out differently.
This response was published by Matthew Fields
DeleteHello, Matthew, I enjoyed reading your response. I brought up some similar points in my own response, but I found it interesting how you described Tom as Greedy. Whether he cares about Daisy or not, he's being greedy by seeing another woman. I also found it interesting how you described John's isolating of Minnie as a reason for the murder. While it's clear that John is an abusive husband, Minnie's isolation prevented her from having a support system and resorting to non-violent methods to fix her situation. Daisy seems to have a social life, however, since she interacts with Jordan Baker and Nick, so although her relationship with Tom is clearly unhappy, it may not be abusive in the same way.
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ReplyDeleteNeither the marriage of Minne and John Wright in “Trifles” nor the marriage of Tom and Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby is a happy one. However, the nature of the marital problems is different in each story. Regarding “Trifles,” it is indicated that the marriage of Minnie and John may be physically abusive. Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale discover that John has killed Minnie’s bird. While it may not be explicitly said that the marriage is physically abusive, it’s certainly a possibility that it was, given the setting and the dead bird, as well as the murder of John. It’s reasonable to infer that if the bird was killed by John, Minnie would have felt like she was in danger. Regarding the marriage of Tom and Daisy, it is mentioned that Tom hurt Daisy’s finger, but Daisy says it was an accident (page 12). This doesn’t mean that there is no physical abuse, but I don’t believe it is the focal point of their marital problems. Instead, it is revealed that Tom has been unfaithful, and it is widely known that he is seeing another woman.
ReplyDeleteDespite these differences, it is clear that in both stories the couples have troubled relationships. The relationship in “Trifles” is fearful and violent. After all, it may have ended with Minnie killing John. Tom and Daisy do not appear to be in a violent relationship, but their relationship is cold and distant, founded in apathy rather than violence. Daisy seems to dislike Tom, calling him a “brute of a man,” (page 12) and when Tom steps out of the room, it says of Daisy, “his absence quickened something within her,” which means she seems to be happier when Tom is not around (page 14). Daisy seems to be relatively independent compared to Minnie, who was likely controlled by John. Mrs. Hale says of Minnie: “She—come to think of it, she was kind of like a bird herself—real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and—fluttery. How—she—did—change.” This statement invites the idea that Minnie was harshly controlled by her husband. There is no such indication in the case of Daisy, it is only clear that she feels apathy or dislike towards her spouse.
(This was published by Tristan White. I can't get it to display my name.)
Hi, Tristan. Your writing is interesting! I thought Minnie killed her husband because his cruelty and killing her only happiness(the bird), but your saying she felt she was in danger also makes sense!
DeleteThe point that Daisy is more independent compared to Minnie is nice. I agree with you. Daisy should have taken an action for her happier marriage life.
To be able to compare and contrast the two marriages, I had to jot down a little context for each couple and their conflicts.
ReplyDeleteThe marriage of Minnie and John Wright can be viewed as an abusive one from the clues spread out throughout "Trifles." At the beginning of the play, our first introduction to Minnie's character is from Lewis Hale's point of view as he tells his account of discovering John Wright's body. From Hale's story, we are led to believe that Minnie was cold and unphased by her husband's death when any other wife would be distraught.
Evidence of Minnie being abused into being this shell of her former self would be her bird; how her bird was killed in such a brutal and unusual way and the reasons that Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters hypothesize. If John could kill a bird because of its noisiness, then what is to say he wouldn't harm his wife for similar reasons? Mrs. Hale, prior to the discovery of Minnie's dead bird, Minnie is compared to "a kind of like a bird herself—real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and—fluttery."
Daisy is portrayed as this whimsical woman who enjoys lavish things, and her husband Tom is an icon of a rich and powerful man who is used to getting whatever he wants. Daisy and Tom in the first chapter interact through minor disputes that end up going too far. One example would be on page 12, where Daisy is showing her hurt knuckle, and instead of giving sympathy or even remorse, Tom states that it was her own doing while Daisy shoots back, "I know you didn't mean to, but you did do it." This argument then goes further by Daisy calling Tom a brute, to which he responds that he hates it. This illustrates Daisy and Tom's marriage in a nutshell. They are together, and they don't hate one another, but they do have disputes that cross each other's boundaries.
The two marriages are shown in two different lights; Minnie is accused of murdering her husband, while Daisy is shown as submissive and passive. Daisy and Tom have a child, but she is only mentioned briefly in the first chapter as a three-year-old taking a nap (pg. 10). While both wives are unhappy in their marriages, the way they handle their unhappiness could not be more drastic. Minnie, who was once bright and cheery, turned to a complicit shell of a woman through her marriage to John. Minnie was also isolated from society and even her neighbors due to the environment created by her marriage.
In contrast, Daisy and Tom were almost always in the spotlight and surrounded by people to keep Daisy company.
They both grew to resent their husbands through the course of the years. While Minnie was driven to murder, Daisy was driven to submission and disillusion. Both stories also present male characters who disregard and minorly abuse their wives. We, as readers, are only aware of Minnie's character through the lens of the characters around her who have not seen or heard from her in recent years, while we see Daisy's character through her defiant and dismissive actions.
Hi Arabella! I truly enjoy how you formatted your thoughts on this blog post. Breaking down the conflicts within each marriage allows us to truly see why the couples are experiencing such things. To compare Minnie and the bird with context to support helps define why she may have killed her husband. For Daisy, the example you used really hit the nail on its head. Besides the fact that Tom continuously interrupted Daisy while she tried to speak, the bruise was a major red flag. The boundaries definitely get crossed in their disputes. The explanations for the contrasting elements are concise and thoroughly stated which I really did enjoy reading.
DeleteWow this was thorough! Minnie's character does leave a lot of room for interpretation but there's a lot of dialogue from Mrs. Hale that suggests John was an abusive husband. And like you indicated, his killing of the bird hints at physical abuse. As for Daisy, she's certainly passive aggressive to Tom but she does has some avenue to express her emotions, as she did with Nick. But I'm not convinced that Tom cares at all about crossing Daisy's boundaries. He cuts her off in conversation quite a bit and flagrantly cheats on her.
DeleteThe marriages of the Wright’s and the Buchanan’s share quite a few similarities. The husbands, Tom and John, are both a bit older than their wives and use their power as husbands to control and suppress their wives’ personalities. John Wright’s suppression is more visually on the nose and communicated through the dialogue between Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters.. Their house sits in a hollow, effectively hidden from the view of the rest of their community. Visits are sparce and John’s unpleasant nature further curtails the attention of their neighbors. Mrs. Hale remarks the cheerless atmosphere and her dislike of John while Mrs. Peters sympathizes with the stillness Minnie must have lived with for so long. Similar to John, Nick’s perspective reveals Tom is remarked to have an unpleasant, controlling personality that reveals itself quite readily during their dinner. Upon his arrival Nick is led around a bit forcibly by Tom and remarks the man’s more unfavorable traits. “His speaking voice, a gruff husky tenor, added to the impression of fractiousness he conveyed. There was a touch of paternal contempt in it, even toward the people he liked- and there were men at New Haven who had hated his guts,” (Fitzgerald, 7). Though, stillness and social isolation doesn’t factor into the Buchanan lifestyle as it does with the Wright’s. Quite the opposite, the Buchanan’s are described to flutter from country to country, guided by a whim. Daisy isn’t subjected to stillness in the way Minnie was and she does pushback on his more ridiculous notions.
ReplyDeleteDaisy and Minnie are both remarked to have had a wistful and nostalgic girlhood. Mrs. Hale tells Mrs. Peters of Minnie when she wore a white dress and sang in the choir and similarly Daisy makes a wistful remark of her white girlhood with Jordan. Both are looked at through a nostalgic lens, recalling a time of simplicity and innocence. Mrs. Hale remarks the end of Minnie’s girlhood, and her presence in the community, with her marriage to John. Daisy’s reminiscence of it is cut off abruptly by Tom. It seems that the marriage was an abrupt end to both of Daisy and Minnie’s girlhood, and that their following marriage stifled their independence.
In trifles, women were to bow down to their husbands. They had no power, you see this even in the dialogue of the minor characters. They do not believe that women are as smart as they are, and their thoughts are on petty ideas. As locked down as Minnie was Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters are just as locked down. Their husbands don't have as hard of a personality as John did. As I stated I think there was abuse involved in Minnie and Johns marriage. That could be the reason behind the frostiness of the house.
Delete“Trifles” describes the marriage of Minnie and John Wright. Minnie was happy and innocent youth before her marriage according to Mrs. Hale. In marriage, she was sad and isolated. Eventually she killed her husband John Wright because he even killed her pet bird which was the only joy and friend for Minnie. She was suffering in the isolation In the time of patriarchal society. Their marriage was unhappy and unloved but made Minnie lonely and isolated so concluded as a tragedy by murder.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, in “The Great Gatsby” depicts the complicated marriage of Tom and Daisy. Seeing their behaviors, people could tell they do not want each other. The reason was that in 1920s, a man and woman in the same class should marry each other. Tom was having affairs which was known in the city. Daisy talks about her unhappiness in her marriage and smiles smugly. Even though Tom was in affairs, he would be compliant to be with Daisy because they have to do so.
Minnie and Daisy both had unhappy marriages for different reasons. Minnie lived in a patriarchal society and Daisy in 1920s. The age they lived influenced their marriage lives and resulted unsatisfying marriages. Plus, their husbands made them lonely; John was cruel and Tom was in affairs.
It begs the question why she smiles smugly, because she herself is in an affair. In Daisy and Tom's relationship, their level of society didn't really divorce. This make me wonder how intertwined their finances were that they wouldn't just live separately. I know divorce was frowned upon at the time, but something had to change. I have to question if they were so unhappy from the beginning of their marriage then these of affairs started from the very beginning and shouldn't affect her in the slightest.
DeleteThe average domestic couple typically has this mirage to their relationship. Sometimes what is presented on the external premise is initially distorted within the internal reality of the relationship. Readers can see this in the relationship between Minnie and John Wright in “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell. The town knew of the couple and assumed they were this married couple that may not have any issues. Mrs. Peter mentions that people in town perceived John Wright as a ‘good man.’ A man that did not drink, kept his words, and paid his debts. The women also spoke of Minnie before she was married. Mrs. Hale mentions that Minnie Foster would wear ‘pretty clothes’ and that she was a much more livelier town girl. This description ends there because that was in the past and she had been committed to John who settled in am unvisited farm house that is mentioned to be “…down and hollow” by Mrs. Hale. While John was always at work and had no children Minnie seemed to be living a gloomy and alienated lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteAnother couple that is in this domestic circle is Tom and Daisy Buchanan in the story, The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. A couple that lives a lavish life and is ‘happily married’ may not be the right description. Readers are introduced to Tom as an incredibly wealthy and ‘national figure’ type of guy and a man with an overpowering appearance of being arrogantly dominant. Daisy, Mrs. Buchanan, similar to the young miss Minnie Foster was also perceived as a lively, cheerful woman with an encaptivating voice. This couple seemed to be living this beautiful life, married to one another, but readers soon find out that Tom has “...got some woman in New York” (Fitzgerald 15) which breaks this visage of a perfect wedded couple they have created. The house contrasted, to the Wrights in “Trifles” by living in a “...cheerful...mansion, overlooking the bay” (Fitzgerald 6) and although both Tom and Daisy presented themselves as content and able to naturally converse when the call came in for Tom the atmosphere changed.
Both men, John and Tom, both seen as high men had a good reputation. Yet, that was far from the truth. Mrs. Hale knew how uncomfortable the Wrights farm house felt from the inside. Miss Baker, knew of Toms cheating which shows that their marriage was not a good one. Minnie Wright was brought to murder her husband because of the marriage and every issue within it. This is contrasted to how Daisy handles the cheating because she was not searching for a way out with her daughter but decided to stay. Both women, living a lonely life, but under different circumstances, leads to the individual outcomes with their marriages.
Both of these couples are tied together in marriage. Unfortunately, these couples have their own trials and tribulations that affect the outcomes in their lives. For the marriage of Minnie and John Wright. Their differences affect their home life. John is known to have a cold, hard personality. Even though he does everything right by society standards he is unable or maybe unwilling to connect with his wife. Due to Minnie personality change, I could see him being either emotionally or physically abusive to her. That would more apparent when he kills her pet bird, she snaps and kills him. She is locked into a society that was more patriarchal, and that sees her as a danger, rather than a victim.
ReplyDeleteTom and Daisy have a very unstable relationship as well. But there is more done out of an unfulfilled desire for the way their life is going. They married each other due to money and convenience. The does not stop the affairs from happening. They are both unwilling to part, maybe on how it looks to others or the money? They punish each other for their own unhappiness. A comparison that both of these couples could claim would be their unhappiness in their relationships and the suppression of the wife’s personality.