Expressionism in Susan Glaspell's Trifle

Abstract

The main purpose of this research paper is to show how Expressionism is influential to postwar American literature, especially to the one-act play entitled Trifles (1916) written by Susan Glaspell (1876-1948). America witnessed a new period of special culture and art during the second half of the twentieth century, especially after the second world war. The traditional forms of art have failed to satisfy the wishes and aspirations of the new artists who deliberately look for new forms to express their attitudes towards the new state of life to be lived after grave wars that have caused humanity great losses on many and various levels. Thus, they have felt the need to break away with the existing traditional modes of expression. Hence, there appears new dramatic movements like existentialism, surrealism and Expressionism. The latter movement advocates the expression of the enthusiastic emotional state of the artist reacting to the anxieties of the modern world. The title one-act play Trifles can be regarded as a very well example illustrating the aims of this new movement and anticipating its appearance.