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Comparative Analysis of A good man is hard to find and Trifles
Murder is one of the unfortunate acts that the society experiences from time to time. Most of the murder cases that society witnesses are conventional in nature. This makes them predictable placing them in the category of a majority of cases. The norm however becomes challenged in some situations due to the characteristic of the cases. This in turn, becomes a source of inspiration for writers who choose to take on such stories. The analysis of such books is essential so as to find out the factors that differentiate them from the norm. The selected books in this case challenge the conventional value of murder making them an ideal source of analysis (Gainor, p. 234).
The purpose of this paper is to analyze dramatic verses narrative techniques by comparing and contrasting techniques by challenging how two books portray the conventional value of death. The books in question are Susan Glaspell’s, Trifles and Flannery O’Conner’s good men are hard to find.
Summary of Trifles
Based on a true story, Susan Glaspell’s Trifles covers the events that lead to the murder of a local farmer, John Wright. The main suspect happens to be Minnie Wright, who is the wife of the farmer. The accused is alleged to have struck her husband twice with an ax in the head as he slept. These accusations are contrary to the initial evidence that suggested the presence of buglers in their marital home. Evidence provided against Mrs. Wright mentions that she was unhappy in her marriage to the farmer. This weakens her case in that all fingers point towards her. As a result, authorities immediately find Mrs. Wright guilty sentencing her to life in prison. Glaspell with the help of her husband documents the events that transpire during the trial. This documentation forms the basis of the book trifles who main theme talks about the battle of sexes (Gainor, p. 241).
Summary of a good man is hard to find
The story starts when a family is planning their family vacation. The family is caught between a dilemma on whether to go to Florida or forgo the trip. The father is for the former while the grandmother is for the latter. The grandmother forms the basis of her argument on the fact that the misfit is on the loose. Despite her prediction, the family chooses to ignore her hypothesis ruling it out as propaganda. During the journey, the grandmother takes on her role as the story teller. She does this by explaining how it is hard to find and trust a good man in the present day. She also continues to embrace the idea of the presence of the misfit. The family continues their journey and in the process end up having an accident where no one gets hurt. In a turn of events, the family chooses to get a lift form a ‘good Samaritan’ who ironically turns out to be the dreaded misfits. The story ends with the gruesome murder of the entire family making the prediction of the grandmother true (O’Connor and Frederick, p. 231).
Comparison
Both books have similar themes in that they talk on the social roles in society. The book “A good man is hard to find”, the grandmother places emphasis on the fact that the society continues to lack good men. She does this by lecturing the couple on the social norms in the community and their impact on relationships. The family gives high regard to the practice of their religion which in this case is catholic. They thus base all their principles and values on the teaching of the Catholic religion. This makes society perceive them as responsible citizens in the community giving them a place in the category of good people. Trifles on the other hand, base its teachings on the societal roles of males and the females. Mrs. Wright does not initially fit the description of an ordinary murderer. On her quest to hide the evidence against her, she stores all the information in an area that the investigators are least likely to find, the kitchen. This turns out to be a wise choice due to the lack of focus in this area of the house. The reason for this type of reasoning is reflective of the societies division of social roles. This factor makes the investigators who are predominantly male ignorant of the possibility of a female murderer (Kennedy and Gioia, p. 314).
Both books are centered on murder cases that affect the key characters. The society is prone to experience some sort of murder mystery. Both families become the talk of the town due to the gruesome murder that they become part and parcel.
Contrast
It is established that both books revolve around murder cases. The type of murder however, differs in the case of each book. In the book Trifle’s, the storyline is different making it a murder mystery. The book is narrated by a local reporter who follows the murder trial of the accused. All the information is thus derived from her familiarity and involvement in the trial. The book is investigative in nature due to the search of the murderer by authorities. This particular case is ideal in the display of gender relations in that it showcases the sympathy the investigator has for the accused. The book differs from the conventional death due to the way the case unfolds. The victim is murdered using an ax which ideally a farming tool making the case symbolic seeing as the victim is a farmer. The mystery is not the typical murder because women are traditionally not expected to murder their spouses using this method (Gainor, p. 231).
The book, A good man is hard to find offers a different method of murder. The storyline does not mention the event of a murder making it a possibility. The family does not expect to be involved in a murder case. Their main focus is centered on the long awaited family vacation where murder is the last thing on their mind. In a fateful turn of events, the family succumbs to a number of liabilities on their journey. This places them at the peril of the murderers who turn out to be a reality as opposed to a myth. The delivery of the story is different in that it is told from a third parties point of view ruling out the form of narrative. This is a form of dramatic story which portrays surrealism as one of its styles (Scott, p. 304).
As stated earlier, the murders occur at different times of the books. In Trifle, the murder occurs at the beginning of the book making this the climax of the narrative. The murder precedes the rest of the story making it the focal point of the storyline. This makes it qualify as a narrative in that the rest of the story is told by an observer who is directly involved in the investigation (Keller, p. 131). In the book, “A good man is hard to find” the climax is felt in the last part of the story. The book is initially themed on the significance of family and values. There idea of murder is mentioned in passing by the grandmother who question’s the safety of the vacation place. The events in the story thus lead to the main event which is the murder. This is however experienced at the end of the story making this the climax of the book (Scott, p. 314).
In conclusion, both books share a couple of similarities and differences. Both books talk of the occurrence of murders that shake the communities involved. A closer look at both books brings out the differences making them acquire different identities. The paper analyzes both books by offering comparison and contrasting features. This thus challenges the conventional value of death that readers are accustomed. A good man is hard to find talks about the influence of society in showcasing a dramatic effect. Trifle’s derives its inspiration from events that occurred making it a narrative. The analysis of the two pieces of literature is thus ideal in that it showcase stylistic devices of the books that speak of death in a not so conventional manner.
Works cited
Gainor, J E. Susan Glaspell in Context: American Theater, Culture, and Politics, 1915 – 48. Ann Arbor, Mich: Univ. of Michigan Press, 2004. Print.
Keller, Mathias. Symbolic Realism in Susan Glaspell’s Trifles. München: GRIN Verlag, 2005. Print.
Kennedy, X J, and Dana Gioia. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. New York: Longman, 2000. Print.
O’Connor, Flannery, and Frederick Asals. A Good Man Is Hard to Find. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1993. Print.
Scott, R N. Flannery O’connor: An Annotated Reference Guide to Criticism. Milledgeville, Ga: Timberlane Books, 2002. Print.
