Wright as well as their own lives. Putting aside the fact that Toomer's Cane is a much different piece -- it is not a play and is much lengthier than Trifles -- the language, form and mood vary significantly. For example, "Fern," one of the stories in the Cane collection, first appears to be a portrait of an exquisite woman who nobody understands. However, the reader soon realizes that she is much more complex. There exists layer upon layer over her, as she is revealed to be a representative of an entire group of American people. She also represents the many ways that women are treated. Her depth is indicative of the other characters in this book as well.

In Trifles, the readers immediately walk into the Wright's home with the other characters. There is no one keeping the readers from becoming instantly involved with the action. However, in Cane, the narrator stands in and often puts the readers at a distance. This shows the women's alienation from the rest of the society. The narrator also depicts the separation that exists in the country between people of different backgrounds.

Cane's style is also more complex because the narration is uneven, changing...

Unlike Trifles, which has very simple dialogue, Toomer writes in narrative, dialogue and poetry -- his work has actually been called a "novel poem" due to this eclectic style. Frequently, the feeling portrayed is almost as a spiritual sung in a church, with varying tones, not the stark, bleak near-silence as in Glaspell's play. Further, Toomer divides the book into sections of urban and rural, South and North as well as by characters. It acts as a collage of myriad forms and directions. It is organic and alive, just as much as Trifles is burdened with death and decay. Thus, although Cane rightly depicts the burdened life of the African-Americans, there is an underlying hope for the characters' futures.
Toomer's style does not lend itself to easy reading. However, the theme he is portraying has numerous meanings. The complexity along with the imagery and symbolism shows the rich quality and depth of the characters' personalities and lives -- as well as the deep pain they must endure to live during these times.

Barlow, Judith. Plays by American Women. New York: Applause, 1985.

Toomer, Jean. Cane. New York: Norton Edition, 1988.