A Sundial and a Flower: Susan Glaspell’s Philosophy of Science in Tickless Time and The Verge

 

Yi-chin Shih

 

 ABSTRACT

Conscious of her gender identity, Susan Glaspell (1876-1948), an American female playwright, novelist, poet, and journalist, often presents feminist ideas in her works and offers a feminist critique of society. This paper aims to understand Glaspell’s philosophy of science through an analysis of two of her plays, Tickless Time (1918) and The Verge (1921). By focusing on the relationship between gender and science, this paper also seeks to propose a new interpretation of the two plays. The analysis first scrutinizes Tickless Time to expose its representation of gender bias in science and technology and then turns to The Verge to take a step further in suggesting the possibility of a new science. After a brief comparison between the two plays, the paper argues that due to Glaspell’s feminist assessment and the failure of this new science, she indicates multiple perspectives as the way to examine science and explore the potential of both science and women.

 

KEYWORDS: Susan Glaspell, Tickless Time, The Verge, gender and science

DOI:  10.30395/WSR.202506_18(2).0001

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