Trifles

Summary

"Trifles" is a one-act play by Susan Glaspell that was first performed in 1916. The play is set in a small farmhouse in the midwest and tells the story of a group of people who are investigating the murder of a man named John Wright. The group includes the county attorney, the sheriff, and two neighbors, and they are trying to determine who killed Wright. As they search the house, they pay little attention to the evidence that the women in the group find, including a broken birdcage and a quilt that has been torn apart.

The women ultimately piece together the clues and realize that Wright's wife, Minnie Wright, killed him in self-defense after years of abuse. They decide to keep this information to themselves and protect Mrs. Wright from the men in the group, who are oblivious to the clues and continue to assume that Mrs. Wright is guilty. "Trifles" explores themes of gender, power, and justice, and it remains an important work in the canon of American literature.

Understanding the text

Answer the following questions.

a. Do you believe that Mrs. Wright killed her husband? Explain.

In the play "Trifles," it is revealed that Mrs. Wright killed her husband in self-defense after years of abuse. Based on the evidence presented in the play, it seems clear that Mrs. Wright acted out of necessity and that she had no other choice.

b. Do you think Mr. Wright’s death would have been uncovered if Mr. Hale hadn’t stopped by the Wrights’ home?

I think the crime might have gone unsolved. Mr. Hale was the one who initially alerted the authorities to the fact that something was amiss at the Wright farm, so it is likely that the investigation would not have begun at all if he had not stopped by.

c. Why does Mrs. Hale think that Mrs. Wright’s worries about her preserves indicate her innocence?

Mrs. Hale thinks that Mrs. Wright's worries about her preserve indicate her innocence because, to Mrs. Hale, it shows that Mrs. Wright was still concerned about the mundane tasks of daily life even after her husband's death. This suggests to Mrs. Hale that Mrs. Wright was not preoccupied with planning or covering up the murder.

d. How does Mrs. Peters’ homesteading experience connect her to Mrs. Wright?

Mrs. Peters' homesteading experience connects her to Mrs. Wright in that both women have lived on farms and have had to deal with the challenges and isolation that can come with that lifestyle. This shared experience allows Mrs. Peters to understand and empathize with Mrs. Wright's situation in a way that the men in the group do not.

e. How do the women’s perspectives on men differ?

In the play "Trifles," the women's perspectives on men differ from the men's perspectives in that the women are more attuned to the emotional lives of the women in the story and are more likely to consider the impact of social and cultural factors on their behavior. The men, on the other hand, are more focused on the facts of the case and are more likely to overlook the subtle clues and nuances that the women pick up on.

Reference to the context

a. Read the extracts from the play given below and answer the questions that follow.

a. “MRS. PETERS:(glancing around). Seems funny to think of a bird here. But she must have had one, or why would she have a cage? I wonder what happened to it?
MRS. HALE: I s’pose maybe the cat got it.”

i. Who does ‘she’ refer to?
"She" refers to Mrs. Wright.

ii. What does the word ‘one’ stand for?
"One" stands for a bird.

iii. What is the full form of “s’pose”?
"S'pose" is short for "suppose."

iv. What do you mean when Mrs. Hale says, “the cat got it”?
When Mrs. Hale says "the cat got it," she is suggesting that the cat may have killed the bird that was kept in the cage. This is a possible explanation for the missing bird and the broken cage that the women have found in the farmhouse.

b. “MRS. HALE: Wright was close. …… she used to wear pretty clothes and be lively, when she was Minnie Foster, one of the town girls singing in the choir.
But that—oh, that was thirty years ago.”

i. Why does Mrs. Hale refer to Mrs. Wright as “Minnie Foster”?
"Minnie Foster" was Mrs. Wright's maiden name, and Mrs. Hale is using it to refer to the time when Mrs. Wright was a younger woman living in the town and singing in the choir.

ii. What does her description tell you about Mrs. Wright?
Mrs. Hale's description of Mrs. Wright as a woman who used to wear pretty clothes and be lively suggests that Mrs. Wright has changed significantly over the years. It implies that she is no longer the vibrant and lively person that she used to be and that her life on the farm with Mr. Wright has had a negative impact on her.

iii. What does Mrs. Hale mean by “that was thirty years ago”?
When Mrs. Hale says "that was thirty years ago," she is referring to the time when Mrs. Wright was Minnie Foster and was singing in the choir. The phrase suggests that a significant amount of time has passed since then and that Mrs. Wright's life has changed significantly in the intervening years.

c. What is the main theme of the play?

One of the main themes of the play "Trifles" is the way in which gender and power dynamics can shape the way that people perceive and understand events. The play explores the ways in which the men in the story, who are in positions of power and authority, are quick to jump to conclusions and overlook important clues, while the women, who are marginalized and dismissed, are able to see and understand the subtler aspects of the situation. The play suggests that the men's assumptions and prejudices about women prevent them from fully grasping the truth of what happened in the Wright farmhouse and that it is ultimately the women who are able to solve the mystery.

Another theme of the play is the impact of domestic violence and abuse on the lives of women. The play suggests that Mrs. Wright was driven to kill her husband in self-defense after years of abuse and that the men in the story are unable to understand or recognize the signs of this abuse because they are not attuned to the emotional lives of the women around them.

Other themes of the play include justice, the role of the legal system, and the ways in which social and cultural factors can shape the way that people behave and perceive the world.

d. Discuss the symbolism used in the play.

In the play "Trifles," Glaspell uses a number of symbols to convey the themes and ideas of the story. One of the most significant symbols in the play is the broken birdcage and the missing bird. The cage and the bird represent the stifling and suffocating nature of Mrs. Wright's marriage and the ways in which her husband controlled and oppressed her. The fact that the bird is missing and the cage is broken suggests that Mrs. Wright has finally been able to break free from her husband's grasp and that she has taken control of her own life.

Another important symbol in the play is the quilt that has been torn apart. The quilt represents the domestic work and the femininity that were expected of Mrs. Wright, and the fact that it has been torn apart suggests that Mrs. Wright has rejected these expectations and has taken action to assert her own autonomy and agency.

Other symbols in the play include the fruit preserves that Mrs. Wright was in the process of making and the evidence of the fire in the stove, which suggests that Mrs. Wright was still concerned with the mundane tasks of daily life even after her husband's death. These symbols serve to contrast with the men's focus on the facts of the case and highlight the different ways that the men and women in the story understand and perceive the world.

e. Discuss the setting of the play. Does it have an impact on the theme of the play?

The setting of the play "Trifles" is a small farmhouse in the midwest. The farmhouse is isolated and isolated from the rest of the community, which is significant because it reflects the isolation and loneliness that Mrs. Wright has experienced in her marriage. The fact that the farmhouse is in the midwest also suggests that it is a place where traditional gender roles and expectations are particularly entrenched, which is relevant to the theme of the play, which explores the ways in which gender and power dynamics shape the way that people perceive and understand events.

The setting of the play also has an impact on the theme of justice. The fact that the farmhouse is isolated and removed from the rest of the community suggests that Mrs. Wright has been cut off from the legal and social systems that might have been able to help her and that she has had to rely on her own resources to survive. This isolation also reflects the way that the men in the story are unable to see and understand the subtler aspects of the situation, as they are not attuned to the emotional lives of the women around them. The setting, therefore, serves to underscore the themes of isolation, power, and justice that are central to the play.

Reference beyond the text

a. The credibility of a character is determined not only by the character’s thoughts and actions but also by what other characters say and think about him or her. Discuss in relation to the characters of Trifles.

In the play "Trifles," the credibility of the characters is determined not only by their own thoughts and actions, but also by the way that they are perceived by the other characters in the story. The credibility of a character can be influenced by the things that other characters say and think about them, as well as by the way that they are depicted by the playwright.

For example, the credibility of Mrs. Wright is influenced by the way that the other characters in the play perceive her. The men in the group are quick to dismiss Mrs. Wright as a suspect and to assume that she is incapable of committing a crime. They do this because they believe that women are weak and emotional and are therefore not capable of plotting and carrying out a murder. This assumption shapes the way that the men in the group perceive and interpret the evidence that they find in the farmhouse.

On the other hand, the women in the group are more attuned to the emotional lives of the women in the story and are more likely to consider the impact of social and cultural factors on their behavior. They are able to see and understand the subtle clues and nuances that the men in the group overlook, and they are ultimately able to piece together the truth of what happened in the Wright farmhouse. In this way, the credibility of the characters in "Trifles" is determined not only by their own thoughts and actions, but also by the way that they are perceived and understood by the other characters in the story.

Dramatic irony occurs when the reader or audience has information that is unknown to the characters in a play; it creates tension and suspense. Analyse the play discussing the author’s use of dramatic irony based on these questions:

What information is crucial to the play Trifles?

In the play "Trifles," the information that is crucial to the plot is the fact that Mrs. Wright killed her husband in self-defense after years of abuse. This information is unknown to the men in the group who are investigating the murder, but it is known to the women in the group and to the audience.

How does the playwright use this information to create dramatic irony?

The playwright uses this information to create dramatic irony by having the women in the group discover clues and evidence that suggests that Mrs. Wright killed her husband in self-defense, while the men in the group are oblivious to these clues and continue to assume that Mrs. Wright is guilty. This creates tension and suspense because the audience knows that the women are on the right track and that they are getting closer to the truth, while the men in the group are making assumptions that are based on their own biases and prejudices.

What effect does the dramatic irony have on the audience and on the play?

The effect of the dramatic irony on the audience is that it keeps them engaged and invested in the story. It also serves to underscore the themes of the play, particularly the theme of the ways in which gender and power dynamics shape the way that people perceive and understand events. The dramatic irony also creates a sense of injustice, as the audience knows that Mrs. Wright is innocent and that she has been subjected to abuse, while the men in the group are unable to see or understand this.