Class 11 1st play Trifles By Susan Glaspell

 1st play

                                                    Trifles

                                                            By Susan Glaspell

Trifles is a one-act play written by Susan Glaspell. It is about the investigation of a man's murder in a farmhouse. While the men search for clues, they ignore the women, thinking they only notice small, unimportant things (trifles). However, the women find clues in the kitchen that reveal the emotional pain of Mrs. Wright, the wife of the murdered man.

The women understand that Mrs. Wright killed her husband because of long-term sadness and loneliness. They decide to hide the evidence from the men.

About the Writer

Susan Glaspell (1876–1948) was an American playwright, novelist, and journalist. She wrote plays about women’s roles and social justice. Trifles is one of her most famous works, inspired by a real murder case she reported as a journalist.

Setting

The play is set in the kitchen of a rural farmhouse in the early 1900s. The entire story takes place in this single room, where both men and women search for clues about a murder.

Plot (Short Description)

In Trifles, a man named Mr. Wright has been murdered. His wife, Mrs. Wright, is the main suspect. While the men look for big clues, the women notice small things in the kitchen—like broken stitching and a dead bird—that reveal Mrs. Wright’s sadness and emotional pain. These “trifles” help the women understand her motive, but they decide not to share their findings with the men.

Main Characters

1. Mrs. Hale – A farmer’s wife who notices important clues in the kitchen.
2. Mrs. Peters – The sheriff’s wife who slowly begins to understand Mrs. Wright’s suffering.
3. Mr. Hale – A neighbor who found Mr. Wright’s body.
4. Sheriff Peters – The local sheriff leading the investigation.
5. County Attorney – A lawyer trying to find evidence to charge Mrs. Wright.
6. Mrs. Wright (formerly Minnie Foster) – The quiet and lonely wife of the murdered man. She never appears on stage but is the central figure of the play.

 Main themes

1.      Gender Differences
Men and women see the world differently. While men ignore “small things,” women notice important details that solve the mystery.

2.      Justice and Injustice
The play shows how the legal system may fail to give fair justice, especially when it overlooks women’s voices and experiences.

3.      Loneliness and Isolation
Mrs. Wright lived a lonely, silent life after marriage, which led to her emotional suffering and the murder.

4.      Women’s Solidarity
The two women support each other and understand Mrs. Wright’s pain. They silently stand by her instead of revealing the truth.

5.      Power of Small Things (Trifles)
What seems unimportant at first—like a broken birdcage or bad stitching—actually reveals the full truth.

 Understanding the text

Answer the following questions.

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

Yes, I believe Mrs. Wright killed her husband. From the women’s conversation, we learn that she had a happy life before marriage but became sad and lonely after. Her husband didn’t let her sing or talk to others, and even killed her pet bird. She was depressed and felt trapped. So, in revenge, she killed her husband.

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

No, I don’t think Mr. Wright’s death would have been uncovered if Mr. Hale hadn’t stopped by. Since the house was far from the main road, no one visited often. If Mr. Hale hadn’t gone there, no one would have known, and the murder might have stayed a secret.

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 preserves show her innocence. She says that only an innocent woman would care about things like fruit jars, an apron, or a shawl after being arrested. This small concern shows she was not thinking like a guilty person.

d. How does Mrs. Peters’ homesteading experience connect her to Mrs. Wright?
Mrs. Peters hides the dead bird, which could be key evidence. Though she is the sheriff’s wife, she feels sympathy for Mrs. Wright. She remembers her own sad experiences and understands her pain. This shared feeling connects her to Mrs. Wright and leads her to protect her.

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

The women feel that men think they are smarter and more powerful. But the women notice that the men ignore small things that matter. The women may not have power, but their careful thinking helps them understand the truth better than the men do.

 

Reference to the context

a. Discuss the symbolism used in the play.

Symbolism means using objects or actions to show deeper meanings. In Trifles, several things symbolize parts of Mrs. Wright’s life and feelings:

1.Preserve jars – They show the cold and broken relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Wright.

2. Singing canary – It represents Mrs. Wright’s joy and freedom before marriage.

3. Birdcage – This shows how she felt trapped in her married life.

4.Wrung neck of the bird – It suggests revenge; the bird was strangled, just like Mr. Wright was.

5.Knot in the quilt – It hints at the way Mr. Wright was killed and also shows Mrs. Wright’s nervous mental state.

b. Discuss the setting of the play. Does it have an impact on the theme of the play?
The play takes place in Mr. Wright’s lonely farmhouse, which is far from the road and feels cold and quiet.

Yes, the setting has a strong impact on the theme. The house shows how isolated Mrs. Wright’s life was. The rural location reflects her deep loneliness and lack of support. This setting helps us understand her sadness and the emotional pain that led her to commit the crime. The quiet, abandoned farmhouse matches the theme of isolation in 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.

The character’s credibility depends on their own actions and what others say about them. In Trifles, Mrs. Wright is not on stage, but we learn about her through Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters. These two women talk about Mrs. Wright’s life and suffering while they search the house. Their conversation helps us understand Mrs. Wright’s sadness and loneliness. Because of what Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters say, we feel sympathy for Mrs. Wright. Their words make Mrs. Wright seem real and deserving of pity. So, through these characters, the readers see Mrs. Wright as a true and sad person.

b. 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:

(i) What information is crucial to the play Trifles?

Dramatic irony happens when the audience knows something the characters don’t. In Trifles, the important secret is that Mrs. Wright killed her husband. We, the readers, learn why from Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, but the men don’t know this.

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

The playwright creates dramatic irony by slowly revealing clues through Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters’ talk. The men search for evidence but miss the real story. This builds tension and surprises us.

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

This dramatic irony makes the audience feel smarter and more involved than the men. It keeps us curious and excited. We understand the truth before the men do, which makes the play more interesting and full of suspense.