Trifles

Symbolism in Trifles Susan Glaspell’s play Trifles occurs during the investigation of John Wright’s murder. The primary suspect of the murder is John Wright’s wife, Minnie. The County Attorney and the Sheriff, Mr. Peters, work to find a motive for the murder in the Wright’s house. Neighbors of the Wright’s, Mr. and Mrs. Hale also help with the investigation. While the men look through the house for any sign of a motive, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale conduct their own investigation in the kitchen. The two women happen to notice erratic stitching on Mrs. Wright’s quilt. While continuing to inspect the house, the women discover a disfigured birdcage, leaving them wondering if Mrs. Wright had a bird of her own. Upon further investigation, the…

Peace and Quit The play Trifles, written by Susan Glaspell is based off a true murder that happened in 1900 in Warren county, Iowa. The true cold case, just like the play, used symbolism to reveal the motive and killer. Throughout, three specific characteristics within the house uncover the truth behind Mr. Wright’s death. The symbolism that Glaspell used creates a mystery that can only be solved if every line is read. Mrs. Wrights quilt, dirty kitchen, and dead song bird all guide the reader…

What is a "trifle"? The question is, are the things women worry over really trifles or, rather, relevant and important information? In this play, the "trifles" are the most important keys to finding the clues to solve this mystery. In short, these women are put down for their attention to detail and their insight into the minds and feelings of others. Glaspell makes it clear that the men and women in this play not only present "action vs. emotion" views to solving this mystery, they also…

In the world that surrounds everyone today, one may ask what dictates the happiness of a woman? Most people will say that often a woman’s happiness is correlated with her husband’s happiness. During the time period of Glaspell’s play Trifles, if the husband weren’t content, than his wife was usually made to be unhappy as well. The feeling of being miserable could drive a woman to search for her happiness in something else; she sometimes could find happiness in things such as pets, for example…

unhappy marriages. In the play Trifles, Susan Glaspell uses symbolism to prove the mistreatment and emotional abuse that Minnie goes through, which will lead Minnie to kill her husband. Susan Glaspell uses the symbolism of the canary to represent Minnie. This is because, like the bird Minnie is kept in a cage. Instead of an actual cage, Minnie's barrier is her marriage. John keeps Minnie hidden from everyone else, and stationary on the farm. This is proven when Mrs. Hale states, "Wright was…

Susan Glaspell Wrote Trifles to open a controversial subject that was over looked by society during the 1900s; the repression of women, which is depicted throughout the play. Glaspell use of stereotypes, and symbols to distinguish the roles of genders during the period the play was written in. The female characters in the Trifles are the main victims to stereotypical implication of how society viewed women. The drama shows that women were seen as inferior and even a 2nd class citizens compared…

While one always hears of the strength of male bonding, female bonding is something that is rarely ever brought up with positive connotations, if ever. This can be connected to the fact that, throughout history, there has been the thought among many that females do not get along well and bring out the poor side in each other in general. The thought that women would never stick up for each other or try to help each other, however, is disproved in Susan Glaspell’s Trifles and Lynn Nottage’s POOF!,…

the play Trifles by Susan Glaspell there are several different types of relationships examined throughout. Since writing this play in 1916 the relationships are very different then they are today. These different types of relationships add an extra element that enhances the readers experience when reading the play. The relationships investigated in this play are a murderous wife and dead husband, guilty friends, and the interesting dynamic husbands and wives in the 1900’s. The most obvious…

Winning a Pulitzer Prize in 1931 for “Allison’s House”, Susan Glaspell is responsible for creating the high school nation-read One-Act Play known as “Trifles”. Published in 1916, Glaspell defied the harshest restrictions set for women and shared her talent with readers all throughout the country. Back then, it was infrequent to hear about women completing such a major act. However, publication became an ordinary habit for Susan Glaspell. Additionally, Glaspell would often write about the…

Both Trifles by Susan Glaspell and The Sound of a Voice by David Henry Hwang share common traits, despite the obvious differences. They share mysteries and certain portrayals of women during the time periods. These will be discussed along with any influences the authors had when they were writing these plays. The first common trait is the mysteries both plays hold. The murder mystery in Trifles, the mystery of who the woman is in The Sound of a Voice, and the mystery of why the man came to the…