What is the summary of the story Trifles?
The play is loosely based on the murder of John Hossack, which Glaspell reported on while working as a journalist for the Des Moines Daily News. On December 2, 1900, Hossack’s wife, Margaret, reported to the police that an unknown person broke into their house and murdered John with an axe while she slept next to him.
What is a plot synopsis of Susan Glaspell’s play Trifles?
This one-act play ‘Trifles’ has been written by an American playwright Susan Glaspell. This play is about a murder mystery of Mr. John Wright and its investigation. This play has presented various themes as male domination, isolation, loss of identity, revenge and violence, freedom by rebellion.
What is the message of Trifles?
Trifles dramatizes the hypocrisy and ingrained discrimination of male-dominated society while simultaneously speaking to the dangers for women who succumb to such hierarchies.
What is the climax of Trifles by Susan Glaspell?
In Susan Glaspell’s play “Trifles,” the climax occurs when Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale decide to hide a dead bird from authorities investigating a murder case.
Why did Glaspell write Trifles?
Glaspell was “inspired to first write Trifles in 1916 from a murder trial that she reported on in 1900 (Pingkan).” Not only did her experience as a court room reporter help to inspire Trifles but also a year later the story version of the play called A Jury of Her Peers.
What does the bird cage symbolize in Trifles?
The birdcage represents how Mrs. Wright was trapped in her marriage, and could not escape it. The birdcage door is broken which represents her broken marriage to Mr. Wright.
What does the quilt symbolize in Trifles?
Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters decide to bring the quilt to Minnie in jail, another one of the trifles that the men believe only concern women. The quilt and Minnie’s decision to finish it in one of two styles—quilting or knotting—is developed as a metaphor for her innocence or her guilt.
What is the significance of the title Trifles?
The title of the play refers to the concerns of the women in the play, which the men consider to be only “trifles.” This includes such things as the canning jars of fruit that Minnie Wright is concerned about despite being held for murder, as well as the quilt and other items that Minnie asks to have brought to her at …
What does the apron symbolize in Trifles?
Finally, there is more to the fact that Minnie wants her apron for jail. Mrs. Peters wonders that it is a “funny thing to want, for there isn’t much to get you dirty in jail.” Some critics found that the apron also stands for Minnie’s imprisonment.
What are the conflicts in Trifles?
“Trifles” was written in 1916, a time when women’s roles in society were thought to be beneath men. Throughout the play, the men’s comments reveal they regard women’s remarks and opinions as irrelevant. Through dialogue, the play shows men have disrespect for women’s roles and consider homemaking a worthless job.
What happens in the end of Trifles?
The play comes to its spine-tingling conclusion when the ladies hide the bird from the male authorities, denying them the evidence of motive they need to convict Mrs. Wright. In the end, we’re left with lots of juicy questions about the true meaning of justice for women… and oppressed people everywhere.
What was Trifles inspired by?
She wrote eleven plays with the Provincetown Players, among which is Trifles, a play inspired by the Hossack murder case Glaspell had covered when she worked at the Des Moines Daily News. It was written and performed for the first time in 1916 and nowadays is considered one of her masterpieces.
What is the theme of trifles by Susan Glaspell?
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Trifles is a one-act play by Susan Glaspell. The play covers the aftermath of the murder-by-strangulation of a farmer named John Wright.
What is the plot of the play Trifles?
Trifles is a one-act play by Susan Glaspell. The play covers the aftermath of the murder-by-strangulation of a farmer named John Wright. During the play’s first run in 1916 at the Wharf Theater in Provincetown, Massachusetts, Glaspell appeared as the character Mrs. Hale.
Why is trifles considered a feminist play?
The play has since become one of Glaspell’s most frequently studied and anthologized works. Alongside Glaspell’s 1917 short story “A Jury of Her Peers,” which is a faithful adaptation of Trifles, the play is considered a classic work of feminist literature. The primary themes of the play focus on gender and justice.
What clues does the sheriff find at the end of trifles?
In Susan Glaspell’s play Trifles, the sheriff and the county attorney do not find any clues that would lead them to discover or prosecute Mr. Wright’s killer. At the end of the play, therefore, it…