Susan Glaspell's Trifles

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A look into Trifles Trifles, a play first published back in 1916 was written by, Susan Glaspell. The play unravels itself through the simplest of clues. Through the simple factors involved in this play, one is able to obtain the true meaning that Glaspell is trying to demonstrate. In the case of Mrs. Wright she had deep inner feelings that may have caused her to take a drastic course of action when it came to her spouse. An audience is able to learn the value of the individual, and how there can always be a deep motive behind an action. The play begins with Mr. Hale telling the sheriff he would like to see John Wright about joining in on party telephone. He mentions to the sheriff about how when he first entered the Wright home, he noticed …show more content…

Hale and Mrs. Peters. Their main objective throughout the play is to protect Mrs. Wright, because it may be a possibility she caused John Wrights death. Both Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters are essential characters to the play. As for the antagonists of the play, they are, the sheriff, Mr. Hale, and the county attorney. They are the antagonists because of the fact that they are desperately trying to find clues that prove Mrs. Wright is guilty, and have the women closed off from any details in particular. The character most developed would have to be Mrs. Hale. She is the wife of Mr. Hale, the man who first finds out about John Wright’s tragic death; Mrs. Hale first finds clues of the murder with the sheriff’s wife, which the men are too oblivious to notice. Mrs. Hale becomes a good source for the audience because she not only points out the clues in the kitchen, but clues from Mrs. Wright’s past, which give a possible motive for her to end her husband’s life. Mrs. Hale is an important character because she is the one to find the dead bird, and hides that clue from the men alongside of Mrs. …show more content…

For example, the diction of the play appears to be relatable to the countryside, as lines such as, “ My sister Bessie was like that. Queer, ain’t it?” are stated (Glaspell 1131). Along with the diction being used to reveal more details, the symbols throughout the play also aid in knowing more about trifles. Some symbols that exist are, the bird, rope, stove, and even the cold house itself. The cold house may represent her mental state, as she was acting strange when Mr. Hale first had seen her. Some of these symbols are also clues that are noticed by the women, making for a strong representation that little details do in fact

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