Trifles Critical Analysis Essay

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This is a critical analysis of the one-act play, Trifles, using the Feminist approach. Trifles was wrote by Susan Glaspell. Glaspell was born on July 1, 1876 and passed away on July 27, 1948. Through out her life she was known to compose of fifteen different plays, Trifles being one of her most popular plays she had wrote and acted in. She is an American feminist writer, which is why I chose to analyze this All-American play, Trifles, using the Feminist approach. After doing some reading on Susan Glaspell and the backround on the one-act play, Trifles, I have come to the realization that Glaspell wrote this play based off of a true story that she reported once when she was a journalist. Feminism in the early 1900’s was huge in all American …show more content…

Peters, Lewis Hale who is the neighbor of the Wright’s, his wife Mrs. Hale, George Henderson who is the attorney on the murder case, John Wright who is the murder victim, and his wife, Minnie Wright who is being convicted of murdering her husband. In the first scene of the play, Mr. Peters, Mr. Henderson, and Mr. Hale are in the house where John Wright was murdered and they are standing in the kitchen talking about the crime scene and what was found the day before. Lewis Hale claims that Minnie Wright told him she was sleeping when her husband was strangled with a rope and did not hear a thing. The neighbor instantly thought that was a lie just from how she was acting when was asking her questions. Back then, women were not able to make decisions without their husbands allowing it first. Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale wanted to collect some items for Mrs. Wright since she was being held in custody for being the prime suspect in murdering her husband, so they continued to ask their husbands if they could do such a thing. To the male characters in this story, there is no doubt in their mind that Mrs. Wright was in charge of this horrible act. The women thought other wise. The sheriff and neighbor proceeded to say that the women were more concerned about trifles then the big picture of what was actually going on. Which is how the play got its name Trifles, which means …show more content…

Peters and Mrs. Hale got permission from their husbands, they proceeded to search for and collect items that Minnie would need or want while she was in custody. Any person would think, this lady just murdered her husband so why does she deserve to have her belongings while in jail. These ladies had a different opinion of the situation and what really happened. While looking for items, Mrs. Hale, who is the neighbor to the Wright’s, proceeded to talk about how different and happy Minnie used to be before she married John Wright. Mrs. Wright used to love to do many things, as in sing, before she got married and after that Mr. Wright would never allow her to do so anymore. He would not allow Minnie to do anything she enjoyed and she had to obey every order that he barked at her and she just became unhappy. None else could see it but Mrs. Hale. Females used to live to please their husbands, no matter what it was. As the two women are still searching for items to collect, they notice a quilt. They proceed to move the quilt where they discover a bird cage, but there is no bird to be found. After looking around, they eventually come across a sewing basket, where the dead bird is discovered. Ironically the same way John Wright was murdered. Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale could not decide if they should turn in the evidence to their husbands or hide it. Both women knew and understood why Mrs. Wright killed her husband because they felt just like she did. They too

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