Trifles

A detailed Summary of Trifles

Women's Trifles Solve Mystery

Susan Glaspell's play Trifles (1163-74) is a one act play about the murder investigation of an unseen character named John Wright. Minnie Wright, who is Mr. Wright's wife, is a suspect in the murder. The play takes place at the Wright's house, however the only part of the house seen on stage is the kitchen. Throughout the whole play, George Henderson, the county attorney; Henry Peters, the sheriff; and Lewis Hale, a neighboring farmer, spend their time at the house looking for evidence that will prove Mrs. Wright's guilt or innocence. While the men are looking through the house the women, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale are downstairs in the kitchen gathering things to take to Mrs. Wright while she is in jail. The women and the men both would like to know if Mrs. Wright committed the murder, and if she did then what her motive was. The men search and search for clues that will help them solve the case, but they overlook all of the evidence. The men's condescending attitude towards the women and what they think is important causes them to overlook all of the clues that point out Mrs. Wright as the murderer. The women in the play are able to solve the case because they are a

The men, who are very eager to look upstairs for evidence end up missing the first clue which is found by the women in a sewing basket. The women discover that Mrs. Wright had been piecing a quilt. Mrs. Hale says to Mrs. Peters that she "wonder[s] if she was goin' to quilt it or just knot it?" (72) She is overheard by the men and they once again they laugh at the women for worrying about something so small. Through careful examination of the quilt Mrs. Hale discovers that some of the quilt is sewn "nice and even" (77) and that the rest of it is "all over the place" (77). Mrs. Hale asks Mrs. Peters why she thinks Mrs. Wright was so nervous. The quilt does not yet become evidence. It is not until the end of the play the women realize why the sewing pattern changed.

The men's condescending attitude toward the women shows that the men do not appreciate the little things in life that the women do appreciate. Throughout the whole play the men are very condescending toward the women. They laugh when they find out Mrs. Wright asks for her apron to be brought to her in jail. They also think it is funny when Mrs. Peters tells them that Mrs. Wright used to worry about her preserves freezing and the jars breaking. The county attorney suggests that when they are through investigating perhaps Mrs. Wright will "have something more serious than preserves to worry about" (29). Mr. Hale replies by saying that "women are used to worrying over trifles" (30). Mrs. Hale also defends Mrs. Wright when the county attorney says that she is not a very good housekeeper by stiffly explaining to him that "There's a great deal of work to be done on a farm" (32). This shows that the housewives have a connection with eachother when it comes to keeping the house clean.

An example of the women paying attention to the little things occurs when Mrs. Peters finds a birdcage. The two women discuss whether or not Mrs. Wright owned a bird. Mrs. Peters believes that Mrs. Wright must have had a bi

Some common words found in the essay are:
Wright Hale, Peters Hale, Peters Wright, Hale Peters, Lewis Hale, Wright Wright's, Susan Glaspell's, county attorney, George Henderson, Henry Peters, women worrying, women worrying trifles, worrying trifles 30, birdcage women, wouldn't laugh, women appreciate, men's condescending, worrying trifles, party telephone, men's condescending attitude, laugh women worrying, wright's house, throughout play,

Approximate Word count = 1343
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English