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The rope is ironic because although Mrs. Wright had possession of a gun, she decided to use rope as her murder weapon in order to portray that it could have possibly been suicide.

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The quilt that Mrs. Wright was sewing when Mr. Hale walked in represents the sexism that hid her crime in that the men felt that a woman could not have been the one to murder Mr. Wright. "Was she going to quilt it or knot it?"

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The men in the crime scene accuse the women of worrying over "trifles" instead of about the case. The county attorney comments on how the women care more about preserves, symbolizing the superior attitude the men feel towards women.

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The kitchen is where almost all of the scenes take place in the play, "Trifles". This is where the women find out about the dead canary and where all of the conversing between the County Attorney and Sheriff take place.

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The bedroom is a significant setting in the play, although there was not scene in the bedroom, it was a major part of the plot. John Wright died with a rope around his neck as he was sleeping while his wife admittedly slept soundly next to him as he died, which allows the reader to infer that Mrs. Wright may have killed him.

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Mrs. Hale: "Well, I guess John Wright didn't wake when they was slipping that rope under his neck."

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Mrs. Hale: "Well, I guess John Wright didn't wake when they was slipping that rope under his neck."

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This quote is said directly after Mrs. Peters points out that Mr. Henderson was sarcastic and making fun of the fact that Wright's wife allegedly didn't wake up as her husband was strangled next to her. This shows how she is willing to stand up for each other and doesn't like the fact that the men are being rude and condescending toward a woman they knew. This quote shows the strength of the character of Mrs. Hale and how she didn't care much for their attitude toward them.

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The play Trifles by Susan Glaspell was set at a crime scene in an abandoned house, where the Mrs. Wright presumably killed her her husband John Wright. At the crime scene the sheriff, his wife, the county attorney, and a neighbor (women) all were there trying to figure out what happened. The crime scene creates the mean setting where everything happened between the four main characters and creates a mysterious atmosphere for the story.

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"Well, women are used to worrying over trifles."

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"Well, women are used to worrying over trifles."

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Before Mr.Hale had said this, all the main characters were at the crime scene for the death of John Wright. The Attorney and the Sheriff (Mr.Hale) were collecting statements from the neighbors and friends. The men were looking for different clues and such while the women were just wandering around. The women were looking at the quilts and wondering what Mrs.Wright was going to do with it. The men were trying to solve the case as the women were worrying about unimportant stuff like that. This shows his disrespect towards women and his sense of superiority and intelligence over the them but in fact, the woman's curiosity of this "trifle" eventually led to them solving who murdered the man (his wife) and the men being clueless.

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Characterization:

Mr. Hale is first introduced as the sheriff is asking him how he came upon the body of Mr. Wright in the house. Mr. Hale begins by simply explaining everything that has gone on during the day, and things that are relatively unimportant showing that he may not grasp the full extreme of the situation at hand. However probably the most important part of Mr. Hale’s characterization is the line where he states, “Well, women are used to worrying over trifles,” showing how he may have a somewhat sexist view towards women and is already looking down upon women, even though the two female characters make more ground upon the murder than anyone else does. Further more some of his thoughts and actions such as the repeated need to refocus him upon the more important details alludes to the idea that he may be slightly slow and once again probably doesn’t comprehend the gravity of the situation.

Analysis of Mr. Hale: Mr. Hale is a farmer who a little oblivious. He is married to Mrs. Hale. His function in the story is to help figure out what happened pertaining to the accident.

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The women in the play are faced with the dilemma of revealing the evidence they found and condemning Mrs. Wright, or to hide it and improve the life that her husband had supressed.

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Examples of Characterization:

"Well, ladies have you decided whether she was going to quilt it or knot it?"

"Here's a nice mess"

"(Kicks his foot against the pans under the sink)"

"He is a young man", "he has the gallantry of a young politician"

Analysis: He talks facetiously to the woman in order to undermine them in a way. He thinks he knows everything about the investigation, and that he can figure it all on his own, showing a rather condescending side of him. He is also very ignorant and close-minded on his job; he doesn't take any info from anyone else.

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The bird symbolizes Mrs. Wright's motive for murdering her husband. Birds normally represent happiness and peace, so it is ironic that he would kill the bird, further representing their unhappy marriage.

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There are three unities which are the unity of action (one main action few or no subplots), unity of place (cover one physical space and avoid moving around), unity of time (take place over no more than 24 hours).

Trifles uses all three unities perfectly.

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The women in the story discover that one of the main reasons why Mrs. Wright killed her was because he killed her bird. That was the major reason, instead of her being unhappy with the life she was living. Mrs. Peters can relate to that feeling when a boy killed her cat when she was little and she felt like "hurt[ing] him."

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In "Trifles," Sexism is prevalent as the men constantly bash the women for worrying over what they believe are silly, unimportant things. Ironically, the "trifles" the women were dealing with ended up being the evidence the man needed.

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Definition: appearing to be true or real, synonymous to being realistic, believability, or plausibility

In "Trifles," Susan Glaspell uses a variety of details in the description of characters and setting to contribute to the verisimilitude of the piece as a whole.

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In the play "Trifles" by Susan Glaspell, loneliness is personified through Minnie Wright, as her isolation is the ultimate cause of her unhappiness. The bird acted as a substitute for Mrs. Wright lack of children and friends, and Mrs. Peter's anecdote of homesteading in Dakota suggests loneliness is an important element of the female and human condition. In the end, loneliness is what brings the women together.

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The fact that this play is set in the early 1900's is very significant because it brings about the sense of sexism and how women are not seen as equals by the men.

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Married to Mrs. Peters, Henry Peters is the sheriff in the story. His condescending attitude accelerates the theme of Sexism in "Trifles" . With a lackadaisical and limited approach he signifies ignorance, seeing as he is unphased by the idea that the women can provide any input into the case. Despite his authoritative position, he is portrayed as foolish and small minded & painted with the attitude that women focus on irrelevant details, all the while dramatic irony proves the contrary as the women solve the murder.

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Phi Trent Wilson Trey

Speech: "Well, women are used to worrying over trifles.

Actions: She notices the change in the sewing of Mrs. Wright to indicate the change of behavior. She notices the box with the bird.

Looks: She is larger, "comfortable looking." She appears disturbed and looks fearful.

Thoughts: She exclaims that she would hate to have men come into her kitchen, "snooping around and criticizing."

Mrs. Hale is the real detective in the story. She figures out the evidence of the crime scene before any of the law enforcement. She doesn't speak up because she knows she is "just a woman" and the men will just laugh her off.

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Mrs. Hale:  ¨(her hand against her pocket).  'We call it-- knot it, Mr. Henderson.'¨

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Mrs. Hale:  ¨(her hand against her pocket).  'We call it-- knot it, Mr. Henderson.'¨

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This quote demonstrates that the ladies have solved the crime. Yet, they decide to keep it secret. The men, unaware of the womens' knowledge, ignorantly assume the women are concerned about unfinished quilt. This scene is ironic as the women state that they deem Mrs. Wright to ¨knot it¨ rather referring to the crime of her strangled husband rather than the quilt.

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"But, Mrs. Hale, the law is the law."

Mrs. Peters, the wife of the local Sheriff, is trying to be a loyal wife to her husband as she is as married to the law as she is to him. She is unbiased towards Mrs. Wright unlike Mrs. Hale although she agrees to some extent on who the murderer is. She uses this unbiased point of view as an excuse to get out of stating her opinion of the identity of the criminal.

*referring to Mr. Wright* "Not to know him; I've seen in him town. They say he was a good man."

Mrs. Peters in ignorant and naive of the new neighborhood she has recently moved to. Her lack of knowledge allows her to be indecisive on the identity of the murderer and hence allows her to be true to her husband but with an underlying understanding of the case before her.

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A short play consisting of one act, that may be composed of one or more scenes. Note that a one act play is not the same as a full length play that does not utilize act divisions.

Trifles is a one act play.

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In "Trifles", the main setting for the play is an abandoned farmhouse in the early 1900's. The setting informs the meaning of the work in that it adds to the gloomy loneliness of the plot.