Trifles
1. Explain what the title of the play refers to. Cite at least three or more examples of these "trifles."
The definition of trifles is “a thing of little value or importance”. In the play, the title refers to trifles by how the men ignore the importance of what Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters say about the case. For example, when Mrs. Peters mentions the fruit and how it was frozen, Hale says, “Well, women are used to worrying over trifles,” (Glaspell pg. 258). Basically, Hale is stating that what Mrs. Peters is noticing is not a big deal and how it is evident that a woman would pay such close attention to little detail because it is trifles. Another example is when Mrs. Peters is explaining to Mrs. Hale how it is not looking too good for Mrs. Wright. As Mrs. Peters is telling Mrs. Hale, she says, “Mr. Peters says it looks bad for her.Mr.Henderson is awful sarcastic in a speech and he’ll make fun of her sayin’ she didn’t wake up,” (Glaspell pg. 260). This is a great example of how trifles plays a role in this play by Mr. Henderson “making fun of” Mrs. Wright for not waking up and not believing her. A third example of when the play refers to trifles is when the sheriff says, “They wonder if she was going to quilt it or just knot it! [The men laugh, the women look abashed]” (Glaspell 261). As the men listen to what the women are saying about the quilt, they begin to make fun of them because they do not think the quilt has anything to do with the case, rather it is just trifles.
2. Explain how the most important props in the play--the canary, the birdcage, the quilt, and the sewing box--each relate to the theme of the play? What do they symbolize?
The Canary: The canary represents Mrs.Wright's independence. Before marriage, Mrs. Wright was once a bright, young woman of the town who loved to sing. She was also part of the church choir. After marriage, her husband silenced her voice. Ever since, she felt depressed and empty. For example, when Mrs. Hale says, “She used to sing. He killed that, too,” (Glaspell 265) she is referring to how he killed something so significant to her; which seemed to be her voice.
The Birdcage: The birdcage represents how Mrs.Wright was trapped in her marriage and she had no way out. The birdcage door was broken; this symbolizes how Mrs.Wright's marriage was not a united, it instead was broken. In one point of the story, the cage had a lock; which symbolized how John took away Mrs.Wright's freedom. The only time Mrs.Wright had freedom was when the cage door was open. John behaved very cruely with his wife because he knew that his wife will never tell about his actions to anyone due to her being locked in a cage (under his control).
The Quilt: The quilt represents her marriage in a domestic way. The quilt symbolized how the wifes were the ones who was in charge of the house where as the husbands go out and take care of the farm. The quilt also symbolized how Mrs.Wright knotted the quilt and ironically ended her marriage and her responsibility in the marriage.
The Sewing Box: The sewing box represented a hiding place for Mrs.Wright. She hid the dead canary in the sewing box. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters found it because they were looking for scissors. The men didn’t bother to look there. In those days men use to only go out and take care of the farm so never had any knowledge about where the women kept anything in the house. Due to this Mrs.Wright’s sewing box was used to store and hide things.
3. What is the dilemma Mrs. Peters faces in the play? What complicates matters for her? Why does she decide to suppress the evidence against Mrs. Wright? Why does Mrs. Hale experience no such dilemma?
Mrs. Peters is struggling between her feelings of mercy and justice. As the Sheriff’s wife, she is “married to the law,” (267) and just takes the men’s sexist comments. Like when they find the bird and Mrs. Hale basically says that John Wright had it coming, Mrs. Peters replies “The law has got to punish crime, Mrs. Hale.” (266) Even then, she empathized with Mrs. Wright’s dead canary, recalling the brutal murder of her kitten and even her stillborn son. When the County Attorney says “No, Mrs. Peters doesn’t need supervising. For that matter, a sheriff’s wife is married to the law. Ever think of it that way Mrs. Peters?” (267) She isn’t seen as her own person, but merely an extension of her husband. When the men leave, Mrs. Peters is the first one to attempt to hide the box with the canary, seeing this as an opportunity to do something for herself. (267)
Mrs. Hale doesn’t experience this dilemma because she isn’t held up to the reputation. Even she is quick to quip back to the men when they say demeaning comments. When the County Attorney comments on how dirty the towels are, attributing to Mrs. Wright’s lack of housekeeping skills, Mrs. Hale quickly responds, “Those towels get dirty awful quick. Men’s hands aren’t always as clean as they might be.” (258) Whereas Mrs. Peters comes to the men’s defense later on saying that criticizing the kitchen is “no more than their duty.” (259). Mrs. Hale doesn’t have the status or reputation to uphold, so she has more agency over her thoughts because she doesn’t have to consider how it would impact her husband.
4. Explain the significance of the last line of dialogue in the play (and explain the pun involved--"not it"). How could the men have repeated this throughout the play?
The last line of the play is the most important significant one. It contains the clue of the murder, containing the detail that the men ignored and made fun of throughout the play. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters had the evidence that found under the pieces of quilt, the dead bird. Quilting is more time consuming then knotting that can be done faster. Mrs. Wright had chosen the fastest way of killing her husband and end up with the emotional struggle that she had after her husband killed the bird.
The men repeated and mentioned quilting throughout the play, but never thought about it as a clue to identify the reason of the murder. Back in 1900 the women were discriminated and there was a lack of women rights. Their main role was considered the one of reproduction, raising kids and taking care of their husband, which included cooking, cleaning, laundry. Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale were not given the right to talk or express themselves too much. Their attention to quilting was ironically judged when it was indeed the clue to the murder.