On December 1, 1900, a 50 nine old ages old husbandman, John Hossack was murdered in his slumber. It was assumed that Hossack ‘s slaying was committed by a burglar, but the grounds of his opprobrious relationship with his married woman, their unhappy matrimony, and his married woman ‘s insane status for twelvemonth made Mrs. Hossack the primary suspect. Mrs. Hossack testified in the tribunal that she was kiping following to her hubby when his caput was crushed but did n’t wake up on clip to see who committed the offense. And the fact that nil was taken from the house, wholly abandoned the full construct of the robbery. Mrs. Hossack was convicted and sentenced in prison for life.
From the proclamation of the slaying until Mrs. Hossack ‘s strong belief, Susan Glaspell, a immature newsman for the Des Moines Daily News, wrote twenty six articles covering this sensational instance. During these 16 months of clip period, Glaspell became sympathetic for Mrs. Hossack ‘s strong belief and decided to compose a drama inspired by her experiences and observations. “ Trifles ” was written in 1916 that explores how, in 20th century, adult females and work forces were different in their functions in society, their methods of communicating and their positions of observation.
In the beginning of the drama, five people gathered in the kitchen of a farmhouse that belongs to the Wright household. The Sheriff, the County Attorney, Mrs. Peters, Mr. and Mrs. Hale came together to the offense scene to work out the enigma of John Wright ‘s slaying. The Sheriff Peters and the County Attorney Henderson were called to the scene to look into the slaying. They are cheeky, aggressive, analytical and narcissistic. They are convinced that Mrs. Wright killed her hubby. They approached the offense scene as to happen the forensic grounds to convict Mrs. Wright. They frequently mock adult females ‘s manner of reading and understanding for Mrs. Wright. But on the other manus, Mr. Hale seems to be a straightforward and honorable adult male who tells the County Attorney precisely what happened, and how he found John Wright dead in his bed without judging or proposing that Mrs. Wright may hold killed her hubby.
At the dark earlier, Mr. Hale came to this farm house to convert John Wright to travel in with him on a party telephone. Upon his reaching, Mr. Hale found John Wright dead in his bed strangled by a rope. Mr. Hale stated to Mr. Henderson,
“ I spoke to Wright about it one time earlier and he put me off, stating folks talked excessively much anyhow, and all he asked was peace and quiet — I guess you know about how much he talked himself, but I thought possibly if I went to the house and talked about it before his married woman, though I said to Harry that I did n’t cognize as what his married woman wanted made much difference to John ” . ( Glaspell 1386 )
Clearly, it shows that Mrs. Wright did n’t hold excessively much of freedom in her married life. John Wright did n’t desire Minnie Wright to be able to socialise and pass on with others. But the County Attorney ‘s impatient nature prohibited him to see these of import inside informations about Mr. and Mrs. Wright ‘s matrimonial relationship. Mr. Henderson cheekily tells Mr. Hale, “ Let ‘s speak about that subsequently, Mr. Hale. I do desire to speak about that, but tell now merely what happened when you got to the house ” ( Glaspell 1386 ) . Besides Mrs. Hale clearly indicates to Mr. Henderson that John Wright was non really enjoyable individual when she said, “ I do n’t believe a topographic point ‘d be any cheerfuller for John Wright ‘s being in it ” ( Glaspell 1388 ) . But once more the County Attorney uneasily moves frontward like these small inside informations are non of import. He tells Mrs. Hale, “ I ‘d wish to speak more of that a small subsequently. I want to acquire the ballad of things upstairs now ” ( Glaspell 1388 ) .
The audience is able to see the personality clang between the County Attorney and Mrs. Hale when Mr. Henderson invariably knocking Mrs. Wright ‘s housework accomplishments. Mrs. Hale is aggressive and defensive towards work forces ‘s sarcastic remarks. When Mr. Henderson finds soiled towels, he criticizes Mrs. Wright like she is non a really good housekeeper. In contrast, Mrs. Hale can associate to all the work a husbandman married woman has to make and support Mrs. Wright by stating, “ There ‘s a great trade of work to be done on a farmaˆ¦ Those towels get soiled atrocious quick. Men ‘s custodies are n’t ever every bit clean as they might be ” ( Glaspell 1388 ) . Alternatively of being more appreciative of adult females ‘s functions in the society, Mr. Henderson undervalues adult females and mocks at Mrs. Hale ‘s trueness to her gender. But similarly, Mr. Henderson ignores all marks of Mr. John ‘s controlling, anti-social and unpleasant behaviour. Mrs. Hale states that she has non visited Mrs. Wright for twelvemonth because Wright ‘s abode was non a cheerful topographic point. Clearly, Mrs. Hale means that John Wright ‘s opprobrious behaviour stopped Mrs. Hale from coming over. But Mr. Henderson would non keep Mr. John Wright accountable for anything and blames Mrs. Wright. Mr. Henderson replies, “ No — it ‘s non cheerful. I should n’t state she had the homemaking inherent aptitude ” ( Glaspell 1388 ) .
Unlike the Sheriff and the County Attorney, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters are more observant, deliberative, institutive and cognizant of other people ‘s demands. Mrs. Hale knew Mrs. Wright before she was married. Before get marrieding John Wright, she was Minnie Foster. Mrs. Hale describes Minnie Foster as a bird, existent pretty who sang attractively in the choir and wore nice apparels. When Mrs. Hale examines the skirts at Mrs. Wright ‘s cupboard, she reminisces how Minnie Foster used to dress nicely and be lively. Mrs. Hale realizes why Mrs. Wright kept a batch to herself and did n’t come to Ladies Aid. Mrs. Wright felt shabby since she was n’t able to have on tidy apparels any longer. Mrs. Hale feels guilty as she had committed a offense by non sing Mrs. Wright for old ages.
Mrs. Peters, the Sheriff ‘s married woman, is at that place to roll up few points for captive Mrs. Wright. Mrs. Peters is really open-minded and thoughtful individual. Mrs. Peters feels bad when she sees Mrs. Wright ‘s broken fruit jars. Mrs. Peters explains how Mrs. Wright was so disquieted about her fruits and it will be so atrocious intelligence to her. In contrast, Sheriff and Mr. Henderson fail to acknowledge adult females difficult work. Sheriff shows no concern as he remarks, “ Well, can you crush the adult females! Held for slaying and worrying about her conserves ” ( Glaspell 1387 ) . And the County Attorney joins the Sheriff, “ I guess before we ‘re through she may hold something more serious than conserves to worry about ” ( Glaspell 1387 ) . Mrs. Peters sees Mrs. Hale ‘s defeats about work forces spying about and seeking to turn Mrs. Wright ‘s ain house against her. Mrs. Peters repeatedly apologizes to Mrs. Hales for work forces ‘s sarcastic and unappreciative behaviour. But she besides clarifies to Mrs. Hale that they are merely making their responsibilities.
While work forces go upstairs to put things out, adult females are in the kitchen garnering things for Mrs. Wright. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters are inquiring among themselves if Mrs. Wright is guilty or non. It is difficult for them to grok how a adult female can kill person who worries about her fruits, inquiring for her shawl and apron. While garnering things, they find an uncomplete piece of comforter. Work force over hear the ladies stating that they wonder if she was traveling to “ quilt it or knot it ” . And off class it gives work forces another opportunity to express joy at adult females ‘s prospective and concerns. Mrs. Hale examines the comforter and brings it to Mrs. Peters ‘ attending that some stitches are done really orderly but others show marks of jitteriness like Mrs. Wright did n’t cognize what she was making. When Mrs. Hale starts to draw some of the stitches out from the comforter, Mrs. Peters gets nervous and attempts to happen some paper and twine to wrap things before the work forces return. At this point, they find a bird coop without the bird. The door of the coop is damaged like person was approximately seeking to open it. Now adult females are seeking to calculate why there is a coop and no bird. Make a cat acquire it or it got ill and died? Mrs. Hale recalls that a twelvemonth ago a adult male was selling Canary Islandss but non certain if Mrs. Wright bought one. Mrs. Hale tells Mrs. Peters that may be Mrs. Wright bought the bird because she used to be merely like a bird herself.
It seems like that the untidy kitchen, broken door of empty coop and the thought of Mrs. Wright being only start to dismay Mrs. Hale. Mrs. Hale imagines Mrs. Wright ‘s life in this house without any kids and no company. Mrs. Hale tells Mrs. Peters that it is true that John Wright did n’t imbibe, paid his debt and maintain his word but he was hard on Mrs. Wright. Mrs. Hale is seeking to stress that John Wright relationship with Mrs. Wright was opprobrious and “ [ J ] ust to go through the clip of twenty-four hours with him- ( trembles ) Like a natural air current that gets to the bone ” ( Glaspell 1391 ) . In her conversation with Mrs. Peters, Mrs. Hale states that Mrs. Wright would desire to hold a bird that sings to her to alleviate her solitariness. However, it is difficult for them to calculate it out what could happened to the bird since Mrs. Wright did non hold any cat.
Play reaches the flood tide when Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale found a pretty stitching box. They open the box and see the bird wrapped in a pretty silk cloth. They recognize that person wrung the bird ‘s cervix. Now everything started to do sense to them. They realize that Mrs. Wright liked the bird but John Wright killed it merely like he killed Mrs. Wright ‘s personality, freedom and her bubbling visual aspect.
Mrs. Peters is the dynamic character of the drama. The audience is able to see a alteration in Mrs. Peters ‘ position towards this cryptic slaying. In the beginning of the drama, Mrs. Peters is seeking to state Mrs. Hale, “ the jurisprudence is the jurisprudence ” and it has to penalize the offense. However at this point, it is really clear to the ladies that why and who killed John Wright. Mrs. Peters can sympathize with Mrs. Wright solitariness and hurting. Mrs. Peters portions how she wanted to ache the small male child who killed her kitty, and how alone she became when she lost her two old ages old kid. When Mrs. Peters hears work forces ‘s footfalls, she instantly tries to conceal the box in her bag. But since the box is excessively large, Mrs. Peters opens the box to take the bird out but so pauses like she is reconsidering her actions. Mrs. Hale takes the bird out of the box and hides it in her pocket. Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale conceal Mrs. Wright ‘s offense by concealing the grounds from the work forces.
In this drama, Glaspell did a great occupation exemplifying the plausible marks of sadness, wretchedness, and solitariness of Mrs. Wright ‘s life. The complex number of broken fruit jars, ruined conserves, messy tabular array, and untidy apparels clearly show marks of unhappiness and depression. Symbolism of uneven stitches on the comforter conveys Mrs. Wright ‘s unstable, disturbed and nervous mental status. Glaspell symbolized Mrs. Wright ‘s married life with the dead fink. The complex number of the bird ‘s decease demonstrates how John Wright killed Mrs. Wright ‘s lively personality, the beauty of her visual aspect and her freedom. Besides to Mrs. Wright, the singing bird was a permutation for kids to extinguish the silence and solitariness of the house. The coop with damaged door expresses the opprobrious and oppressive behaviour of John Wright towards his married woman and her spirit. And the method Mrs. Wright used to kill her hubby enlightens that she wanted John Wright to experience asphyxiation like she did in her matrimony. They had a gun in the house but sooner she chose to strangulate him with the rope.
The drama focuses on “ the moral, societal and psychological facets of the premises and perceptual experiences of the work forces and adult females who search for the liquidator ‘s motivation. ” ( Meyer 1368 ) .It represents profound struggles between work forces and adult females positions, their places in the society and their behaviour. Work force are really aggressive, cheeky, unsmooth, analytical and egoistic. They do non appreciate adult females and frequently mock them. However, adult females are more understanding, intuitive, and circumspect. Men perceive the farmhouse as a offense scene to execute their professional responsibilities and to look into the cryptic slaying. In contrast, adult females come with their hubby to garner few things for Mrs. Wright. Their concerns are unimportant to the work forces like adult females are non capable to assist or carry through work forces ‘s duty in their probe. But at the terminal, the audience was able to see how adult females were able to happen the motive of the slaying. Like Holstein stated earlier in her essay, “ [ N ] either they nor the work forces recognize it, they excessively are carry oning an probe ” ( Holstein 283 ) . Womans were able to see the grounds of unhappiness and troubled around the kitchen. However, the work forces leave the kitchen to happen the motivation or marks of sudden feelings. Womans were able to see the marks of convulsion in Mrs. Wright unfinished quilt. These trifles, which work forces pointed out as unimportant things, are what really solve the instance. And the adult females, whose parts in the work forces society go unnoticed and undervalued, are who reveal the enigma. However, they hide their findings from work forces because adult females believe that Mrs. Wright ‘s action is justifiable.
Work Cited
Clarkson Holstein, Suzy. “ Silent Justice in a Different Key: Glaspell ‘s Trifles. ” The MidwestQuarterly 44 ( 2003 ) : 282-290.
Meyer, Michael. The Bedford Introduction to Literature. 8th erectile dysfunction. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin ‘s, 2008: 1368.
Glaspell, Susan. “ Trifles ” . The Norton Introduction to Literature. Ed. Peter Simon.
tenth erectile dysfunction. New York: Norton,2010. 1385-1394. Print
