In the play "Trifles" by Susan Glaspell, Mrs. Wright never physically appears on stage. She is only referred to by the other characters as the absent wife of the murdered Mr. Wright. The focus of the play is on the investigation of Mr. Wright's murder and the significance of the clues found in Mrs. Wright's home.
Her Apron
In "Trifles" by Susan Glaspell, the flat characters are Mr. and Mrs. Wright, who are not fully developed and lack depth. The round characters are the women: Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, who exhibit more complexity and emotional depth as the story unfolds.
The cast of Trifles - 1930 includes: Frank Campeau as Sheriff Henry Peters Blanche Friderici as Mrs. Peters Sarah Padden as Mrs. Wright
In Susan Glaspell's play "Trifles," the resolution occurs when the two women, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, discover the dead canary, symbolizing Mrs. Wright's lost happiness and her motive for murder. They choose to conceal this evidence from the men investigating the case, understanding that it represents a deeper understanding of Mrs. Wright's plight. This act of solidarity highlights the themes of gender roles and the value of women's experiences, ultimately subverting the patriarchal authority present in the play.
There are several major themes in this play. The difference between genders (the women worrying about small 'trifles', the men worrying about the murder; sensitive towards Mrs. Wright vs. concerned about the law) and spousal abuse (Mrs. Wright being smothered by her husband, Mr. Wright's murder when he goes too far) are the two most prevalent ones.
Mrs. Oliver from "Deja Vu" and Mrs. Wright from "Trifles" are both women who have experienced a traumatic event that has affected them deeply. They both struggle with feelings of isolation and neglect, leading them to take matters into their own hands in order to seek justice and closure.
In "Trifles" by Susan Glaspell, the term "slicked" is used to describe Mrs. Wright's hair that has been smoothed down or combed neatly. This term implies that Mrs. Wright took care to present herself in a polished manner, despite her challenging circumstances.
Mrs. Wright's bird was found strangled with a rope in the cage. It was a crucial piece of evidence in the investigation and symbolized the emotional repression and confinement that Mrs. Wright experienced in her marriage.
There is actually no main character in the play "Trifles," except for the one that the reader believes the play revolves around. In this context, the main character appears to be Mrs. Hale, as she is the most dynamic character in the the play. This is evident when she is faced with the conflict of whether or not to share the evidence she found with the men (who were actually the ones doing the investigating) or to keep it to herself and Mrs. Peters. In the end, she decides to conceal the evidence, partly due to her guilt of not having visited Mrs. Wright in her times of loneliness (and therefore feeling partly responsible for the eventual murder) and partly to protect Mrs. Wright from her imminent fate of imprisonment.
The characters went to Wright's home in the play "Trifles" to investigate the murder of Mr. Wright. They were there to gather evidence and clues to help solve the crime. Through their observations of the trifles in the house, the characters were able to uncover the truth behind the murder.
The quilt in "Trifles" symbolizes Mrs. Wright's identity and the life she once had before her marriage. It represents her creativity, self-expression, and autonomy, which were suppressed by her oppressive marriage. The women in the story recognize the significance of the quilt as a powerful symbol of Mrs. Wright's lost sense of self and agency.
In Susan Glaspell's "Trifles," foreshadowing is evident through several key elements. First, the broken birdcage suggests Mrs. Wright's confinement and emotional distress, hinting at her motive for murder. Second, the dead canary found in Mrs. Wright's sewing box foreshadows the significance of her lost happiness and the catalyst for her actions. Lastly, the men’s dismissive attitude towards women’s concerns about "trifles" foreshadows their underestimation of the women’s ability to uncover the truth behind the murder.