irony in trifles essay

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What Is the Dramatic Irony in 'Trifles'?

Writers use various literary techniques to make their writing more effective. One method is dramatic irony, which occurs when the audience or reader understands a concept or situation that the characters do not. Dramatic irony illustrates the impact of misconceptions, adding depth to a story. One effective use of dramatic irony occurs in Susan Glaspell's play "Trifles" when the two female characters discover a dead bird, a clue to a murder that remains unknown to other key characters in the play.

Dramatic Irony

The dramatic irony in "Trifles" builds as the women, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, find the clues about life in the Wright household. They discover the dead canary and note that someone appears to have broken its neck. The women know how much Mrs. Wright loved the bird, so they and the audience should make the assumption that Mr. Wright killed it. This deduction together with the other evidence of Mrs. Wright's growing instability (like the terrible sewing) lead the women and audience to believe in Mrs. Wright's guilt and the reason she killed her husband. This situation represents dramatic irony because the sheriff and county attorney remain oblivious to these clues, so the audience knows more than they do about the crime.

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Kristie Sweet has been writing professionally since 1982, most recently publishing for various websites on topics like health and wellness, and education. She holds a Master of Arts in English from the University of Northern Colorado.

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What Is the Dramatic Irony in 'Trifles'?

The dramatic irony in Susan Glaspell's one-act play "Trifles" creates conflict that draws the audience into the play and makes it more effective as a social commentary. Written in the early 1900s, "Trifles" deals with the rights of, expectations for and assumptions about women in society at the time. In an ironic twist, the audience knows that the women have solved the murder mystery while the men remain oblivious of the truth because of their assumptions.

False Assumptions

Dramatic irony is defined as a plot device where the audience knows something that characters do not know that leads them to act under false assumptions. In "Trifles," County Attorney George Henderson, Sheriff Henry Peters and local farmer Lewis Hale are blinded by their assumption that women concern themselves with only trifling things and are not intelligent. In reality, it is they who trifle about Minnie Wright's housekeeping, while Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale solve the mystery of why Minnie Wright killed her husband. As a final twist, the two women end up identifying with Minnie Wright's abuse at the hands of her husband and feel the murder was justified. They then conspire to conceal the truth from their ignorant husbands and the county attorney.

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• One-Act-Plays.com: Trifles; Susan Glaspell
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Based just outside of Harrisburg, Pa., Catherine Donges teaches adjudicated adolescents in a residential treatment facility in York, Pa. Donges earned both her Master of Arts and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Wilkes University and a Master of Science in education from Capella University and has written both a women's fiction and a young adult novel.

Exploring Irony in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and ‘Trifles’ Essay

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The Element of Irony

The dramatic irony.

It is significant that the play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” uses comedic imagery in the first act. That is, it is the application of a character’s image in one line to represent another. In this way, the character appears comical to the audience. In Act 1, Scene 1, Lysander and Demetrius are fighting over their beloved, and her father expresses the wish of Theseus, Duke of Athens, that Hermia marries Demetrius (Shakespeare, 2022).

The play also uses irony to demonstrate humor. For example, when Oberon asks Puck to squeeze the juice of a magic flower over the eyes of rustic wearing Athenian clothes. As a consequence, Puck squeezes this juice into Lysander’s eyes because that is what he is wearing (Shakespeare, 2022). Thus, through irony, a comic situation is created. Furthermore, Shakespeare applies interlude when Quince reads aloud without punctuation or rules of syntax.

The dramatic irony in “Trifles” heightens the growth of suspense and tension. This occurs when the women find information clues being found about life in the Wright family. The ladies conduct their own investigation and investigate the canary who died with a broken neck. They know that Mrs. Wright loved the bird, therefore, by means of deduction, the viewers already establish for themselves that Mr. Wright killed the bird (Saei Dibavar, 2022). At the same time, there is other evidence that reinforces the viewers’ confidence in the veracity of their own version.

For instance, Mrs. Wright’s instability, which is evident through her sewing, leads the women and the audience to believe that Mrs. Wright is to blame (Saei Dibavar, 2022). Accordingly, this situation is a dramatic irony in Trifles because authorities such as the prosecutor and the sheriff fail to notice these clues. Therefore, it indicates that the audience has more information than they receive.

Saei Dibavar, S. (2022). Privileged empathy in Susan Glaspell’s Trifles . A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes and Reviews, 1-7. Web.

Shakespeare, W. (2022). A midsummer night’s dream. Sheba Blake Publishing.

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IvyPanda. (2023, November 15). Exploring Irony in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and 'Trifles'. https://ivypanda.com/essays/exploring-irony-in-a-midsummer-nights-dream-and-trifles/

"Exploring Irony in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and 'Trifles'." IvyPanda , 15 Nov. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/exploring-irony-in-a-midsummer-nights-dream-and-trifles/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'Exploring Irony in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and 'Trifles''. 15 November.

IvyPanda . 2023. "Exploring Irony in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and 'Trifles'." November 15, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/exploring-irony-in-a-midsummer-nights-dream-and-trifles/.

1. IvyPanda . "Exploring Irony in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and 'Trifles'." November 15, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/exploring-irony-in-a-midsummer-nights-dream-and-trifles/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Exploring Irony in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and 'Trifles'." November 15, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/exploring-irony-in-a-midsummer-nights-dream-and-trifles/.

The Irony in Trifles

The play Trifles written by Susan Glaspell is set in the nineteenth century. A trifle is a thing of little value or importance, so in the play Trifles the irony of the story is quite humorous. In this time period women were not treated as equals, men believed women did not have as much intellect as themselves, and treated them accordingly. With this in mind the irony of the play revolves around how much better the women were at finding clues and a motive to the murder committed by Mrs.

Wright then the men, and how condescending they are of the women. Trifles takes place at a crime scene investigation where a group of men are searching for clues to a murder, and two women who came to get things for the woman who was in jail. As the group of guys began searching for clues to help them charge Mrs. Wright for murdering her husband, the reader begins to see the way men view women in this century by their criticism of the cleanliness of the house, and referring to kitchen things as unimportant.

The irony in this is that the woman start seeing clues in the kitchen, such as all the half finished tasks and a cabinet with a broken bird cage in it. As the play continues the group notices an uncompleted quilt in the living room. The women start discussing how Mrs. Wright was going to finish the quilt: knot it or quilt it; and the men laugh at the women for worrying about something so simple, but ironically the women find another clue inside the quilting basket.

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The most ironic part of the play is that the two women find the major clue, a dead bird strangled the same way Mrs. Wright's bird was, and the men who were unsuccessful at trying to find clues to the murder were unable to find a single clue or motive left the house still puzzled about the murder. Irony is a tool that can be used to entertain a reader with its great comedic value, and Trifles does this in a unique way that epitomizes the anti-femninistic views of the nineteenth century.

This is a type of humor that readers are able to connect with thanks to the emergence of feminism. Outline Thesis: With this in mind the irony of the play revolves around how much better the women were at finding clues and a motive to the murder committed by Mrs. Wright then the men, and how condescending they are of the women.

Introduction

• trifle is a thing of little value or importance, so in the play Trifles the irony of the story is quite humorous.
• his time period women were not treated as equals, men believed women did not have as much intellect as themselves, and treated them accordingly.

Supporting evidence of the irony

• Women find the clues in the unimportant kitchen things.
• Women found the motive in the quilt basket.
• The men are still confused as to the entire murder.
• is a tool that can be used to entertain a reader with its great comedic value, and Trifles does this in a unique way that epitomizes the anti-femninistic views of the nineteenth century.

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by Susan Glaspell

Discussion Topic

The significance and appropriateness of the title Trifles within the context of the play and its relation to the murder investigation

The title Trifles is significant and appropriate as it reflects how the male characters dismiss crucial details as unimportant "trifles." These overlooked details, noticed by the women, ultimately unravel the mystery of the murder. The title underscores the theme that what is deemed insignificant by some can be pivotal in understanding the truth.

themes: Gender Roles

Symbolism: Trifles

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Reynolds has taught for more than ten years at the university level.

What is the significance of the title in Trifles?

The title Trifles refers to the dismissive way the men investigating the case of John Wright's murder treat all the bits of evidence that would have led them to solve the crime had they paid attention to them.

Early on, when Mrs. Peters wonders over Minnie Wright letting the kitchen get cold enough to freeze her preserves so that they later explode, the sheriff says,

Well, can you beat the women! Held for murder and worryin' about her preserves.

Mr. Hale responds,

Well, women are used to worrying over trifles.

The "trifles" or details that the men laugh at are, however, important keys to solving the crime. Ironically, they are not trifles at all. Because Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters know what a woman's life is like, they are able to discern which details are important to reconstructing how and why Mrs. Wright killed her husband.

These "trifles" include the messy state of the kitchen, which the men dismiss as evidence that Mrs. Wright was a poor housekeeper. The women focus, too, on the broken door to the bird cage and then find the body of the dead canary with its neck broken. Even the sudden erratic quality of Mrs. Wright's stitching becomes an important clue to the women, who know how to read the evidence.

The title points to a main theme of the play: that men are blinded by their own arrogance when they refuse to take the details of women's lives seriously.

Cite this page as follows:

Reynolds, D.. "The significance and appropriateness of the title Trifles within the context of the play and its relation to the murder investigation" edited by eNotes Editorial, 25 Apr. 2021, https://www.enotes.com/topics/trifles/questions/the-significance-and-appropriateness-of-the-title-3127158.

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Why is the title Trifles appropriate for the play?

The play concerns the small things in life that build up and cause distress and anger. The men, who are not considering the possibility that Minnie murdered her husband because of his abuse, ignore the signs of unhappiness they see in the house, but the women notice and interpret those signs correctly.

SHERIFF : Well, can you beat the women! Held for murder and worryin' about her preserves. COUNTY ATTORNEY : I guess before we're through she may have something more serious than preserves to worry about. HALE : Well, women are used to worrying over trifles. [ The two women move a little closer together. ] (Glaspell, Trifles, etext.virginia.edu)

The men think that the women are only worried about "trifles," or inconsequential things. They assume that the sewing, the preserves, the empty birdcage are all just things, without meaning, and so ignore the evidence that the other women correctly interpret: Minnie was desperately unhappy and wanted to escape, but felt herself unable to escape on her own. The death of her canary was the last straw; the men think nothing of the loss of a canary, but to Minnie, the canary was a vitally important part of her personal identity. A "trifle" to some, to her it was the last thing that made her life worth living.

Wismer, Asher. "The significance and appropriateness of the title Trifles within the context of the play and its relation to the murder investigation" edited by eNotes Editorial, 14 Sep. 2012, https://www.enotes.com/topics/trifles/questions/the-significance-and-appropriateness-of-the-title-3127158.

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How does the ironic title, Trifles, shape the play's meaning?

Trifles explores far more than trivial matters as it attempts to show the serious consequences of dismissing the feelings and troubles of individuals. It is the seemingly minor issues - the trifles - that expose the psychological effects that Minnie's life had on her and the outcome is anything but insignificant. 

The title does indeed contribute to the play's meaning as every person can relate to this issue. Overlooked detail, sometimes the minutest indication, can lead to such tragedies as suicide, murder - as in this case- avoidable incidents and life-changing occurrences. The title Trifles is thus already foreshadowing the events that follow. The fact that the title's reference is so subtle is a very clever way to reinforce the importance of NOT ignoring the apparently negligible detail when establishing fact.

Mrs Wright's husband dismissed her opinions, her insecurities and the damaging effect on her personality - at his peril. Now too the men investigating the murder and whether Minnie did in fact murder her husband are overlooking detail that would render this an open and shut case and, furthermore, there would be no mercy shown to Minnie, no consideration of mitigating circumstances.

The irony  in the title and throughout the play thus confims the play's real meaning. The fact that this is a short play also reinforces the fact that it does not take much to form conclusions. Each character's involvement and the very presence of the women - who on the face of it have no contribution to make - cleverly draws this play to its inevitable conclusion. The contribution of the title to this play is crucial to the real irony and depth of meaning which Susan Glaspell wanted to share.        

Sheehan, Pauline. "The significance and appropriateness of the title Trifles within the context of the play and its relation to the murder investigation" edited by eNotes Editorial, 19 June 2013, https://www.enotes.com/topics/trifles/questions/the-significance-and-appropriateness-of-the-title-3127158.

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How does the title Trifles connect to the dramatic irony in the play?

Dramatic irony is a literary technique in which the audience understands the full implications of something that is said or done in a play, but the character or characters in the play do not have this understanding. The title of the play "Trifles" comes from the seemingly insignificant details that Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters find in Mrs. Wright's house. Mr. Wright is discovered to be dead, and no one knows whether or why Mrs. Wright killed him.

In looking around Mrs. Wright's farmhouse, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters find what Hale, a male neighbor, refers to as "trifles." These include objects such as the broken jars of Mrs. Wright's fruit, which froze when the fire went out (as Mrs. Wright said they would) and Mrs. Wright's dead bird. The irony is that while the men dismiss these details as "trifles," the women are spot-on in their understanding that these situations drove Mrs. Wright to murder her husband.

Bruce, Olen. "The significance and appropriateness of the title Trifles within the context of the play and its relation to the murder investigation" edited by eNotes Editorial, 22 Apr. 2019, https://www.enotes.com/topics/trifles/questions/the-significance-and-appropriateness-of-the-title-3127158.

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Dramatic Irony : a state of affairs in which the audience and a few characters know more than most other characters.

Trifles: a thing of little value or importance

In the play Trifles , dramatic irony is achieved when Mrs. Hale, Mrs. Peters, and audience/reader begin to uncover the clues in the kitchen, the motives of Mrs. Wright in killing her husband, and the suppression of evidence by Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters.  The men in the play remain oblivious, thus achieving dramatic irony throughout the play, with no real epiphany, realization, or downfall on their part.

Actually, the men have access to all the evidence in the kitchen, but since they think of women and women's domestic work as "trifles" or "trifling," they choose to ignore it.  Instead, the men look upstairs in the bedroom and outside in the barn (two areas of male dominion) for clues.  Obviously, they don't find any there.

So, the title is a form of verbal irony, both understatement and sarcasm, for the very important roles and work women play in the home.  As Hale says, sarcastically, regarding the preserves:

If Hale, the Sheriff, and the Attorney would have understood women's work, the dead bird and the condition of the stitching, they might have found the clues and motive used to convict Mrs. Wright.  But because the women realize Minnie's victimization by her husband and the sexist attitudes of their own husbands, they protect Minnie from going to a literal prison, having been living in a domestic prison for so long.

Stultz, Michael. "The significance and appropriateness of the title Trifles within the context of the play and its relation to the murder investigation" edited by eNotes Editorial, 14 Jan. 2011, https://www.enotes.com/topics/trifles/questions/the-significance-and-appropriateness-of-the-title-3127158.

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What does the title Trifles signify?

When Mrs. Peters remarks to Mrs. Hale that the preserved fruit has frozen in the jars in Minnie Wright's kitchen, the men are condescending in their attitude and Mr. Hale observes that "women are used to worrying over trifles." While the men are searching the house for clues and finding none, the two women are able to make enough deductions from the "trifles" they discover to reconstruct the crime.

The word trifles , therefore, refers to the small but vital matters to which the women are astute enough to pay attention and the men are arrogant enough to ignore. It is rather difficult to see what the men imagine they are seeking, since clues are, by definition, usually trifling. If a criminal were to create a very large and obvious clue, they would presumably notice and remove it. The matters that are easily overlooked are those from which the crime is pieced together.

This point is noted by no less an authority than Sherlock Holmes, who mentions the importance of trifles several times, telling Watson in "The Boscombe Valley Mystery" that his whole method is founded on the observation of trifles. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters are therefore associated in this story with the greatest detective in fiction , while the sheriff and his friends play the role of Inspector Lestrade and the Scotland Yard bunglers, who often overlook vital evidence.

Cavendish-Jones, Colin. "The significance and appropriateness of the title Trifles within the context of the play and its relation to the murder investigation" edited by eNotes Editorial, 18 Oct. 2020, https://www.enotes.com/topics/trifles/questions/the-significance-and-appropriateness-of-the-title-3127158.

What is the meaning of the title Trifles by Glaspell?

Sherlock Holmes remarked several times that his method was founded upon the observation of trifles, from which he was able to deduce matters of great importance. This is a convincing description of how a detective works, since clues are necessarily things that appear trifling. If they were not, the criminal would notice and eliminate them. In Glaspell's play, the women consistently notice details which the men fail to discern or which they dismiss as trifles. Even when the men do notice an important clue, as when the County Attorney remarks upon the empty birdcage, they completely fail to register its importance.

The title also refers to Wright's cruel treatment of his wife which Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters deduce from the details they notice. They are able to sympathize with Mrs. Wright and understand what her state of mind must have been. Strangling a bird or stopping one's wife from singing are small matters so far as the law is concerned, certainly in comparison with the murder of a man. Mrs. Wright would have had no defense if the matter came to trial.

The women, however, appreciate from their own experience just how great an effect such trifles can have. Mrs. Peters still finds it too painful to talk about how a boy hurt her kitten with a hatchet decades ago when she was a child. In understanding personal relationships and human emotions, as well as in deducing physical facts, apparent trifles are of the first importance throughout the play.

Cavendish-Jones, Colin. "The significance and appropriateness of the title Trifles within the context of the play and its relation to the murder investigation" edited by eNotes Editorial, 12 Nov. 2019, https://www.enotes.com/topics/trifles/questions/the-significance-and-appropriateness-of-the-title-3127158.

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The title  Trifles refers to both the clues the women use to solve the case and the things the men miss because they see them as womanly.

The word trifle refers to something "of little value or importance." In the play, the Sheriff Henry Peters, attorney George Henderson, and Lewis Gale go to the home of a married couple, the Wrights, to investigate the death of John Wright. His wife, Minnie, is locked up for his murder.

Because the men dismiss things that they see as feminine—like a sewing box, for example—they aren't able to solve the murder. They even decide to skip doing a thorough search of the kitchen because they don't see how a place with kitchen things could be relevant. When Mrs. Peters sees the preserves that Minnie Wright asked her to check on, Hale says they're just trifles and none of the men see them as relevant to the investigation. Instead, they're amused that she is concerned. Glaspell writes:

MRS PETERS: ( to the other woman ) Oh, her fruit; it did freeze, ( to the  LAWYER) She worried about that when it turned so cold. She said the fire'd go out and her jars would break. SHERIFF: Well, can you beat the women! Held for murder and worryin' about her preserves. COUNTY ATTORNEY: I guess before we're through she may have something more serious than preserves to worry about. HALE: Well, women are used to worrying over trifles.

The women, on the other hand, notice all the minor clues that the men miss. The state of her clothing, a messy table, and a broken birdcage all paint a picture that reveals to the women that Minnie killed her husband. The trifles the men dismiss reveal the truth, but they aren't willing to consider that evidence. In the end, though, the women decide to hide the evidence from their husbands and the attorney. 

Further Reading

• https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/trifle

Willson, Lauren. "The significance and appropriateness of the title Trifles within the context of the play and its relation to the murder investigation" edited by eNotes Editorial, 18 Nov. 2017, https://www.enotes.com/topics/trifles/questions/the-significance-and-appropriateness-of-the-title-3127158.

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Trifles or insignificant acts with little or no real meaning is exactly the opposite of what goes on in the play "Trifles."   The author makes a statement about the treatment of women in society.

‘‘Glaspell intended to show that women in the domestic sphere were vulnerable to the brutality of men like John Wright, but she also dramatizes the powerful sense of solidarity women shared and assumes that this solidarity was somehow responsible for superior female morality.’’

The world of women is reduced to the activities of the farmhouse which are trifles or insignificant in the world of men.  The plot revolves around the acute awareness of the women in this play who are much smarter than the men who fail to notice clues that the women pick up because the men don't pay attention to the activities of housework or women's work, they are trifles, not important.

"In simple terms, Trifles suggests that men tend to be aggressive, brash, rough, analytical and self-centered; in contrast, women are more circumspect, deliberative, intuitive, and sensitive to the needs of others. It is these differences that allows Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale to find the clues needed to solve the crime, while their husbands miss the same clues."

The title draws attention to women's issues, suggesting that all issues relating to women in this period, 1916, were considered trifles.  Women fought for decades to secure the right to vote, which did not come until 1920. 

Sykes, Edith. "The significance and appropriateness of the title Trifles within the context of the play and its relation to the murder investigation" edited by eNotes Editorial, 15 Apr. 2009, https://www.enotes.com/topics/trifles/questions/the-significance-and-appropriateness-of-the-title-3127158.

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I taught for 31 years in the public schools in Oklahoma and ten years at the college level. I taught in a junior college.

What is the meaning of the title of the play Trifles by Susan Glaspell?

Written by Susan Glaspell, Trifles was based on an actual murder.  In Iowa, a wife killed her husband with an axe.  The wife argued that she thought he was an intruder.  She was convicted; but, in appeal, her sentence was overturned.  Glaspell, as a reporter, covered the story.  Along with the jury, she went to the scene of the crime, particularly the kitchen. She based her play on this experience. This is an example of an early feminist drama because of the sympathy implied toward the wife of the murder victim. 

The setting of the play is the home of the couple involved in a murder. The kitchen of the home is the primary place of the action of the play. The husband was found dead in his bed with a noose around his neck. He had been choked to death.  The wife says that she was asleep and did not know anything about the murder. The two ladies involved in the majority of the dialogue are the wives of the sheriff and a neighbor’s wife. 

Their men’s minds are clouded by prejudice against women; consequently, they disregard important clues as being mere "trifles" with which women concern themselves. The men tromp around the house without really looking at the scene. They immediately jump to conclusions with no examination of the actual setting or scene. One important line, spoken by the sheriff, says of the kitchen "Nothing here but kitchen things." That included the women who were cleaning and talking in the kitchen. 

The important part of the drama begins when the ladies are in the kitchen trying to clean it for Minnie, the wife. She would have wanted it nice if there were going to be a lot of people walking around in it.  They discuss the relationship between the couple, knowing that the husband was a hard man with little empathy for his wife.  In addition, the couple had no children.  Both women wonder how it would be in the kitchen without the sounds of children.

The women are able to sympathize with the wife.  As they look around the room, one of the ladies discovers a box with a canary wrapped in a cloth with its neck wrung.  The wife loved the bird and its singing.  Minnie at one time sang. The husband had taken the song out of her. Obviously, the canary symbolizes the wife who like the bird lived in a cage.

The women realize that the man was murdered in the same way that the bird had been killed. The husband had killed the one thing that brought joy to the wife; she returned the favor by breaking his neck. The women hide the bird knowing that this might prove that the wife was guilty. 

County Attorney: I guess before we’re through she may have something more serious than preserves to worry about. Hale:  Well, women are used to worrying over trifles. County Attorney: And yet what would we do without the ladies? Not much of a housekeeper, would you say, ladies? Mrs. Hale: There’s a great deal of work on the farm.

The play’s title refers to the trivialities that the men think that the women concern themselves with as they work in the kitchen.  Despite the fact that they have probably solved the murder, the men feel that what the women concern themselves with are just little insignificant things. 

The two women, having pieced together the murder, faced the moral dilemma of telling the men about the motive or protecting Minnie, whom they now see as a victim. Their choice raises questions about solidarity among women, the meaning of justice, and the role of women in society as a source of justice.

Davis, Carol. "The significance and appropriateness of the title Trifles within the context of the play and its relation to the murder investigation" edited by eNotes Editorial, 9 Nov. 2012, https://www.enotes.com/topics/trifles/questions/the-significance-and-appropriateness-of-the-title-3127158.

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Why is the title Trifles significant in the context of the play?

Concerning Glaspell's "Trifles," several levels of meaning are revealed by the title of the play. 

First, trifles are what reveal the motivation behind the murder, to the women who really figure out why the wife killed the husband. 

Second, the men assume the women are incapable of serious interests and ideas.  They assume they are only interested in trifles, so to speak.  But, again, it is the women who figure out the crime.

Finally, what was a trifle to the now-deceased husband, was a source of freedom and peace for his wife.  Stuck in a situation of subservience and dependence, a wife in a patriarchal society, her only pleasure, it seems, was a singing bird. 

But the bird was not a trifle to the wife, and when the husband kills it, she kills him. 

Stuva, Doug. "The significance and appropriateness of the title Trifles within the context of the play and its relation to the murder investigation" edited by eNotes Editorial, 21 Mar. 2010, https://www.enotes.com/topics/trifles/questions/the-significance-and-appropriateness-of-the-title-3127158.

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How does the title Trifles relate to the murder investigation in the play?

In regards to the investigation taking place in the play, the so-called "trifles" to which Mr. Hale refers to in the play would be the unimportant details that women presumably love to think about right in the middle of something bigger, more important, and more influential. 

This is the view of the males in the play, anyway. 

SHERIFF: Well, can you beat the women! Held for murder and worryin' about her preserves. COUNTY ATTORNEY: I guess before we're through she may have something more serious than preserves to worry about. HALE: Well, women are used to worrying over trifles.

The fact that Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters were concerned with Minnie Wright's preserves had less to do with the preserves, and more to do with them wanting to help a fellow woman comply with her duties as a housewife, which was her primary role. The men, however, saw it as a two women who were completely unconcerned with what really mattered. 

The play continues in the same fashion, and following the same pattern where the women would divert their attention to a detail that goes unseen by the men only to realize that such detail is vital to the overall timeline of events of the fateful night when Minnie kills her husband. 

There were:

• the disarrayed stitching- a "trifle" which clearly shows the state of mind of Minnie before the killing
• the empty canary cage- another "trifle" that entails that her only companion was no longer with her.
• the box where the dead canary was found- a "trifle" that points at the motive of the crime. John Wright wrung the bird's neck to spite Minnie, and she snapped after years of abuse. 
• the messy state of the house- another symbol of Minnie's state of mind 

To the men, these things were signs of bad housewifery. To the women, these seemingly small items meant exactly what they did...if one is smart enough to put them in context. 

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Ossa, Michelle P.. "The significance and appropriateness of the title Trifles within the context of the play and its relation to the murder investigation" edited by eNotes Editorial, 8 July 2016, https://www.enotes.com/topics/trifles/questions/the-significance-and-appropriateness-of-the-title-3127158.

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Dramatic Irony In Trifles

In Trifles by Susan Glaspell, Mr. Wright 's murder never gets solved. That is because Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters unite against the county attorney, Mr. Hale and the sheriff. Trifles is about the county attorney, Mr. Hale and the sheriff trying to uncover evidence to show Mrs. Wright 's motive for killing her husband. As the play progresses, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters discover crucial evidence that proves the men 's theory: Mrs. Wright killed Mr. Wright. But they decide to hide the evidence to prove their ideas should be valued and are not something to be trifled, with the irony in the play which comes from the title. Trifles are defined as things of little importance. Within the play, irony comes from the men believing the women 's opinions are trifling although the women solve the crime. As a result, it leads to the men 's lack of evidence to prosecute Mrs. Wright. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters chose to hide the evidence because they see part of themselves in Mrs. Wright and do not want to condemn her. This leads to the women’s motivation to hide the evidence. Mrs. Wright has been lonely and unhappy for many years going through emotional abuse, and the killing of her bird: the one living thing that cared for her may prove …show more content…

The first reason which generates sympathy in the women is Mrs. Hale regret and her guilt, this is because she distanced herself from Mrs. Wright. She states, "I wish I had come to see Minnie Foster sometime" (Glaspell 233). Mrs. Hale feels she owes Mrs. Wright a form of compensation as a gesture of friendship and her way of repentance. After entering the Wright 's home Mrs. Hale saw how the Wrights ' lived and this gave her the chance to see from the inside how cold their house was. "It 's a lonesome place and always was" (Glaspell 230). "Cheerful? No- it 's not cheerful" (Glaspell 231). Mrs. Hale feels if she would 've been a close neighbor in friendship Mrs. Wright would 've had a form of companionship. This would 've provided her with positive human

Examples Of Dramatic Irony In Shameless

The television series Shameless depicts a dysfunctional family of Frank Gallagher who is a single father of six children in which he spends most of his days on drugs and having misadventures while his kids learn to take care of themselves and survive with doing petty jobs to keep their house. Among the many characters are Fiona, Carl, and Frank. Fiona is the main protagonist who is like the mother of the family and maintains the family afloat but the other siblings have to do their part in the household. Carl is the second youngest boy in the family who has struggles with fitting in society and tries to find who he is by being apart of different groups. In season six, episode three of the series, each characters uses satirical and comedic devices to address social issues of poverty, society, and parenthood that is shown through verbal irony, dramatic irony and understatement.

Sisterhood In Susan Glaspell's A Jury By Her Peers

Three women, Minnie Wright, Martha Hale, and Mrs. Peters express sisterhood by hiding of incriminating evidence such as the dead bird while the men fail to prove of her complicity. This essay focuses on themes of sisterhood and gender roles, and the passiveness that manifests in the process of gathering evidence. The theme of Sisterhood. As the plot unfolds to ascertain the murder of John Wright, Mrs. Hale says, “it looked very lonesome this cold morning, it had always been a lonesome place” (Glaspell, 1992), while referring to the house of Minnie Wright.

Mrs. Wright In Susan Glaspell's Trifles

The scene begins to unfolds in their minds. Mr. Wright yanking open the cage door, taking out the bird, and breaking its fragile neck was enough to make Mrs. Wright lash out, and in a heat of passion, kill her husband. As the trifles collect,  the women worry that the men will see their findings, and have what they need to prove Mrs. Wright guilty. Though the men believe her to be the murderer, the women are trying their best to hide the evidence that will prove it.

Comparing 'The Yellow Wallpaper And A Jury Of Her Peers'

The men of the group, much like John in “The Yellow Wallpaper,” consider themselves more capable than the women and refuse to consider Mrs. Wright as anything other than irrational. The men leave the women to their “trifles” on the first floor, where they discover a broken bird cage, and the bird’s body, broken, carefully wrapped in a small, decorative box. They realize that Mr. Wright had wrung the neck of his wife’s beloved bird and broken its cage. Mrs. Wright, once known for her cheerfulness and beautiful singing, she stopped singing when she encountered Mr. Wright. Just like he did with the bird, Mr. Wright choked the life out of his wife until, finally, Mrs. Wright literally choked the life out of her husband.

Loneliness In Susan Glaspell's A Jury Of Her Peers

Wright it is easy to tell that she is not at all upset about her husband’s death. When being asked about the situation she “laughed and pleated her skirt” (4). Mrs. Wright is compared to a bird that is found later in the story. The bird was found in a pretty box with marks around its neck. Hale and Peters say that the death of her bird would have been her motive if she actually was her husband’s murderer, but the author utilizes the bird and its broken cage to be a comparison to Mrs. Wright’s life.

A Jury Of Her Peers Symbolism Analysis

The dead canary and its cage was a pivotal piece of evidence that the women discovered. The dead bird represents the old Mrs. Wright— Minnie Foster and its cage represents how she was

Sexism In Trifles By Susan Glaspell

There is no question that women have struggled over many years to be seen as equals by their male counterparts. Years of struggle and oppression continued throughout time, but the oppression took different forms over the course of history. Susan Glaspell wrote, “Trifles” which explores a woman’s status in society during the 1920s and the political leanings that perverted society at the time. The play demonstrates how women were subjected to mental abuse and viewed as intellectually inferior as dictated by American society and politics. “Trifles” exposes how political leanings in the government favored and enabled a patriarchal society as well as displaying how the Women’s Rights movement was beginning to combat these prejudices.

Theme Of Irony In Tartuffe

Tartuffe uses irony to steal their wealth and seduce Elmire, Orgon’s wife. In Tartuffe, Moliere uses irony to show how Madame Pernelle and Orgon were so easily deceived by Tartuffe and emphasizes the theme of hypocrisy through Tartuffe’s actions, deceit and lies.

Perceiving Evidence In Susan Glaspell's Trifles

She sees it as vital information; something that could present them with Mrs. Wright’s state of mind around the time of her death. Mrs. Hale is currently mending the quilt when Mrs. Peters asks where she might “’find a piece of paper, and string.’” This leads Mrs. Peters to discover the empty birdcage inside of the cupboard. Instantly, they both start asking one another questions regarding the cage; they are unable to recall Mrs. Wright ever owning a bird. While talking back and forth, they notice that one of the door’s hinges is broken.

Social Injustices In Susan Glaspell's A Jury Of Her Peers

in Schanfield 1656). In the text, Glaspell insist on Mrs. Wright being identification as a “songbird” before she married John Wright (Schanfield 1655). Glaspell chose to do this so the audience can see how an independent woman is happier and better off alone. As her marriage played out with Mr. Wright she slowly morphed into the mold a woman was forced to fit into. In “A Jury of Her Peers” Mrs. Hale (referring to Mrs. Wrights singing and happiness in the context of the bird) said, “No, [Mr.] Wright wouldn't like the bird… a thing that sang” she went on to say “She used to sing.

The Ideas Of Society In Susan Glaspell's Trifles

Gabal Said The Trifles of Society The society holds different realities to act naturally obvious, that all men are made equivalent, and that they are enriched by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that include; liberty, life, and the quest for happiness among others. "Trifles" by Susan Glaspell, is a one-demonstration play, which incorporates components of what the women’s suffrage development is about. The play from Glaspell recounts the tale of a murder riddle of the wedded couple of Mrs. Minnie Wright and her better half, the murder casualty, John Wright; this story likewise joins the temperament of society at the time towards women, and how they were seen as trifled in the eyes of society as they are under the subordinate of men.

Trifles By Susan Glaspell Literary Analysis

The women began to pity Mrs. Wright as they knew her before she married to Mr. Wright. The females felt pity, where the men just accessed the situation at hand. After the women examine the empty bird cage they remember the way that Mrs. Wright use to sing and compared her to her former self as Minnie Foster. “Trifles,” introduced the masculinity here from the Sheriff’s side instantly putting his instinct into saying that there was a murder that happened at the farmhouse, was caused by Mrs. Wright without any hesitation. He didn’t look into the sadness, or let the depressing home get to him as much as what his intentions and his well-being come into play before his

Gender Roles In Trifles

Wright and John Wright. In any crime scene there is a possibility of change through the effort of manmade and social construction, which is why description is very important in any scene. From the similar experiences of the women in the play, they know the truth but hide from the fear of the men who look down upon them. Glaspell cares about the way gender is constructed in the play as well as how the set has been gendered. The men believe that they grant female identity by virtue of the women’s relation to the men rather than through their inherent qualities as females.

Trifles Gender Roles

This irony occurs when the audience understands a concept or situation that the characters do not. Written in the 1900’s, “Trifles” deals with the rights of women and the assumptions about women in society at that time. Throughout the play, the Court Attorney, the Sheriff, and Mr. Hale are so deep into the fact that the women are focusing on the little things, such as the trifles. In reality, the men are the ones focusing on the little things, such as the bad housekeeping. “Dirty towels!

Trifles Character Analysis

Trifles by Susan Glaspell is a play written in 1916 about a murder in a small town. There are seven roles, five of them speaking. Sheriff Peters, his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Hale, and the County Attorney Henderson are all trying to piece together what happened to Mr. Wright, who Mr. Hale found hanging from a rope in his home. Mrs. Wright, who doesn’t have stage time, is the main suspect in her husband’s death. It is understood she committed the crime by the end of the show.

More about Dramatic Irony In Trifles

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• Susan Glaspell

Irony In Susan Glaspell's Trifles

Despite being a writer in a time period that saw women’s literature as insignificant, Susan Glaspell used her work to shed light on the trials of women and the popularizing idea of feminism. The male dominated society of the late nineteenth century bred an environment that oppressed and disrespected females. Traditional gender roles were deeply engrained in the culture, causing a lack of concern for any effects on women. Men regarded the actions of women and the issues of femininity with very little importance, hence the name of the work. With Trifles, Glaspell establishes that the conditions of patriarchy push women toward extreme emotional and psychological distress. Linda Ben-Zvi details the case that inspired the play and connected the …show more content…

The societal flaws she really focuses on showing through her work almost seem glaringly obvious to the reader, and adding the literary effect of irony makes the audience more aware of the feminist issues being portrayed. In perhaps the biggest example of irony, the women managed to piece together the motive for the crime, while the men never reach a solid conclusion. This directly goes against the stereotypical gender roles that their society widely accepted. The men’s strictly logical nature hindered their ability to see the emotion and passion behind the crime. However, the ability of the women to empathize with Ms. Wright ultimately solved the murder. Additionally, society at the turn of the century time period had stiff views of the role of the wife and her submissiveness to her husband. Loyalty to one’s husband remained an important aspect of those views and was deeply ingrained in young women before they even became of marrying age. The idea of loyalty to a fellow woman was a very new, feminist view and very unexpected at the time. For this reason, the men never doubted that their wives might hide the truth from them, therefore breaking that loyalty (Glaspell 262). Had the men have taken the women seriously or even just asked their opinions about the crime, the outcome of the story may be significantly changed. Instead, the women find themselves identifying so much with Ms. Wright that they decide to commit their own act of defiance in keeping her secret from their

Similarities Between A Jury Of Her Peers And Trifles By Susan Glaspell

“A Jury of Her Peers” is a short story written by Susan Glaspell in 1917 illustrates early feminist literature. The two female characters, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale, is able to solve the mystery of who the murderer of John Wright while their male counterparts could not. This short story had been adapted from Glaspell’s one-act play Trifles written the previous year. The play consists of the same characters and plotline as the story. In both works, Glaspell depicts how the men, Sheriff Peters and Mr. Hale, disregard the most important area in the house, the kitchen, when it comes to their investigation. In the end, the women are the ones who find clues that lead to the conclusion of Minnie Wright, John Wright’s wife, is the one who murdered him. Both of Glaspell’s female characters illustrate the ability to step into a male dominated profession by taking on the role of detective. According to Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide, written by Lois Tyson, a reader-response critique “focuses on readers’ response to literary texts” and it’s a diverse area (169). Through a reader-response criticism from a feminist lens, we are able to analyze how “A Jury of Her Peers” and Trifles depict how a patriarchal society oppresses women in the early twentieth century, gender stereotypes confined both men and women and the emergence of the New Woman is illustrated.

An Analysis Of Susan Glaspell 's ' Trifles '

In the early 1900’s, both males and females were perceived as complete opposites of eachother. Women were considered physically weaker and morally superior to men. The gender roles during this time period were clearly demonstrated in the play “Trifles”, by Susan Glaspell. At a first glance it may seem like the play is only about the death of Mr. Wright. The play could simply be interpreted that the characters all work together to determine the murderer of Mr. Wright. The initial perception overlooks how the women were treated during this time period. The men conclude that the women are incapable of finding the murderer of Mr. Wright only because they are female. Similarly, Mr. Wright does not think twice about how poorly he treats his wife

A Comparison of Feminism in Trifles and A Jury of Her Peers Essay example

• 4 Works Cited

    As a strong feminist, Susan Glaspell wrote “Trifles” and then translated it to a story called “A Jury of Her Peers.”  These works express Glaspell’s view of the way women were treated at the turn of the century.  Even though Glaspell is an acclaimed feminist, her story does not contain the traditional feminist views of equal rights for both sexes.

Susan Glaspell 's ' Trifles '

Between December 1st and 2nd 1900, John Hossack (a farmer from Warren County, Iowa) was murdered with an ax by his wife while in bed. Inspired by the true story of Margaret Hossack, an Indianola, Iowa farm wife who was charged with the murder of her husband John. One of the reporters, Susan Glaspell, decided to write a literary version of this investigation and “Trifles” came to be. Susan Glaspell is a feminist writer from Davenport, Iowa who started off writing for a newspaper called Des Moines Daily News. Later on her literary career she left the journalism industry and founded a theatrical organization called ‘Provincetown Players’ on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. In Trifles, Glaspell covers issues regarding female oppression and patriarchal domination. Susan Glaspell’s one-act play still exists as a fascinating hybrid of murder mystery and social commentary on the oppression of women. When Margaret Hossack was charged with the murder of her sixty year old husband John, the man she had been married to for thirty three years, Indianola, Iowa. Killed by two blows to his head with an ax, John Hossack was thought to be a cold mannered and difficult man to be married to, but he didn’t deserve his death. In a cultural that denied women the right to vote or the ability to serve on juries, the community in which the Hossacks resided was not terribly different from the rest of the country. A women’s role was defined as more domestic than

Susan Glaspell's Play Trifles Essay

Marriage a sacred bond uniting two people who are so deeply in love that they can't live without one another, for even a second. Many couples in this situation take these marriage vows to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. Those vows remain cherished throughout the years of marriage. Partner’s share intimate details and form a strong trustworthy bond with one another. Often couples settle into a routine, move out of the city and have children. Occasionally over time that love will fade; couples change and lose interest in one another and begin to look for a way out of marriage. In Susan Glaspell’s play Trifles, there is evidence to

Trifles By Susan Glaspell Symbols

Symbols are important, especially in literature. They have been known to inspire hope and life, in turn inspiring some of the most profound actions in the history of the world. Yet, humanity’s statement to symbols goes beyond us finding meaning in innominate or non-human objects. People assign humanity into objects, almost a part of themselves. This concept is clearly demonstrated in Susan Glaspell’s play, Trifles. The work contains many element of symbolism that make important and relieving comments on the characters of the play and the themes of the story.

Susan Glaspell's Use of an Unseen Central Character in Trifles

• 5 Works Cited

In Trifles by Susan Glaspell, the central character remains unseen for the entirety of the piece. “The central character - the person whose actions are to be understood - is absent, thus rendering her all the more a figurative blank space” (Keetley 342). The audience never sees or hears Minnie Wright throughout the piece, and therefor cannot develop an accurate opinion of the outcome of the play, as they are missing vital information about Minnie’s personality. The audience and characters instead make several assumptions about the truth that cannot be verified without closer inspection of Minnie’s personality and experiences. Glaspell’s use of an unseen central character in Trifles causes the story to develop based on assumptions made by

Symbolism in Trifles by Susan Glaspell Essay

• 1 Works Cited

In today's society, we generally view upon everyone as equal beings who deserve equal rights. At the turn of the 20th century, this particular view didn?t exist. Men clearly dominated almost every aspect of life and women were often left with little importance. The Wright?s embody this view of roles in Susan Glaspell?s play Trifles. Mrs. Wright was a typical woman who suffered the mental abuse from her husband and was caged from life. In Trifles, a mixture of symbolism of oppression illustrates Mrs. Minnie Wright?s motives to kill her husband and to escape from imprisonment.

Literary Analysis of Susan Glaspell's 'Trifles'

A trifle is something that has little value or importance, and there are many seeming "trifles" in Susan Glaspell's one-act play "Trifles." The irony is that these "trifles" carry more weight and significance than first seems to be the case. Just as Glaspell's play ultimately reveals a sympathetic nature in Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale, the evidence that the men investigators fail to observe, because they are blind to the things that have importance to a woman, reveals the identity of the murderer and are, therefore, not really "trifles," after all. Thus, the title of the play has a double-meaning: it refers, satirically, to the way "trifling" way some men perceive women, and it also acts as an ironic gesture to the fact that women are not as "trifling" as these men make them out to be. This paper will analyze setting, characters, plot, stage directions, symbolism, themes and genre to show how Glaspell's "Trifles" is an ironic indictment not of a murderess but rather of the men who push women to such acts.

Response to Trifles by Susan Glaspell Essay

The play “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell is type of murder mystery that takes place in the early 1900’s. The play begins when the sheriff Mr. Peters and county attorney Mr. Henderson come to attempt to piece together what had happen on the day that Mr. Wright was murder. While investigating the seen of the murder, they are accompanied by the Mr. Hale, Mrs. Hale and Mr. Peters. Mr. Hale had told that Mrs. Wright was acting strange when he found her in the kitchen. After taking information from Mr. Hale, the men leave the women in the kitchen and go upstairs at seen of the murder. The men don’t realize the plot of the murder took place in the kitchen.

Feminist Message in Susan Glaspell's Trifles

Susan Glaspell's Trifles can be regarded as a work of feminist literature. The play depicts the life of a woman who has been suppressed, oppressed, and subjugated by a patronizing, patriarchal husband. Mrs. Wright is eventually driven to kill her "hard" (1178) husband who has stifled every last twitch of her identity. Trifles dramatizes the hypocrisy and ingrained discrimination of male-dominated society while simultaneously speaking to the dangers for women who succumb to such hierarchies. Because Mrs. Wright follows the role mapped by her husband and is directed by society's patriarchal expectations, her identity is lost somewhere along the way. However, Mrs. Hale and Mrs.

Critical Analysis Of A Jury Of Her Peers

In a world where showing a bit too much shoulder was forbidden, came Susan Glaspell. Glaspell was an American playwright, born in the cruel times of oppression. This influenced women’s opinions on certain subjects which caused them to be silenced by fear of rejection from society. “A Jury of Her Peers” was based on an era where women felt as though it was unreasonable to speak up if they felt it was not absolutely dire. Harboring these pent up feelings could cause a person to act antagonistic. Minnie Wright was an example of this. She killed her husband and was subjected to the judgement of her peers. As the group investigated Mr. Wright’s death, there were two stories unraveling. The in depth explanation that the women figured out and the simplistic version the men had seemed to pick up (Glaspell). People would benefit from reading this story to begin to understand the struggle of what this and other women had gone through. Penn Manor American Literature students would benefit from having Susan Glaspell’s story “A Jury of Her Peers” in their curriculum because of how she expressed feminism through her writing at a time when it was new and discouraged; her ability to emphasize the themes with her settings and characters; and her literature that follows a protagonist that navigates through a sexist world.

Feminist Criticism Of Susan Glaspell 's ' Trifles '

The feminist theory is always adapting to new cultural and always changing. What stems from the feminism theory is feminist literary criticism “feminist criticism examines the ways in which literature (and other cultural productions) reinforces or undermines the economic, political, social, and psychological oppression of women” (Critical Theory Today, 4 Feminist Criticism, pg. 79 Tyson, Louis). This theory shows us how patriarchal our society is and that’s how Susan Glaspell’s shows her work in her life time where women only had a few roles. They were to have house chores done, cook, and reproduce. Women in the early twentieth century felt it is time to stand up against patriarchal oppressions and which is why Glaspell’s work critiques the society we live in for restricting women. One of her most famous dramas, “Trifles”, Glaspell showed the females capability to stand up for one another. Gender issues play a role in everyday society, oppressing women economically, politically, socially, and psychologically. Glaspell tries to even explain through the title the feminism analyst as you read through her drama.

Susan Glaspell's Trifles Essay

Susan Glaspell's Trifles explores the classical male stereotype of women by declaring that women frequently worry about matters of little, or no importance. This stereotype makes the assumption that only males are concerned with important issues, issues that females would never discuss or confront. The characters spend the entirety of the play searching for clues to solve a murder case. Ironically, the female characters, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale, uncover crucial evidence and solve the murder case, not the male characters. The men in the play, the Sheriff, County Attorney, and Hale, search the scene of the crime for evidence on their own, and mock the women's discussions. The women's interest in the quilt,

Critical Analysis Of Trifles

While the men in the story where playing Sherlock Holmes looking for evidence that Mrs. Wright killed her husband, they missed the bad fruit and the bread left out of the bow, a quilt that was not finished and had a few bad stiches, an unclean table and a birdcage that was empty. They were so determined to find specific clues of the murder, that they missed the clues of the emotional abuse that Mrs. Wright was subjected to from her husband. They were also so busy criticizing everything that Mrs. Wright did or did not do, that they missed everything that was right in front of their eyes. They even slipped with some sexist remarks Mr. Hale says ‘Well, women are used to worrying over trifles’, not realizing that the women were in the room.

Related Topics

• Gender role
• Susan Glaspell

A Jury of Her Peers

By susan glaspell, a jury of her peers irony, situational irony: paying attention to trifles.

All of the men in the story treat women with hearty, gently mocking superiority because they are convinced that women are less capable than them and that they are less intelligent than them. They mock Minnie, saying that she has enough to worry about to think about “trifles” like preservers, knitting, and sewing. The irony is that the women solve the mystery of John’s death due to the fact that they do pay attention to little trifles, while the men fail to do that.

Verbal Irony: Preserves

Mr. Peters laughs to the group: "Well, can you beat the women! Held for murder, and worrying about her preserves!" He is being deliberately ironic here: he means that someone wanted for murder should have deeper, more consequential things on their mind than of jams.

Verbal Irony: Knot it

There is verbal irony in Mrs. Hale's comment in terms of what Henderson thinks she is saying and what she is actually saying. Yes, Mrs. Wright really was going to knot instead of quilting her piece, which in and of itself is just a simple assertion of a fact. However, she is also acknowledging that Minnie "knotted" the noose around her husband's neck, that she and Mrs. Peters know more than any of the men do about what transpired.

Dramatic Irony: Mrs. Peters

It is ironic that Mrs. Peters, who is said to be "married to the law," attempts to conceal the evidence that would convict Minnie Wright. The men have no idea that this woman—whom they assume to be one of them, and whom they assume to be just a wife and not intelligent enough to find clues or "lawless" enough to hide clues—is actually willing to take a risk to secure that Minnie is truly judged by a jury of her peers.

A Jury of Her Peers Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for A Jury of Her Peers is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Why does Mrs. Hale go to the Wright house with the sheriff and her husband?

Mrs Hale accompanied the sheriff and her husband because Mrs. Peters asked if she could come along. The two women were meant to gather things for Minnie Wright... clothes and a few personal items, to take to her in jail.

"I suppose anything Mrs....

Based on her thinking after learning of her husband's death, how would Mrs. Mallard in "The Story of an Hour" have responded to Franklin's idea?

I don't think Mrs. Mallard would agree. I believe that she was happy with her husband... and that she loved him, but his death provided her with what she believed to be true freedom.

How is Susan Glaspell questioning the traditional definitions of marriage and women’s roles in society?

The men of the story possess all the official power and authority. They are the embodiments of the law and impose their worldview. They are loud, active, assertive, and prone to demonstrating their superior position. They denigrate the female,...

Study Guide for A Jury of Her Peers

A Jury of Her Peers study guide contains a biography of Susan Glaspell, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About A Jury of Her Peers
• A Jury of Her Peers Summary
• Character List

Essays for A Jury of Her Peers

A Jury of Her Peers essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell.

• Tales of Mirrored Melancholy: The Yellow Wallpaper and A Jury of Her Peers
• The Power of Her Peers: Critical and Feminist Perspectives on Glaspell's Story
• Trapped in the Wallpaper: The Impact of First-Person Narrative on Reader Empathy
• Establishing Female Solidarity and Questioning Domesticity in “A Jury of Her Peers”

Wikipedia Entries for A Jury of Her Peers

• Introduction

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Trifles — Where It All Goes Down: Significant Settings and Objects in ‘Trifles’

What Happened on The Night John Wright Died: Critical Objects and Settings in Trifles

• Categories: Trifles

About this sample

Words: 1290 |

Pages: 2.5 |

Published: Jun 29, 2018

Words: 1290 | Pages: 2.5 | 7 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, "trifles" setting analysis.

• Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. Backpack Literature: An introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing, edited by X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia, Pearson, 2016, pp. 633-645
• Mustazza, Leonard. “Generic Translation and Thematic Shift in Susan Glaspell’s “Trifles” and “A Jury of Her Peers.” Studies in Short Fiction , vol. 26, no. 4, Fall89, pp. 489-496. EBSCO host, db05.linccweb.org/login?url=http;//search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx direct=true&db=a9h&AN=7135797&site=ehost-live.

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