triffle

triffle


It has been said that the theme of Susan Glaspell’s play “Trifles” is that men and women have different perceptions, and this leads men to overlook “trifles.” There are three sets of images in the play that help communicate this theme. First, there is the kitchen. Second, there are the bird and bird cage. Third, there are the quilt and knot.
As the men were busy looking for evidence as to why Mrs. Wright had committed the crime they overlook all the small clues that are right in front of their face. The women themselves find small pieces of loneliness, misery and frustration everywhere. The load of bread left outside in the box, the table that was somewhat clean and the jars of preserved fruits. The sheriff was quick to dismiss the room where Mrs. Wright was sitting, saying “There is nothing here but kitchen things.” Those kitchen things prove in the long run to be hiding the truth of what really happened in the Wright’s farmhouse. As the sheriff stood on a chair to take a look at the top of the shelf; he found some broken jars of fruit preserves. Mrs. Peter stated that Mrs. Wright was afraid that her jars would freeze and break while she was away. The sheriff replied with “Well, can you beat the woman held for murder and worrying about her preserves.” Mr. Hale “well, women are used to worrying over trifles.” We can easily see how the men have a tendency to be more aggressive and critical; while the women are more cautious and instinctive.
While the men are outside; the women find the broken birdcage cage and the dead bird while looking for some paper in the kitchen. This helped Mrs. Peter and Mrs. Hale in putting the missing piece of the puzzle together. They now understood that Mr. Wright drove Mrs. Wright to murder by keeping her isolated from her friends and depriving her of the bird was the last stroke. The women started to share moments in their own life when they too felt the same emotions as those of Mrs. Wright. Each woman understood...

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