Susan Glaspell's Trifles

Susan Glaspell’s 1916 one act play Trifles, is based on a true story about a murder mystery trial. The murder took place in Iowa in 1900. Susan Glaspell works as a journalist and covered the murder. She turned her experience into the play Trifles. In the play, Glaspell walks the reader through the unique discovery of the murderer and the motive. Consequently this discovery is the result of the lack of rights and freedom of the women in the late nineteen century. Glaspell’s point is to raise awareness of the gender stratification and the need for change.

In the play Trifles, the setting takes place in an old secluded farm house. Literary critic Judith Russell says, “On the surface, Susan Glaspell’s one act play Trifles focuses on the death

Literary critic Janet Grose says, “Glaspell does not give these women first names, the lack of which emphasizes their subordinate roles to their husbands; the women seemingly have no identity apart from their spouses.” Women did not have many rights and furthermore did not have an opinion in a murder trial. Mr. Hale, the neighbor, Mr. Peters, the sheriff, and Mr. Henderson, the county attorney begin to investigate the murder. As they talk and search in the kitchen they come to the conclusion Mrs. Wright was not a good housekeeper. Mr. Henderson, the county attorney says, “Not much of a housekeeper, would you say, ladies” (Glaspell). The men were belittling Mrs. Wright and showing a lack of respect for her. According to Suzy Holstein, “The men patronize them and gently ridicule their concerns while the women themselves, at least at the outset, characterize their activity in the house as relatively unimportant. The men were there to do one thing, solve the murder and get enough evidence to charge Mrs. Wright with the murder of her

They notice a few stiches that were not sewed well, and start to question “What do you suppose she was so nervous about” (Glaspell). Glaspell wants the reader to become aware Mrs. Wright was upset and it was showing through her work. As they continue to gather things they find a bird cage and realize she must have had a canary. Suzy Holstein says “In her sewing box, they discover Minnie’s dead pet bird, and this discovery would be the missing piece to the men’s puzzle.” Mrs. Peters says, “Someone—wrung—it’s neck” (Glaspell). The women start putting together the pieces as they begin to realize Mr. Wright killed her bird. The women’s conversation becomes more empathetic because they can relate to how Mrs. Wright must have felt, being alone, having no children, and having a husband described by Mrs. Hale as “Like a raw wind that gets to the bone”