Susan Glaspell's Trifles

In Susan Glaspell’s “Trifles,” there are two significant symbols that give a whole new dimension to the play. First, Glaspell employs the dead bird as a symbolic representation of Mrs. Wright, who used to be known as Minnie Foster before she married Mr. Wright. As a child, Minnie possessed similar qualities of a beautiful of bird called canary. For example, Mrs. Hales states: “She used to wear pretty clothes and be lively, when she was Minnie Foster, one of the town girls singing in the choir” (Glaspell 1042). Mrs. Wright used to sing in a choir like a songbird and wore pretty clothes just like the elegant feathers of a canary. After Minnie’s marriage with Mr. Wright, she dramatically changed from being young and free to being timid and submissive.

Hales exclaims: “She – come to think of it, she was kind of like a bird herself – real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and – fluttery. How – she – did – change” (Glaspell 1044). Mrs. Hale clearly admits that the canary represents Minnie Foster, who once was that sweet, fluttery girl that was transformed into the lonely, depressed Mrs. Wright by years of her husband's neglect and emotional abuse. Additionally, the word “dead” next to bird suggest that Mrs. Wright is emotionally and mentally “dead.” For example, in the beginning of the play, Mrs. Wright displayed some usual sense of emotion or feelings towards her death of her husband, such as, her laughter and fearful look (Glaspell 1039-40). This illustrates the degree of emotional abuse Mrs. Wright experienced under her husband’s control. On the other hand, Glaspell utilizes the birdcage, which represents marriage, to show how Mrs. Wright was trapped in her marriage and could not escape it. For example, when Mrs. Peters was looking for clothes they are taking to the jail for Mrs. Wright, they discovered an empty birdcage in a cupboard (Glaspell