Essay On Trifles By Susan Glaspell

In Trifles, Susan Glaspell describes the murder scene of a farmer, John Wright, and the attempts to prove that his wife, Mrs. Wright, committed the act. The sheriff and his wife, a neighboring farmer with his wife, and the male county attorney all examine the scene. The men look for the physical evidence directly correlated to the murder, such as the victim’s location and manner of death, while the women examine several common household items like Mrs. Wright’s unfinished quilt and empty birdcage. After locating a strangled bird inside Mrs. Wright’s sewing kit, the women discover a commonality between Mr. Wright and the bird’s deaths. Each were strangled, leading the women to conclude that Mr. Wright’s murder served as a revenge killing provoked by the violent death of the bird, which was possibly caused by Mr. Wright.
Thus, they are able to hide evidence that would convict Mrs. Wright. Through apparent differences between genders within her play, Glaspell brings awareness to prevailing stereotypes that regard women as being less focused on important matters. For example, after offering concern for Mrs. Wright’s fruit jars, the men are baffled by the lack of concern for the murder, provoking the farmer to state, “Well, women are used to worrying over trifles” (Glaspell 197). Although attention to household items appears off topic, the women find signs of marital issues through these items. The men’s blindness to the women’s intuition is a result of their bias caused by stereotypes. Thus, Glaspell delivers the idea that individuals with set views will likely be blind to other perspectives that are