Trifles By Susan Glaspell Research Paper
Susan Glaspell wrote Trifles in 1916 in the middle of World War one, and a year before America declared war on Germany. Trifles is a one act play inspired by an actual murder case she wrote several articles on when she was a reporter. Since Trifles was first written, the play has been reworked as a short story, renamed "A Jury of her Peers," and a film. Ever since its production, Trifles has been lauded as an amazing early feminist work of literature that has touched the hearts and minds of many. Trifles, by Susan Glaspell, is centered around the protagonist, Minnie Wright, a character that does not actually appear in the play, and the events that led her to murder.
It is apparent right from the beginning that Minnie Wright was emotionally,
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Hale described Minnie Wright as "kind of like a bird herself" (Glaspell 642). It is not until Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters look through the quilting supplies that they find the missing canary: in a decorative box with its neck broken. One can only imagine how much Minnie must have loved that canary based on how few visitors she receives to the point that even Mrs. Hale commented with "she liked the bird. She was going to bury it in that pretty box" (Glaspell 643). It is obvious to everyone that the bird was precious to Minnie, not only because it was her sole companion, but it was her in almost every aspect. The canary represented Minnie's desire for freedom and joy while being locked away in her small, isolated cage of a home. The bird even sung like she did in the church choir before getting married to John Wright. The article “Teaching Susan Glaspell's A Jury of Her Peers and Trifles,” by Marina Angel, stated that the broken door to the bird cage is "a sign of extreme anger and violence" from John Wright (Angel 550). That indicates that he had quite the temper just like the average abuser. In his fit of rage, he tore open the cage's door, reached in, and broke the bird's neck, possibly in front of Minnie, effectively killing the last of Minnie's joy. Although, Minnie ironically killed her husband like he did the bird: by strangling
What Is The Difference Between The Hossack Murder And A Jury Of Her Peers
1422 Words | 6 PagesIn “A Jury of Her Peers” Glaspeel introduces the main characters Mrs.Hale and Mrs.Peters along with their husbands Mr.Hale and Mr.Peter. Nowhere in this story do the people involved in the murder appear, they are only mentioned. In this story, Minnie Wright is the wife of the victim Mr.Wright. The scene Glaspell sets enables the reader to uncover the motive for the murder when the women discover the birdcage and the dead bird. These small details are interpreted by the woman, noticing frustration in Mrs. Wright's most recent stitches and her dead pet bird.
Jury Of Her Peers By Susan Glaspell
801 Words | 4 PagesWhile admiring Mrs. Wright’s pretty sewing box, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters discover Minnie’s dead bird: “There’s something wrapped in this piece of silk.” For a poor woman like Mrs. Wright, silk must have been difficult to acquire. She could barely afford new clothing, yet she used this extremely expensive silk to wrap her deceased pet. This shows the importance of the canary to Mrs. Wright and how upsetting its death would be. Similarly, how resentful Minnie would be towards the killer of her precious bird.
Analysis Of Silent Justice In A Different Key: Glaspell's Trifles
980 Words | 4 PagesTalking about Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters “the two characters begin to reconstruct the accused woman’s life. They do so through several means; memories of her, memories of their own lives (similar to hers in many ways), and speculation about her feelings and responses to the conditions of her life” (Holstein 283.) The two women immediately placed themselves in Minnie Wrights position. And while reconstructing Mrs. Wright life based on their own memories and emotions they acknowledge the murders missing clue “Minnie’s dead pet bird” (Holstein
A Jury Of Her Peers Symbolism Analysis
734 Words | 3 PagesThe 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
Similarities Between Long Day's Journey Into Night And Trifles
1101 Words | 5 PagesHence for Minnie her home never seemed to be very cheerful place. Mrs. Hales even goes to mention “I never liked the place. Maybe cause it’s down in a hollow and you don’t see the road. It’s a lonesome place and always was.” (Glaspell 482).
What Is The Evidence In A Jury Of Her Peers
690 Words | 3 PagesWright killed the canary and is also motive for Mrs. Wright to seek revenge. The women conclude that Mrs. Wright’s bird was her prized possession, the bird even reminds the women of Mrs. Wright, “‘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.’”
Jury Of Her Peers Symbolism
740 Words | 3 PagesMinnie was obviously hiding something, which is the ultimate reason she places the bird in a small box and tucks it away. When Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters open the box, they are surprised to find a sleeping bird with its neck twisted to one side. Mrs. Hale thinks that maybe the cat had gotten hold of the poor thing, only to discover there is no cat present. The only reasonable conclusion is that a human has killed the bird—and Mrs Wright loved the bird too much to kill
Martha Hale Essay
1139 Words | 5 PagesA prominent piece of evidence that was found in the house was a broken bird cage and the question lies within what her personal interpretation of this object was. With a solemn tone, Martha replied, “I believe Minnie’s husband ripped the cage door open when in a rage and snapped the bird’s neck, so she did the same to him.” It is hard to believe that one’s emotions could so greatly influence their actions but in this case, it seems as if the Wright’s were involved in an unhappy, abusive marriage. To connect back to the bird queries, I also asked Mrs. Hale what she did with the deceased creature that Minnie Wright held so dearly. Martha without hesitation mentioned that she “grabbed it without a second thought” and that she wishes to bury it because Minnie would have wanted that.
Bird Symbolism In Trifles By Susan Glaspell
747 Words | 3 PagesMurder today is something that most people do not think about because we are so accustomed to it. Minnie Foster, a lively woman who loses her childhood and becomes a married unhappy lady, so unhappy she kills her own husband. Although at first we are introduced to the bird as the main symbol of the play, we discover that Mrs. Wright is the bird and Mr. Wright is the bird cage trapping her life. By looking at the symbolism of this play we begin to understand that when Mr. Wright killed the canary along with Mrs Wright’s childhood, the motive to kill Mr. Wright was set for Mrs. Wright with the rope.
Mrs. Wright In Susan Glaspell's Trifles
699 Words | 3 PagesThe 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'
1006 Words | 5 PagesThe 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.
Perceiving Evidence In Susan Glaspell's Trifles
796 Words | 4 PagesShe then suggests to Mrs. Peters that she should take the unfinished quilt home to “’take up her mind.’” This leads them to search for Mrs. Wright’s patches and sewing accessories. They discover a “pretty box” and assume it is where she keeps her scissors (Glaspell 1417). This is when they discover a dead canary wrapped up in a piece of silk; it was the missing bird. Right away they notice the bird's neck
Loneliness In Susan Glaspell's A Jury Of Her Peers
874 Words | 4 PagesHe caused her to be lonely and that caused her to go a little crazy. This madness is what made her feel no sympathy when she realized John was dead. These actions are what led Hale and Peters to come to the result of she killed her own husband. However, the attorney didn’t realize the radical alteration in her personality like Mrs. Hale did, only because he did not know Minnie Foster when she was beautifully happy and full of life. This is evident in the short story when the attorney refers to her as Mrs. Wright and Mrs. Hale
Social Injustices In Susan Glaspell's A Jury Of Her Peers
935 Words | 4 PagesHe killed that too”, which is an exact representation of how women were inferior, muted, and defused (“A Jury of Her Peers 1643). Because the women felt so inferior to the men, they never spoke up when they found the dead bird which explained that Minnie Foster was the murder of John Wright. Another reason for this action was that Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters felt united as women due to their social status and situation. Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale chose to hide the dead bird and not to disclose the actual murder clues and details they found as it was their moral duty as
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