Who Is Minnie Wright In The Play Trifles

460 Words2 Pages

In Susan Glaspell's 1916 play ‘Trifles”, the absent character, Minnie Wright is suspected of killing her husband, though there is no clear-cut motive available to the County Attorney or Sheriff. We are introduced to both the crime and the suspect through the eyes of those present to investigate the crime and the wives there to gather personal items for her. In the statement given by Hale, we are advised that Mrs. Wright seems incoherent or dazed upon his encounter with her. Hale further states, when he inquired of her husband, Mrs, Wright showed no emotion or concern at the notification of her husband’s death. Hale’s description of Minnie Wright sitting in a chair emotionless, rocking and pleating an apron while her dead husband lay in bed with a rope around his neck suggests that there are unseen factors at the root of the crime. Too, Hale at no time suggests that there was any sign of forced entry nor do the Sheriff and accompanying investigators find signs of force. Likewise, though Mrs. Wright was apparently taken abruptly from the home, there was no sign of struggle, though the home seemed somewhat untidy. …show more content…

Hale and Mrs. Peters find that the daily activities of Mrs. Wright remained consistent with daily activity, having bread rising on the counter. Further, in searching for quilting items, the dead canary is discovered. Through dialogue, we conclude that the bird was purchased as a companion for Mrs. Wright when a door to door salesman came calling some time ago. The fact that the dead bird was placed in the decorative box indicated that the bird was cherished by Mrs. Wright. However, the apparent cause of death of the bird, an apparent broken neck, and the broken birdcage suggest that there may have been intentional harm caused to the

Open Document