Name_______________________________________ Date_________________ Block______
“Trifles” Analysis Questions
1.
Analyze how the setting conveys the mood of the story, include textual evidence to
support your response.
The setting, an “abandoned farmhouse”, somewhat dirty and uncleanly, sets a mood of tense as it takes
place after a murder.
2.
Analyze how the three men enter the room in comparison to the two women. Evaluate
your findings. Analyze: The men enter the room first and immediately start looking
around and go and investigate the room. The women enter timidly and fearfully and
come in slowly and just stay near the door.
Evaluate: The women are more fearfully because they relate to her.
3.
Infer both literal and figurative meanings: That Mrs. Wright said that she sleeps “on the
inside” likely means what?
She sleeps on the inside part of the bed. Figuratively, her world was kind of pushed apart and she didn’t
have as much freedom.
4.
Infer: Why would Mrs. Wright laugh, and then look scared, about being told Mr. Hale
was stopping by to ask about putting in a telephone?
She laughed because it didn’t feel real, but then got scared because she had killed her husband and Mr.
5.
Why would Mrs. Wright tell Mrs. Peters that she was concerned her jars would break
when she was beingheld in jail for murder?
Mrs. Wright would tell Mrs. Peters she was concerned her jars would break because
6.
Explain the quote: “Well, women are used to worrying over trifles.”
This quote is used to show how men back then thought lowly of women and believed they only worried
about frivolous things that weren’t important. The men in this story think lowly of the women to the point
where they don’t fully believe the idea that Mrs. Wright killed her husband.
7.
Analyze the behaviors of the men and women in the kitchen. Then evaluate your findings
and write out your conclusions. Analyze: The men act almost scornful, as they criticize
Mrs. Wright for worrying about her preserves and for having dirty towels. The women
attempt to somewhat defend her, as one of them says that being a farmer’s wife is a lot of
work. The women also seem uncomfortable and stiff.
Evaluate: The men are making comments that the women don’t agree with, which also
makes them uncomfortable. The situation itself would also make the women feel that
way because they would not want to be in a house where someone just died.
8.
Explain the irony of Mrs. Hale saying: “I wish if they’re going to find any evidence
they’d be about it.”
This is ironic because the men don’t find any prominent evidence, and instead the women do.
9.
Based on what you see in the text, describe the relationships Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters
have with their husbands.
They aren’t fully comfortable with their husbands and probably don’t truly love them.
10. How are Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale different?
Mrs. hale is looser and more laid back, while Mrs. Peters is more cautious and uptight.
11. Identify and explain another example of irony.
Another example of irony is that the men talk about how women only worry about trifles, but then the women were
the ones to find evidence that would’ve shown the motivation for the murder. They found this evidence because
they “worry about trifles”.