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Young Hyun Kim
Lynn Hovde
ENGL&101 45478 - W25 - English Composition I
Feb. 27th, 2025
The things that make the drama special
Trifles was written by Susan Glaspell and published in 1916. It was first performed by the
Provincetown Players at the Wharf Theatre in Massachusetts on August 8 of the same year. This
drama has characteristics that make the story special. For example, it is unique that the
background of this drama does not change in the kitchen. And it is easy to infer what happened
in the past through the dialogue of the characters and to know what message the writer wants to
convey. For these reasons, I recommend this play to students who are studying drama.
Susan Glaspell adapted a real-life murder case that occurred on December 2, 1900, as the
basis for this story. Mrs. Hossack, the suspect in the actual case, was arrested even though no
evidence linked her to the murder of her husband. Sixteen years later, Glaspell worked on this
controversial case to create Trifles. In the play, there are five main characters: Sheriff Henry
Peters and his wife Mrs. Peters, County Attorney George Henderson, and neighbors Mr. Hale
and Mrs. Hale. The characters visit a farmhouse where Mr. Wright was murdered. The men go
upstairs to examine the bedroom where Mr. Wright was allegedly strangled by Mrs. Wright,
while the women stay in the kitchen and, in the end, uncover the motive behind the murder.
One prominent feature of the story is symbolism, which is demonstrated through several
key stage properties, including the canary and the canning jars of fruit. Mrs. Wright and the
canary share many similarities. The bird has colorful feathers and sings, much like Mrs. Wright,
who was beautiful and known for her singing before she married. The bird’s song symbolizes
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Mrs. Wright’s independent spirit, which was gradually suppressed and ultimately destroyed by
her husband. When she realizes Mr. Wright killed the bird, it pushes her beyond her limits,
leading her to exact her revenge. This symbolism is also reflected in the canning jars of fruit.
Canning is a labor-intensive process, symbolizing Mrs. Wright’s efforts to fulfill her
responsibilities as a wife. However, the jars break due to the cold weather, a metaphor for how
her emotional state was shattered. I believe the preserved fruit inside the jars represents Mrs.
Wright, while the cold weather symbolizes her husband’s emotional coldness. The sealed jars
also symbolize their marriage. Like the fruit trapped inside, Mrs. Wright feels confined by her
husband and unable to express herself. Ultimately, she decides to kill him, as he has already
“killed” her spirit.
In addition, the setting is the unique feature of this story. The entire play takes place on a
single stage: the kitchen. Why did the author choose this setting? The kitchen plays a critical role
in reflecting typical gender roles and helps advance the narrative. When the play was written, the
kitchen was traditionally considered a woman's domain. The fact that the kitchen is described as
“cold” and “gloomy” — as stated in the play, “The kitchen in the now abandoned farmhouse of
John Wright, a gloomy kitchen, left without having been put in order” — implies that Mrs.
Wright was unhappy in her marriage. She may have been so lonely and desperate that she gave
up on her household duties, which was considered unacceptable at the time when women were
judged by their competence as housewives.
The last element that makes this drama special is its theme, which I believe is gender
inequality. Minnie is the only woman referred to by her first name, allowing the audience to see
her as an independent individual before her marriage. However, when she becomes Mrs. Wright
and enters a world of isolation dominated by her husband, she begins to change. She spends her
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days waiting for him in a small kitchen, becomes increasingly dependent on him, and is
oppressed by his coldness toward her. Eventually, she loses all hope when she finds the strangled
bird—the small creature she once identified with. In other words, it is gender inequality that
ultimately brings about the tragedy in this play. I researched the background of this play and
found that in the 19th century, women were often disregarded by men, with their roles confined
to housework at home. When this book was published, women didn’t even have basic rights,
including the right to vote. I believe the writer emphasized the societal contradiction of gender
inequality through the portrayal of oppressed and discriminated women.
In conclusion, symbolism, stage setting, and theme are powerful and effective elements
in this play. The use of symbolism kept me engaged and made me reflect on the meaning behind
every line. Additionally, the unique stage setting, confined to one place, allowed me to actively
engage with the story without distractions. This helped me appreciate the author’s word choices
and the message she intended to convey. Finally, gender inequality, the theme of this drama, tells
us what silence means in the last scene and the message the writer is trying to convey. Therefore,
for anyone studying symbolism, stage setting, and theme I highly recommend Trifles as an
excellent example.