Example Of Trifles Critical Thinking

Susan Glaspell’s “Trifles” keeps Mrs. Wright, the woman in question for murder, out of the play to effectively provide social commentary on an issue otherwise overshadowed by the murder of Mr. Wright. Glaspell uses one of her friends, Mrs. Hale, and a new acquaintance, Mrs. Peters, to tell the story of Mrs. Wright. Although the men in the play give some information on the case of the murder itself, they serve as secondary support for the purpose of the play: to provide social commentary on the status of women and consequences of spousal abuse.
Glaspell brilliantly sets the tone of the play by having the two women come in and immediately find themselves subject to patriarchal superiority. These are two women who have plenty of insight on the case, yet the men dismiss them and their concerns as trifles. Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale see things from a woman’s point of view, which allows them to tell Mrs. Wright’s story without having the murder overshadow the sorrow of her life. If Mrs. Wright had been present, the focus would have been on her actions and words, which may have completely changed the meaning of the play because, based on what is said about her state when she was found, she would have been in no state to defend herself. Simply put, she probably would have looked out of her mind.
Overall, keeping Mrs. Wright off of the stage is much more effective than bringing her on. She may have said or done something to convict herself and overshadow the information revealed by the women’s investigation. Having the two women tell her story has the audience feel sympathy toward Mrs. Wright, Mrs. Hale, and Mrs. Peters, and it helps the audience side with them in believing that Mrs. Wright was the victim. Not only does the set-up of the play help the audience understand Mrs. Wright’s actions, it shows how ridiculous it is for men to dismiss and control women. It certainly backfires for them in this case.

Reference

Glaspell, Susan. “Trifles.” The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. 10th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2014. 1037-1047. Print.