Trifles

In a world where women’s voices are systematically silenced, the smallest details, often referred to as trifles, can hold the greatest significance, and it is precisely this insight that drives Susan Glaspell’s one-act play Trifles, which deliberately talks about the mistreatment of women and the devastating consequences that follow. Trifles by Glaspell revolves around the murder investigation of John Wright. The sheriff, his wife, the detective, and the neighboring couple gather evidence at the Wright’s farmhouse. While the men dismiss seemingly trivial details, the women notice clues that suggest Mrs. Wright’s motives for the murder, revealing a deeper understanding of the suppressive nature of her marriage. The author uses symbolism, foreshadowing, and characterization to explore the dynamic tone and mood, expressing disapproval towards how women are mistreated and overlooked by patriarchal society, depicting a tone filled with criticism and indignation, which ultimately leads the reader to feel curious and empathetic.

Symbolism is a literary device used in Trifles, letting the reader comprehend certain clues and hints to understand the characters and their motives on a deeper level. One notable example of symbolism is the birdcage found under the sink which symbolizes the oppression of Mrs. Wright’s life. The way the bird’s neck has been wrung, indicating quite a violent death, foreshadows the discovery of Mr. Wright’s murder and highlights the desperation and confinement Mrs. Wright felt during her marriage, a point which is deeply discussed between Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale. Likewise, the author focuses on keeping the whole story in one setting, the kitchen of Mrs. Wright. This denotes that the story is based mainly on the women and what they discover. The author’s tone in describing the trifles throughout the story remains somber and intriguing in a way, hinting at the tragedy of the clues, but not directly telling the reader. The sorrow contained within the clues makes the reader feel subdued by how women are treated. The overall theme of insinuation builds up discomfort for the reader, who receives multiple clues about the oppressive nature of societal norms. Furthermore, the bird itself, which is known to be melodic and singsongy, represents Mrs. Wright’s desire for freedom and self-expression, which she used to gain from her passion for singing. The sheriff and the neighbor’s wives’ (Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale) short discussion consists of how Mrs. Wright had been a free and outgoing person, which changed after her husband, a grumpy, more stubborn person brought her contentment down with him. This moreover highlights the constant theme of oppression, desperation, and the stifling of passion which pervades the story. The silence and stillness of the dead bird also serve as a metaphor for when women’s thoughts and voices are suppressed and marginalized in society. An example of the author’s sorrowful tone is when the two wives are discussing the stifled life of Mrs. Wright, while finding many trifles in the kitchen, such as the broken birdcage, the sewing supply, and other indications of her daily life. The broken birdcage portrays the image of someone mishandling it out of anger, fury, or agitation, as there is a perfectly fine door to open the cage. The sewing supply symbolizes the societal norms expected from women, doing ‘womanly or feminine’ acts, depicting their conventional role as the caretaker for the house, and managing the small tidbits that men are used to ignoring. The other mundane objects, such as the broken jars, dirty towels, and worn-out furniture evoke a sense of isolation and loneliness, highlighting her desperate situation. The insinuating and sorrowful tone of the author when describing these small symbols portrays feelings of empathy, pity, and maybe even shock for some people. The formality of the characters, for example; the men, who are so unyielding to emotion, maintain a very dignified approach to the entirety of the situation, possibly forming some stunned and horrified emotions within the reader. The characters almost seem desensitized, inured, to the murder that just took place, whereas, for the reader, it is probable that this event is an irregular phenomenon. For instance, when the two wives find the dead bird, they are not as disgusted or shocked as the reader may feel, but rather in subtle consideration of Mrs. Wright’s life. The way the author uses symbolism in the story, through small comforting objects such as the sewing supply, and the jar of fruit, lulls the readers into a state of normalcy when the setting is completely abnormal. Alongside these observations, the author simultaneously uses techniques such as foreshadowing to express her disapproval of how women are mistreated by men.

Glaspell uses foreshadowing to indicate her disapproval of the patriarchal society and how women are ill-treated because of it. As the story unfolds, the audience is presented with subtle hints and clues that suggest something is amiss in Mr. Wright’s house. The apparently trivial trifles in the story, such as the birdcage, unevenly stitched quilts, destroyed preserves, and dirty towels all serve as ominous signs foreshadowing the revelation of Mr. Wright’s murderer. The tone of the play gradually shifts from a sense of curiosity and intrigue to one that works as a harbinger of the gloomy reasoning behind the murder. Throughout the author’s use of foreshadowing, Glaspell’s tone remains ominous, with a hint of irony. The author’s incorporation of foreshadowing creates a sense of tension and suspense, refusing to let readers look away. As the truth begins to unravel, the tone becomes increasingly dark and sorrowful, mirroring the despair of Mrs. Wright, which led her to commit an unforgivable crime. Glaspell weaves together multiple clues, or ‘trifles’, that indicate certain parts of the story are amiss, and that the men are more interested in finding out how the murder is committed, rather than why. The broken birdcage itself foreshadows how Mrs. Wright was mistreated and desperate in an attempt to escape her suffocating marriage. As the story progresses, unfolding beyond the reader, the tone of the author becomes increasingly gloomy and tense. Using foreshadowing, the author drops hints of criticism to highlight the consequences of a society that doesn’t value the significant role of women. This overall creates a somber, dark, and foreboding mood within the reader that permeates the entirety of the play. For instance, when the two women discover the bird cage belonging to Mrs. Wright, Mrs. Hale remarks “I s’pose maybe the cat got it.” (Glaspell 6), but Mrs Peters makes it clear that she did not have a cat, and it is later revealed that there is something wrapped up in silk, a dead bird, with its neck wrung. This climax of the story creates a sense of unease and tension in the reader, hinting at the violent and tragic events that occurred in Mr. Wright’s house. The use of foreshadowing in this instance creates an environment of shock and horror, as the reader realizes that the broken birdcage with the dead bird is a symbol of violence and oppression that Mrs. Wright suffered through the entirety of her life. The mental image of the dead bird is disturbing, further bringing more unease to the reader. Through foreshadowing, the reader’s mood becomes increasingly tense, building anticipation while deciphering the event that has occurred and the consequences of it.

The author incorporates characterization to portray different characters, objects, and what their actions signify. The use of this tool denotes the author’s tone, which is critical and disapproving, and nearing the end of the story makes the reader feel empathetic towards the women, and slightly agitated towards the men. The author uses the men’s comments towards the women to make the women’s concerns seem insignificant and petty. Glaspell has the men use mocking language such as “loyal to your sex, I see” (Glaspell 3) to Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, provoking the mindset that women stick together, portraying it as a disappointing observation. Also, stating that “they wonder if she was going to quilt it or just knot it” (Glaspell, 5), which has the men characterize the women as being little-minded as if they have no other concerns but their sewing supply. Lastly pointing out that Mrs. Wright was “not much of a housekeeper, would you say ladies?” (Glaspell, 3) implies that all women should be the caretakers and consistently maintain the condition of the house in perfect order. The use of this language in a humorous attempt reveals their thought process of how women are, portraying them in a stereotypical manner, unimportant and negligible. The way the author uses the men in the story to help characterize the women and how they supposedly are tricks the reader into thinking that Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters are not important, and do not play a significant enough role. Nevertheless, further along the story, the author shows the women’s perspectives, which informs the reader of what they think, which is, ironically, very significant. This change of perspective towards the women helps the reader see the author’s tone, which is disapproving. The author starts the story from the men’s perspective, then changes it, showing the irony and unexpectedness of how the women are much better detectives. When the country’s attorney says “Not much of a housekeeper, would you say ladies?” (Glaspell 3), he is mirroring the societal expectations held over women and what happens if people do not follow them. This comment further supports the revelation of the dismissive and authoritative nature of men towards women, foreshadowing the tragedy of the event that occurred because of the norms that women are forced to follow. The author’s tone is mocking, criticizing the oppression of women and the possible outcomes of that. This switch of perspective brings an important nuance of change within the reader’s mind. While the women are being characterized by the men as unimportant, and unhelpful, the reader later finds out that they are anything but, as they find all the trifles. By the actions of the women (being quiet, hidden, and observant), it is easy to see them as negligible, although later on in the story that changes, as their true perspectives are shown. The mood of the reader might be ironic, following a change of thought towards the women, as they discover the most important information. This might suggest that the small tidbits of characterization shown by the men, who are arrogant and pompous, can change the perspective of the reader towards the women as well, and how people can base their entire idea of someone on the opinions of others and still prove to be wrong. This further illustrates the point of the author portraying her disapproval towards not only the men but maybe even the readers, beginning the story by tricking them into thinking badly of the women, and then finding out the significance of change that they hold.

The author’s use of symbolism, foreshadowing, and characterization helps to portray the depth of her frustrated tone, which criticizes how women are overlooked by men, evoking the reader’s mood, which is empathetic, pitiful, and concerned. Glaspell uses these literary devices to denote her overall negative opinion of men who are dismissive and pretentious towards the women around them, revealing the dark underside of a society that oppresses its women and the horrific, devastating consequences that follow.