Trifles by Susan Glaspell Analysis

The play, Trifles, by Susan Glaspell, handles the murder mystery of what has happened to a man named John Wright. County attorney, sheriff, Mr.Hale, and the sheriffs and Hales wives all come together to look for any evidence they can find in John Wrights house. The play deals with hostility between males and females as absolutely polar opposites, females were essentially just objects for males. 

Females were primarily taken as a joke to males because females were viewed to be not useful. In the play, County Attorney, Mrs. Peters, Sheriff, and Ms. Hale are looking for any evidence that they could find and Mrs. Peters says “(to the other woman) Oh, her fruit; it did freeze. She worried about that when it turned cold. She said the fire’d go out and her jars would break,” and then the sheriff says “Well, can you beat the women! Held for murder and worryin’ about her preserves (162),” the sheriff is fundamentally making Mrs. Peters sound really pathetic because she was worried about a “women thing.” Mrs. Peters said it to Ms. Hale knowing that the men wouldn’t care about those types of things.  In another part, the county attorney accidentally uses a dirty towel and the county attorney says “To be sure. And yet (with a little bow to her) I know there are some Dickson county farmhouses which do not have such roller towels (he gives it a pull to expose its full length again)” and Mrs. Hale responds, “Those towels get dirty awfully quick. Men’s hands aren’t always as clean as they think they might be,” then county attorney replies with “ Ah, loyal to your sex, I see..(163)” the county attorney is looking down upon Mrs. Hale as if she was a child. Women were not taken seriously most of the time and almost everything thing they did was questioned by the opposite sex. 

Inequality and justice are the two major themes that were expressed in this play. Inequality between females and males was more of men having a say in everything and women just follow behind. In the play, everyone was searching for evidence and county attorney says “Well, women are used to worrying over trifles (162),” this conveyed that men think that the stuff woman do are not as important as what they deal with. Men and women views were very different. The theme of justice was between the law and getting justice for oneself. In the play, Mrs. Peter and Mrs. Hale debate about if Mrs. Wright did the deed or not, Mrs. Peter says “No, it’s strange. It must have been awful crafty and still. They say it was such a --funny way to kill a man, rigging him up like that (164),” contemplating why Mr.Wright was killed the way he was. This questioned if killing Mr.Wright was against the law or not because they couldn’t find anything. Another part of the play where Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale talk about what kind of man  John Wright and Mrs. Hale say “Yes- good; he didn’t drink, and kept his words as well as most, I guess, and paid his debts. But he was a hard man, Mrs. Peters. Just to pass the time of day with him. (shivers.) Like a raw wind that gets to the bone. (pauses, her eye falling on the cage.) I should think she would’a wanted a bird. But what do you suppose went with it (165),” inferring that Mr. Wright didn’t treat his wife right, not surprising. This made the two ladies feel remorse for Mrs. Wright because they knew that she was disconsolate because she felt unloved. Insinuating that from the ladies’ point of view, that Mrs. Wright had justice for herself but from the law point of view, she committed a crime. 

The patterns that I recognized were women being underestimated with what they know and do. In the play, towards the end where everyone is about to leave County attorney says “Oh I guess they’re not very dangerous things the ladies have picked up. (Moves a few things about, disturbing the quilt pieces which cover the box. Steps back.) No, Mrs. Peters doesn’t need supervising. For that matter, a sheriff’s wife is married to the law. Ever think of it that way, Mrs. Peters (166)?” suggesting that woman aren’t really dangerous. This made a connection with how being the sheriffs wife means that that’s her title and thats why the county attorney trusts her. This pattern of woman being underestimated is a leverage for them because they can do stuff and act like they know nothing because it’s “not a woman thing to do.”

The connection between female and male are drastically different, males were the superior sex and that females were suppose to follow. This play was very riveting to read, cause it made me feel all sorts of emotions because it’s frustrating that females were treated this way.