Trifles

Characters in the play

John Wright, Minnie Wright, Mrs. Hale, Mrs. Peters, Sheriff, County Attorney, Mr. Hale

Describe John Wright

Cold, strict, emotionally distant husband

Describe Minnie Wright before and after marriage

Cheerful and lively before; isolated, depressed, and silenced after

Describe Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters

Observant, empathetic, quietly rebellious, understand Minnie’s life

How do the men view the women in the play

They dismiss them and think they only care about “trifles”

Setting of the play

The Wright farmhouse kitchen, cold and lonely

What are the men looking for

Evidence or motive for John Wright’s murder

Key themes in the play

Gender roles, justice, isolation

Significant symbols in the play

Quilt, birdcage, canary, preserves, kitchen setting

Significance of the quilt

Shows Minnie’s emotional state; “knot it” hints at how she killed her husband

Significance of the birdcage and canary

Canary represents Minnie’s lost joy; its death symbolizes John’s cruelty

Significance of the preserves

Symbol of Minnie’s care and domestic life, now destroyed like her spirit

How do the men behave at the crime scene

Logical, dismissive, overlook emotional clues

How do the women behave at the crime scene

Notice small details, understand Minnie’s emotional life, uncover motive

What are trifles in the play

Small domestic details men ignore but reveal the truth

Examples of trifles

Quilt stitching, broken birdcage, dead canary, ruined preserves

Significance of the phrase “knot it”

Connects the quilt to the murder; Minnie “knotted” the rope around John’s neck