Trifles Essay -- essays research papers

Trifles, written by Susan Glaspell, is a real life murder case that uses symbolism to help solve a mystery. Glaspell's use of dialect, set on a midwestern farm, emphasizes the town's gender-separated society. Isolationism, a quilt, and incomplete house work are the three key symbols in the play the help the reader figure out who murdered Mrs. Wright's husband. First of all, isolationism is an important clue in the murder case. Mrs. Wright's farmhouse is located in a hollow, down in the woods, which puts her in a secluded place. Mr. Hale, a friend, came to talk to Mr. Wright about a party telephone, but he said, "He put me off, saying folks talked too much anyway . . . " (59). This is an example of how Mr. Wright did not want himself and his wife to have contact with anyone in t...