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Trifles

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Kimbrew 1

Brittany Kimbrew

Prof. Earls

English 102

August 3, 2022

Review of Susan Glaspell’s Trifles

Trifles written by Susan Glaspell was loosely based on the murder of John Hossack. Miss

Glaspell was working as a journalist for the Des Moines Daily News when Mr. Hossack was

killed. (Glaspell 2020) This play brings to light the role of women seen through the eyes of men

and through the eyes of reality. Trifles directed by Nancy Greening filmed in New York, New

York, starred Sally Connors as Mrs. Hale, Melinda Graham as (Susan Glaspell) Mrs. Peters,

David A. Green as Sheriff Peters, James Hamblin as Mr. Hale, and Seth Ruffer as Attorney

Henderson. Though this play is no more than twenty-two minutes Sally Connors and Melinda

Graham steal the show and they bring home that Trifles are in the eye of the beholder.

Viewers are greeted with a blistering wind, a crackling fire, crunching snow and the

spotlight falls on Melinda Graham. A simple opening and minimal props were all it took to bring

this story to life.

Since the play begins in medias res viewers are giving the background by “Susan

Glaspell” played my Melinda Graham, introduces the viewer to the events that had occurred

prior to the meeting within the Wright’s home. The opening line “This feels good. Come (Step)

up to the fire, ladies” – Attorney Henderson. Sets the mood that women are much weaker and

need big strong men to care for them. As the women turn him down the viewer is given the sense

that they are quite use to harsh cold conditions and are not as fragile as one would imagine. Once
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the moment has passed the men begin reviewing the scene and the story that took place the night

before.

As the County Attorney and the Sheriff begin to measure who has the biggest ego the

women are shuffled to the side. Once their cockfight has ended Mr. Hale steps out and recounts

the events from his point of view. Mr. Hale lets it be known within his monologue that Mr.

Wright was a hard man and harsh to his wife. As he says “I though maybe if I talked about it

with his wife…though I don’t know what his wife wanted made much difference to John

(Wright)…” Mr. Henderson (County Attorney) swept the comment under the rug and wanted to

move on the more “important” issues at hand.

All of this leads to the leading ladies and their ability to shape singular insignificant

details into proof of guilt. Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale piece together the mystery of Mr. Wright’s

death like the broken jar of preserves. A messy kitchen, quilt pieces to be quilted or knotted, an

empty red tin, an empty bird cage, and a broken woman not shown but seen through the eyes of

two talented prop-less actresses. These two gave viewers a dead canary waiting to be buried and

visions of Mrs. Wright as a young, beautiful, talented woman who used to sing in the church

choir. The viewer is drawn to the side of Mrs. Wright even if she is a murderer, her spirit was

killed first, and the viewers are given access to her murder by Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters.

Trifles was a splendid treat filled with suspense, sorrow, regret, and heart felt tragedy. It

spoke and woke many generations to the suffering of women throughout the nation. Trifles

brought light to women’s rights and the abuse they have endured. It is a masterpiece.
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Works Cited

Glaspell, Susan Trifles & The Outside: “Philosophy Should Quicken Life, Not Deaden It.” Stage

Door, 2020. EBSCOhost, https://search-ebscohost-com.ccproxy.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=e870sww&AN=2392224&site=eds-live&scope=site.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1LGwPFeSz8

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