Setting
Where does the play primarily take place?
in the gloomy, messy kitchen of the John and Minnie Wright farmhouse.
Who is the main suspect in the murder?
His wife, Minnie Wright
What specific object do the women find hidden in a box that confirms Minnie's motive?
A dead canary (a small bird).
What term does the County Attorney use repeatedly to dismiss the women's domestic concerns?
"Trifles."
What is the weather like outside the house when the play begins?
It is cold and a fire is needed.
What are the names of the two women who enter the farmhouse?
Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters.
What item of Minnie Wright's clothing are the women asked to gather?
Her clothing/apron and shawl.
What item of evidence do Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters decide to hide?
The dead canary.
What happened to John Wright?
He was strangled (killed with a rope/cord) while sleeping.
Who is Mrs. Peters married to?
The Sheriff, Henry Peters.
What is the first "trifle" the women notice that the men mock?
The broken preserves/fruit jars that had frozen.
By hiding the evidence, what are the women choosing to follow: the Law or Empathy?
Empathy (or a higher moral justice).
What area of the house do the men repeatedly search for evidence, contrasting with the kitchen where the women remain?
the bedroom (where John Wright was found) and, briefly, the barn.
Who is the County Attorney?
George Henderson.
What do the women realize was the fate of Minnie's pet bird?
They realize John Wright killed the bird by wringing its neck.
What is the last thing Mrs. Hale says the quilt pattern was going to be?
She says the knotting, if completed, would be called "knot it."