The Playwright
She wrote Trifles and co-founded the Provincetown Players.
Susan Glaspell
Trifles is set in this location.
A farmhouse kitchen
This small object becomes the key clue in the case.
The dead canary
He is the County Attorney investigating the case.
George Henderson
The men laugh when the women talk about this household item.
The quilt
Glaspell’s writing often focused on this social issue.
Gender inequality
The play takes place during this season.
Winter
The women notice messy stitching in this household item.
The quilt
This woman sympathizes deeply with Minnie Wright.
Mrs. Hale
Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters feel sympathy when they see these broken household items.
The frozen and broken jars of fruit preserves
She won the Pulitzer Prize in 1931 for this play.
Alison’s House
The setting reflects this feeling Minnie Wright experiences.
Isolation
The bird symbolizes this part of Minnie Wright’s lost self.
Her voice or joy
She says, “The law is the law,” but hides evidence.
Mrs. Peters
The quote “The law is the law” is said by this character.
Mrs. Peters
Before becoming a playwright, she worked in this profession.
Journalism
The play was first performed in this year.
1916
The title Trifles refers to these things men dismiss.
Small details / women’s work
He discovered John Wright’s body.
Mr. Hale
Who says: “Well, women are used to worrying over trifles.”
Mr. Hale
Who co-founded the Provincetown Players, the experimental theatre group
Susan Glaspell and George Cram Cook
Glaspell based the play on this real-life murder case.
The Margaret Hossack case
This broken item foreshadows violence in Minnie’s life.
The birdcage
This unseen character is central to the mystery.
Minnie Wright
The final line, “We call it—knot it,” symbolizes this.
The women’s silent understanding and concealment of Minnie’s motive