Cause and Effect “Trifles”
Mary Nix
September 25, 2010
Professor Kitt
English 218: “Trifles” “Great events make me quiet and calm; it is only trifles that irritate my nerves.” – Queen Victoria. A trifle is defined by Webster’s dictionary as: something of little value, substance or importance; to some small degree. In the one act play, “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell, she reveals how insignificant and meaningless trifles to one person’s point of view, can be colossal and monumental trifles in the individual’s life who is experiencing them. I support Mrs. Wright’s decision in murdering her husband in this one act play because she was a woman who had reached her wits end, Mr. Wright had been mentally and physically abusive and because the County Officials chose not to pay attention to things that they considered “a woman’s trifles”. First of all, Mrs. Minnie Wright had become a woman scorned -she was a woman who had reached her wits end - her late husband, Mr. Wright, had driven her to the point of no return! It appeared as though she went unappreciated. She spent most of her time alone because Mr. Wright was constantly out on the farm attending to other business. The couple had no children to add life to their house- or to enjoy their company, so somewhere along the line, Mrs. Wright becomes the owner of a pet parakeet. Yet the fame and happiness are short lived and the bird dies. Mrs. Hale compared Mrs. Wright to the bird in the one act play and said that she had become similar to the pet bird she had once owned: real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and fluttery. It appears that the dead bird was Mrs. Wright’s source of life besides the same ol’ same ol’. It had been years of nothingness and then the bird arrived to sing to her, giving her something to look forward to. It is never made clear throughout the act if Mr. Wright killed the bird or natural causes, but from my reading, I believe that Mr. Wright became agitated because of the birds singing and so he killed it and this was
September 25, 2010
Professor Kitt
English 218: “Trifles” “Great events make me quiet and calm; it is only trifles that irritate my nerves.” – Queen Victoria. A trifle is defined by Webster’s dictionary as: something of little value, substance or importance; to some small degree. In the one act play, “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell, she reveals how insignificant and meaningless trifles to one person’s point of view, can be colossal and monumental trifles in the individual’s life who is experiencing them. I support Mrs. Wright’s decision in murdering her husband in this one act play because she was a woman who had reached her wits end, Mr. Wright had been mentally and physically abusive and because the County Officials chose not to pay attention to things that they considered “a woman’s trifles”. First of all, Mrs. Minnie Wright had become a woman scorned -she was a woman who had reached her wits end - her late husband, Mr. Wright, had driven her to the point of no return! It appeared as though she went unappreciated. She spent most of her time alone because Mr. Wright was constantly out on the farm attending to other business. The couple had no children to add life to their house- or to enjoy their company, so somewhere along the line, Mrs. Wright becomes the owner of a pet parakeet. Yet the fame and happiness are short lived and the bird dies. Mrs. Hale compared Mrs. Wright to the bird in the one act play and said that she had become similar to the pet bird she had once owned: real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and fluttery. It appears that the dead bird was Mrs. Wright’s source of life besides the same ol’ same ol’. It had been years of nothingness and then the bird arrived to sing to her, giving her something to look forward to. It is never made clear throughout the act if Mr. Wright killed the bird or natural causes, but from my reading, I believe that Mr. Wright became agitated because of the birds singing and so he killed it and this was