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Topic 3 Trifles by Susan Glaspell - Coggle Diagram
Topic 3 Trifles by Susan Glaspell
the characters and their characterisation
Minnie Wright
• woman accused of killing her husband, John Wright.
• The women investigating her home uncover evidence that suggests Minnie was abused.
Lewis Hale
• a farmer
• neighbour of the Wright family.
• A straightforward, honest man
• bit rough around the edges from the harsh life of a rural farmer.
• the first to discover John’s murder
• slow to judgment and hesitant to suggest that Minnie may have been involved somehow.
Mrs. Hale
• the wife of Lewis
• commits what she thinks is a justifiable crime
• accompanies her husband to the crime scene to gather items for the imprisoned Minnie.
• gets frustrated with men’s demeaning attitude
• understands and empathizes with Minnie’s isolation and alienation.
• friends with Minnie
• notices most of the clues first
• the one who suggests that John was an unhappy, abusive man who may have deserved his fate.
• hides the dead canary, evidence suggesting a motive for the crime.
George Henderson
• the attorney that will eventually prosecute Minnie.
• When questioning Hale about John’s murder, he misses important details.
• quick to make judgments.
• he mocks Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters for their interest in whether Minnie was going to quilt or knot her sewing project, not realizing the answer was actually one of the clues he was seeking.
the plot structure
Exposition
The whole group shows up at the Wrights' gloomy farmhouse, and we get a stacking scoop of back-story and also find out what everybody is here to do. Basically, Mrs. Wright is imprisoned because she most likely strangled her husband with a rope. The County Attorney and the other men are here to find clues, and the women are going to collect some things for Mrs. Wright.
Climax
Mrs. Hale gets more and more annoyed by the men, while she and Mrs. Peters grow to understand Mrs. Wright's disappointment of a life with her awful husband. The first big complication happens when the ladies find a dead canary, most likely murdered by Mr. Wright, which is evidence of Mrs. Wright's motive for murdering him. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters decide to hide the dead bird from the County Attorney and the other men.
Resolution
Mrs. Hale delivers a comment to the County Attorney while pressing her hand against the dead canary in her pocket. The men are clueless, but we know the women won this round. The story is resolved, and the case is closed.
References
Trifles plot analysis. (n.d.). Homework Help & Study Guides For Students | Shmoop.
https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/trifles/analysis/plot-analysis
Trifles. (n.d.). eNotes.
https://www.enotes.com/topics/trifles
the setting
Early 1900's America
the Kitchen of Wright Farmhouse