Susan Glaspell, A Scene from Trifles

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Provided courtesy of the Lear Center for Special Collections & Archives, Connecticut College.

Susan Glaspell

A Scene from Trifles (Literature To Go, p. 601)

Listen to a scene from Trifles, performed by Jeanie Hackett, Amy Madigan, Sam McMurray, Steven Vinovich, and Steven Weber. After reading the play in your book, answer the questions below.

Performed and recorded by L.A. Theatre Works (www.latw.org). Used by permission.

Considerations for Critical Thinking and Writing

  1. first response. Describe the setting of this play. What kind of atmosphere is established by the details in the opening scene? Does the atmosphere change through the course of the play?

  2. Characterize John Wright. Why did his wife kill him?

  3. Why do the men fail to see the clues that Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters discover?

  4. How do the men’s conversations and actions reveal their attitudes toward women?

  5. What is the significance of the play’s last line, spoken by Mrs. Hale: “We call it—knot it, Mr. Henderson”? Explain what you think the tone of Mrs. Hale’s voice is when she says this line. What is she feeling? What are you feeling?

  6. connection to another selection. Write an essay comparing the views of marriage in Trifles and in Kate Chopin’s short story “The Story of an Hour” (Literature To Go, p. 13). What similarities do you find in the themes of these two works? Are there any significant differences between the works?