24 pages • 48 minutes read
Susan GlaspellTrifles
Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1916A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
Trifles by Susan Glaspell is a one-act play set in the aftermath of John Wright’s murder by strangulation, where the County Attorney, Sheriff, and neighbors investigate the crime scene in the Wright farmhouse. While the men search for evidence upstairs, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale piece together the motive through subtle household details, ultimately discovering a dead canary with a broken neck, symbolizing Mrs. Wright's repressed life and her possible motive for the crime. The play involves themes of gender roles, isolation, and justice.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Susan Glaspell's Trifles has garnered praise for its strong feminist themes, engaging dialogue, and intricate portrayal of early 20th-century gender dynamics. Critics laud the play’s evocative atmosphere and its criticism of societal norms. Some find its brevity limits character development, though most agree it’s a powerful, thought-provoking piece.
Who Should Read Trifles?
Readers who would enjoy Susan Glaspell's Trifles appreciate feminist literature, psychological drama, and crime mysteries. Ideal for fans of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper and Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, this play delves into gender dynamics and the subtleties of domestic life.