Trifles is a one-act play written by Susan Glaspell in 1916. The play is a murder mystery set in a small Iowa farmhouse, where a man named John Wright has been found strangled in his bed. His wife, Minnie Wright, is the prime suspect.
The play is told from the perspective of the men who are investigating the crime, and the women who are helping them. The men, who are the county attorney, the sheriff, and the neighbor, are focused on finding evidence that will lead to Minnie's arrest and conviction. They are not interested in the mundane details of the household, such as the condition of the kitchen or the quilting in progress. They dismiss the women's concerns as "trifles," which leads to the title of the play.
However, the women pay close attention to these details and are able to uncover clues that the men have overlooked. They discover that Minnie's canary is missing from its cage and that the cage is covered in cobwebs. They also notice that the quilt is not finished, which suggests that Minnie was interrupted while working on it. This leads them to conclude that Minnie must have been in a state of distress when she killed her husband.
Throughout the play, the men belittle and dismiss the women's observations and insights, which serves to highlight the societal gender roles and expectations of the time. The men are in positions of authority and power, while the women are expected to be subservient and to focus on the domestic tasks of the household.
Despite their lower social standing, the women in Trifles are able to use their knowledge of the household and their intuition to uncover the truth about the murder. They demonstrate that the seemingly insignificant details of everyday life can be important and that women's perspectives and experiences should not be dismissed or ignored.
In conclusion, Trifles is a thought-provoking play that explores themes of gender roles, power dynamics, and the importance of paying attention to detail. It challenges the notion that women's concerns and insights are unimportant and highlights the value of diverse perspectives in solving problems.
