Though men and women are now recognized as equal in intelligence, when Susan Glaspell wrote "Trifles" and "A Jury of Her Peers" in 1916, it was not so. In this turn-of-the-century setting, women were barely educated and had no power. Relegated to home, women found themselves at the mercy of the men in their lives. It is just this powerless existence that over time developed into a power with which women could baffle their male counterparts: an intuition. In Glaspell's story, ironic situations contrast male and female intuition, illustrating that Minnie Wright is more fairly judged by "a jury of her peers.".
"Trifles" illustrates the contrasting intuitions when the men go looking for clues to the murder of John Wright, but it is the women who find them. They bring Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters along to tend to the practical matters, considering them preoccupied with trivial things and unable to contribute to the investigation. While the men are looking for something obvious, the women find more subtle clues despite themselves and even try to hide from each other what they know. They are bound by a power they don't comprehend, as Mrs. Hale states, "We all go through the same things - it's all just a different kind of the same thing" (1333). Though sympathetic to Minnie, the women cannot deny the clues that lead them to the conclusion of her guilt.
If it is ironic that the women find the clues, it is even more ironic that they find them in the trivial household items to which the men attribute so little significance. "Nothing here but kitchen things," the sheriff says (1326). The women, "used to worrying over trifles" (1326), attach importance to the mundane, looking around the kitchen, they see many examples of the hard existence of Minnie. Knowing the pride a woman takes in her home, they see Minnie's kitchen half-cleaned, not dirty, and the significance is not lost on them. Upon discovering the erratic quilt stitching, they are alarmed.
Trifles are defined as "things of little value or importance." The irony here is deep. ... Hale in Trifles also shows support for this notion. ... There was irony displayed throughout the short story. ... The irony of it all is that these men think the women are less than capable. ...
Using paradox and dramatic irony he demonstrated the devastating effect of a delusionary lifestyle. ... Through a twist of irony, Macbeth and his wife would be his murderers. ... Hecate herself stated the irony of this trust when she said that: "He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear His hopes bove wisdom, grace, and fear; And, you all know, security Is mortals' chiefest enemy... The irony became clear when Macbeth realized the futility of his ambition. ... Banquo understood that "oftentimes, to win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest ...
In 1916, Susan Glaspell wrote the one-act play Trifles. was originally written by Susan Glaspell as a play entitled Trifles. ... Peters discover Minnie's motive by paying close attention to what the men consider "trifles", or the insignificant matters of women. ... The irony to the story is how Mr. ...
The man that Brown encounters in the woods states, "I have been as well acquainted with your family as with ever a one among the Puritans; and that's no trifle to say (265)". ... Poes uses three different types of irony which are dramatic, verbal, and situational irony. ... Secondly Poe uses verbal irony in Montresor's toast to Fortunato's long life. ... Poe uses a lot of situational irony throughout this story. There is situational irony in the fact that the crime takes place during a celebration. ...
The irony of these comments is at the expense of womankind and is soon noticed. ... "It is by decoding these "Trifles", which men ignore, that the two women not only solve the murder mystery but develop their sense of identity as women with Minnie Wright" (Hedges 90). ...
The Death in Marriage In Susan Glaspells" play Trifles although we never actually see Mrs. Wright we learn a lot about her self character. The play has a very underlying subplot of Mrs. Wrights" character change after marriage. We see how she acts and feels once life has stolen her true inhibitio...
It was dramatic irony that as Duncan's trust grew; Macbeth was plotting to kill him. ... I think that if he had listened to Banquo when he told him that the witches were just evil and that they could deceive them in important matters "" the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles, to betray's in deepest consequence."" ...
Banquo a bit more cautious than Macbeth warns him (the good is bad thing, remember) "oftentimes, to win us to our harm, / The instruments of darkness (the witches) tell us truths, / Win us with honest trifle, to betray's / In deepest consequence." ... Is there some irony that just after saying this Duncan greets Macbeth in absolute trust? ... Notice the irony in the comment "He (Duncan) that's coming / Must be provided for." ... More irony as we know what's going on. ...
