Susan Glaspell's play "Trifles- highlights the unequal status of men and women that existed in the early 20th century. In "Trifles-, the author uses visual symbols and dialogue surrounding the murder of a local farmer by his wife to develop the idea that a misunderstanding exists between men and women. .
Immediately upon entry into the crime scene, a lonely untidy farmhouse, the bystanders are confronted with the harsh, deceptive visual images that not only set the stage for the murder but also establish the state of mind of the farmer's wife, Mrs. Wright. A table half-cleaned, dirty dishes scattered around the sink, a quilt left unfinished, and an empty birdcage, not only emphasizes Mrs. Wright's tormented condition as she dwelt for twenty years under the constraining husband.
The men in this play are trying to search for clues as well as an explanation for this horrific crime. They look in the upstairs bedroom, where Mr. Wright is found strangled in his bed, to the barn (another masculine domain where clues must certainly abound), the men spend little time in the kitchen, the domain of women "preferring to leave the ladies there "just in case they happen to stumble upon a clue. Patronizing the women, County Attorney Henderson says, "And keep your eyes out, Mrs. Peters, for anything that might be of use. No telling; you women might come upon a clue to the motive "and that's the thing we need- (Glaspell 5). Adding insult to injury, Mr. Hale continues the thought: "But would the women know a clue if they did come upon it?- (Glaspell 5). But it is in the kitchen that the real investigation of the heart and soul of a caged woman takes place. As Mrs. Peters, the wife of a sheriff who wears his badge on his chest and on his sleeve, and Mrs. Hale remark about the room, they feel as if they can relive Minnie Wright's life in that desolate place and feel the pain she must have endured.
