Trifles

Answers--

The Purpose of Symbols in the Play: [Julie from St. Thomas University explains:] Overall, it is through the discovery of these small "kitchen things," and Mrs. Hale's familiarity with Mrs. Wright, that the women piece together Mrs. Wright's motive. Ironically, the men thought these things were insignificant to the murder case.

The setting portrayed through these symbols the life of Minnie Wright, which she struggled through from an abusive husband. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters were able to evaluate the clues around the kitchen and find the underlying truth. In addition, the women recognize how the men will react to their finding - primarily the missing significance of those "trifles." This exposes the men's narrow view of women, enabling the women to take a step beyond that seclusion in a male-dominated society and have control to protect Minnie.

Rocking Chair: [Catherine Langhorne (JSRCC) says:] I believe that the rocking chair is a sign that Mrs. Wright is trying to stay calm, but she was very nervous. She was holding her apron, and she was bunching it up. She is sitting in the rocker when she tells Hale that her husband "died of a rope around his neck." Mrs. Wright was told the coroner was on his way, and she moved to a small chair in the corner. She knew that she was going to get caught.

[Kelly Bergman (RCC) observes:] The rocking chair symbolizes

her way of tranquility. She was finally at peace, and that was where she liked to spend her quiet time.

Cherry Preserves: [Julie from the University of St. Thomas explains:] As Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale observe the kitchen setting, they notice that the cherry preserves were broken from the cold. The preserves represent the " trifles" that women concerned themselves which [actually] took many hours of labor to make. The men, however, . . . make fun of Mrs. Wright for worrying for her preserves: "Can you beat that woman, held for murder and worrin' about her preserves."

As a result of the cold weather, the jars had cracked and broken just like Mrs. Wright - she, too, had fallen apart. Thus, the preserves symbolize the meaning of Minnie's life of hard labor and confinement. Moreover, the preserves were shattered just as her spirit was broken by her cruel and unappreciative husband.

The preserves were evidently something Minnie enjoyed doing; it brought satisfaction in her lonely life. This was an indication that it was not out of Mrs. Wright's control - due to her dreadful emotional state living in the household lonely.

In addition, women were not looked on with any meaning for society, thus, like the preserves, Minnie cracked due to the extreme harshness and "coldness" from her husband.

Quilt: [Kristin Nonnemacher (NVCC):] I think the quilt is symbolic of the story and all the trifles Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale find. Before a quilt is completed, it is just a bunch of patches of fabric. They don't have anything in common at all until they are pieced together to form a quilt. The pieces don't seem to have any relation to each other at all, just like all the little trifles of information the women

gather in the kitchen, until they are put together. The messy stitching could be symbolic of the turmoil Mrs. Wright was going through. The quilt remains incomplete, as does the story, since we don't know the fate of Mrs. Wright.

[Kitty Lee of JSRCC offers these details:] The quilt is symbolic because it helps to show the fact that Mrs. Wright knew how to tie a knot. As you should recall Mr. Wright was hung by a rope. The rope had to be tied in a knot to make a loop to put around his neck. When she was sewing the quilt she began to sew out of line. Was she nervous? Mrs. Hale says, "Mrs. Peters, look at this one. Here, this is the one she was working on..." This is not her first

time sewing a quilt, so therefore, Mrs. Wright had no reason to be nervous, unless she had done something to be nervous about like killing her husband. When the County Attorney says, "Well ladies, have you decided whether she was going to quilt it or knot it?", Mrs. Peters replies, "We think she was going to-knot it."

Canary: [Catherine Langhorne (JSRCC) suggests that:] The dead bird lets other people know that Mrs. Wright is capable of murder. Mrs. Hale notices that the bird has a broken neck. The bird didn't die of natural causes. Mrs. Wright also put the bird in a box that was laying in her sewing basket. I believe she wanted someone to see the dead bird. She could have buried the bird and her husband, but she chose to keep them with her in the house.

[Kelly Bergman (RCC) claims, apparently assuming that Minnie killed the bird, that] The bird is also symbolic of the way she wanted all the noise in her life to just cease. In some ways it could be taken as evidence to whether or not the murder was premeditated or not.

[Peter Pudner (JSRCC) offers:] I agree the bird is the most significant prop in trifles. It is symbolic of the way Mr. Wright treated Mrs. Wright and, as you said, the reason Mr. Wright is dead. I also think the bird is symbolic of how Mr. Wright wanted to "kill" any thing, which gave Mrs. Wright pleasure.

[Daniel Owens (NVCC) concludes:] While the bird is a very symbolic prop it can carry several meanings. It can reinforce the separation of the woman from the men about the crime scene and Mrs. Wright's guilt. It can also lead the reader to again ask themselves questions like

What really happened here?

Who killed the bird Mr. or Mrs. Wright?

Why did the bird get wrapped and hidden in the sewing bag?

What was Mrs. Wright's state of mind.

[Anna Uong captures this idea in her summary of ideas submitted for this question:] Mrs. Wright wanted others to find the dead bird; otherwise, she would have buried it.

[Kitty Lee of JSRCC says:] The bird is symbolic because it also helps to solve the case of Mr. Wright's murder. When the ladies found the bird, they found it in a box, wrapped up, as if it was something special--and it was, at least to Mrs. Wright. Otherwise, why would she be keeping a dead bird in a box? The ladies came to the conclusion that Mr. Wright killed the bird, and he probably did, and that's why Mrs. Wright killed him.

Mr.

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