County Attorney: I’m going to stay here a while by myself. (To sheriff.) You can send Frank out for me, can’t you? I want to go over everything. I’m not satisfied that we can’t do better.
Sheriff: Do you want to see what Mrs. Peters is going to take in? (The Lawyer goes to the table, picks up the apron, laughs)
County Attorney: Oh, I guess they’re not very dangerous things the ladies have picked out. (Moves a few things about, disturbing the quilt pieces which cover the box. Steps back.) No, Mrs. Peters doesn’t need supervising. For that matter a sheriff’s wife is married to the law. Ever think of it that way, Mrs. Peters?
Mrs. Peters: Not- just that way.
Sheriff: (chuckling) Married to the law. (Moves toward the other room.) I just want you to come in here a minute, George. We ought to take a look at these windows.
County Attorney (scoffingly): Oh, windows!
Sheriff: We’ll be right out, Mr. Hale. (Hale goes outside. The Sheriff follows the County Attorney into the other room. Then Mrs. Hale rises, hands tight together, looking intensely at Mrs. Peters, whose eyes make a slow turn, finally meeting Mrs. Hale’s. A moment Mrs. Hale holds her,then her own eyes point the way to where the box is concealed. Suddenly Mrs. Peters throws back quilt pieces and tries to put the box in the bag she is wearing. It is too big. She opens box, starts to take the bird out, cannot touch it, goes to pieces, stands there helpless. Sound of a knob turning in the other room. Mrs. Hale snatches the box and puts it in the pocket of her big coat. Enter County Attorney and Sheriff.)County Attorney (facetiously): Well, Henry, at least we found out that she was not going to quilt it. She was going to —- what is it you call it, ladies?
Mrs. Hale (her hand against her pocket): We call it– knot it, Mr. Henderson.
Considering the class performance and the excerpt from “Trifles” included above, answer one of the following questions in a paragraph that includes supporting evidence from the text. The paragraph must include the names of all group members and it must be at least 10 sentences.
1. What is the significance of the title? and how does this title emphasize the theme of the play. In a paragraph make a claim at what you think the significance of the title, and how it connects with the theme of the play. (Of course you must identify a theme to answer this question.) Support your claims with evidence from the text.
2. Analyze the irony in “Trifles”. Your claim should identify the role that irony played in the drama. Support this claim with evidence from the text.
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kmarion85 
Tasia McGuire
Tannis Williams
Olin Resse
The significance of the title was something that may value to you but may not mean anything to others, the title emphasize the theme of the play because the men didnt find any use of some of the iteams that was found at the crime scene. The title and the crime scene was connected because the ladies found a dead bird (neck broke) which symbolised them a like to Mrs.Wright, this also related to the Mr.Wright crime because Mr.Wright was found dead (neck broken) like the bird.
(GROUP 1 REPLY)
THE Significance of the title is that small things matter.both ewomen and mens were trying to solve the murder.the men were trying to find more evidence by searching in the edroom the women were trying find evidence by searching in mrs wright things.EVIDENCE FROM THE TEXT:(gloomy kitchen,unwashed dishes under the sink,dirty tables,the bird kneck was broken and burried in a prett cage
There are no names on this comment, and therefore, I can give no credit.
Question 2:
Irony played a key factor in the play Trifiles by Susan Glaspell. It was dramaticly ironic that the women was only going to pick up a few things to take to Ms. Wright in jail, but instead finds evidence of a motive to kill Mr. Wright. Sheriff Peters and County Attorney George Henderson pride themselves on their powers of detection and logical reasoning. But it is the two women, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale, who discover the clues and create a motive from “Trifles” in the Wright home.The men say things like :”Well, women are used to worrying over trifles” and they laugh at the women while they were examining the quilt saying things like, “They want to know if she was going to quilt it or knot it.” Since the women concerned themselves with what the men thought was unimportant or of little value, they found the evidence that the men were looking for.
This was quite an interesting play. The plot was great! We liked how the title symbolized the theme of the play, which is: The smallest things can have the greatest relevance. Trifles, which is the title of the play, is defined as items with small value. This has a great significance as in the play, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters were the one’s who took the little things in consideration and solved the case. The title also hinted at the dramatic irony, in which the women knew more than the men, because again they took the small things, or trifles, in consideration.
Some of the little things that played a big role in the case were the stitching of the quilt, in which the pattern changed from neat to sloppy, indicating Mrs. Wright’s frustration. This was an example of dramatic irony as the men laughed at the women’s interest in the stitching.
MRS. PETERS
She was piecing a quilt.
[She brings the large sewing basket and they look at the bright pieces.]
MRS. HALE
It’s her log cabin pattern. Pretty, isn’t it? I wonder if she was goin’ to quilt it or just knot it?
[Footsteps have been heard coming down the stairs. The SHERIFF enters followed by HALE and the COUNTY ATTORNEY.]
SHERIFF
They wonder if she was going to quilt it or just knot it!
[The men laugh, the women look abashed.]
Another trifle the women took interest in was the empty bird cage. They were curios to why there was a bird cage but no bird.
MRS. PETERS
[Looking in cupboard.]
Why, here’s a bird-cage. [Holds it up.]
Did she have a bird, Mrs. Hale?
MRS. HALE
Why, I don’t know whether she did or not — I’ve not been here for so long. There was a man around last year selling canaries cheap, but I don’t know as she took one; maybe she did. She used to sing real pretty herself.
MRS. PETERS
[Glancing around.]
Seems funny to think of a bird here. But she must have had one, or why would she have a cage? I wonder what happened to it.
They later discovered the bird, dead.
[Lifting the silk.]
Oh, Mrs. Peters — its —
[MRS. PETERS bends closer.]
MRS. PETERS
It’s the bird.
MRS. HALE
[Jumping up.]
But, Mrs. Peters — look at it! It’s neck! Look at its neck! It’s all — other side to.
MRS. PETERS
Somebody — wrung — its — neck.
This played a vital role in the solution of the case!
The irony tooken place in the play “Trifles” is you may not realize that the smallest thing can be the biggest picture for a clue or thought. The meaning of trifles is to not be important or small value. So the quilt , bird cage, and the bird was all evidence that the men did not take to consideration to evaluate or put thought in the clues sitting on Mrs. Wright’s kitchen table.
Taisa McGuire Olin Reese Tannis Williams Michael Hightower The irony of trifles is that the men couldnt find as much out as the woman because the womans knew what some of the iteams meant to Mrs.Wright, nor that the men did not know how important it was to woman. The evidence Mrs.Peters ” Look in the cup board.Heres a bird cage did she have a bird cage Mrs.Hale?” Mrs.Hale “Why i dont know weather she did or not iv not been here for so long.”
Group 2: Gerod Reid , Janasia Robinson, Melondria Davis
1.The significance of the title was that the evidence wasnt worth alot.This emphasizes that the theme of the play because the title means worth little value and all the evidence found was worth nothing.We think that the theme of this play was that the smallest thing may have the biggest effect.In this play the women were the only ones finding somewhat answers to the conflict.They found a bird cage, but didnt know thatb Mrs.Wright owned a bird.”somebody wrung its neck”, said Mrs.Peters.Then they found a bird with a broken neck. All of these clues weren’t obvious to how Mr.Wright had died, but it did look suspicous.Basically, the title related to the theme because the little things do count.
2. The irony in the story was when like the wife mrs.wright did not show ant feelings about her husbands death the evidence that was in the play was ” why i dont think she minded ” as he walked in the house hale asked can he see john mrs wright replied “no cause he’s dead” with no sort of feelings gave no tears or anything . “she just nodded her head not getting a bit excited” said hale.
Ke’Andrew Bess, Jarrett Bush
The Irony in “Trifles” is that the woman found the small items that really mattered but the men couldn’t. “Mrs.Hale found the box with the bird wrapped in silk.” “Mrs.Hale also thought that there were sewing supplies in the box.” “Mrs.Peters, look at this , one she was working on, and look at the sewing! All the rest of it has been so nice and even. And look at this! All over the place! It look as if she didn’t know what she was about!
The title of the play trifles i s significant because the small things helped solve the big mystery. It also connects with the theme of the play because it futher proves not to overlook the little things.One example would be when the ladies noticed Mrs.Whites sewing was not neat or when the women found the bird wrapped up in the piece of silk.
The irony of the title of the play was very evident becauser of the literal meaning of trifles. Trifles means thing of little to no importance or value. When in actuality it was the little things that were perceived to be of little value that helped solve the mystery of the death of Mr.Wright and bring justice to the court in which Mrs.Wright would be indited. That is how the title is very ironic
Group1 jaykeisha ,jenab, karrema,And Rayveona) The significance of the title is that small things matter.the women paid close attention to what seemed like insignificant details.The men tried to find evidence of who committed the murder by looking primarily in Mrs. Wright’s bedroom. The women looked throughout the house finding evidence that the sheriff and the county attorney missed. The evidence that was so obvious to the women included the GLOOMY KITCHEN , UNWASHED DISHES UNDER THE SINK , DIRTY TABLES . THE EMPTY BIRD CAGE . THE BROKEN BIRD’S NEST BURIED IN A PRETTY BOX” .This Made us believe that Mrs. Wright was upset about something.
kemonta mccrary marquavious willis deondre farris group 8
THE Significance of the title is that small things matter.both ewomen and mens were trying to solve the murder.the men were trying to find more evidence by searching in the edroom the women were trying find evidence by searching in mrs wright things.The irony in the story was when like the wife mrs.wright did not show ant feelings about her husbands death the evidence that was in the play was ” why i dont think she minded ” as he walked in the house hale asked can he see john mrs wright replied “no cause he’s dead” with no sort of feelings gave no tears or anything . “she just nodded her head not getting a bit excited” said hale.
group 2 kareema,Jay’keisha,Jenab,ryveonna what is ironic about the title of the play trifles is that the insignificant details were clues to solving the case and the trained inestigators over looked them. the sheriff and country attorney did not find any clues and they thought the women were paying too much attention to small things. those small things actully solved the case. the woman hid the quilt with the crooked stitching and did not call attention to why they thought the house was out of order. the final clue was the birds broken neck.this was how mr.wright was kelled. the woman understood the relationship between the two but this connection was missed by the sheriff and the county attorney.
Kimiya Trammell:
The irony of trifles plays a dramatic irony. Men and women are now recognized as equal in intelligence, when Susan Glaspell wrote Trifles. The theme of the story really made the tittle fit and emphasize for the story or play as well.Women were treated differently during the time period. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters bond, but they choose to hide evidence as an act of compassion for Mrs. Wright.
The significance of the title is the evidence wasnt worth alot. This emphasize that the theme of the play because the title means having little value or importance and all the evidence found had little value so they didnt think it had anything to do with Mr.Wright death and have a big meaning. We think that the women were the ones finding answers to the conflict. They found a bird cage & crazy sewing but didnt know that it had anything to do with Mr.Wright death. This evidence wasn’t so clear to have anything to do with his death.
The irony in the story was when nobody could understand how she didnt hear her husband screaming or feel him kicking and when she showed no feelings toward his death. Evidence for the irony is, “Why I dont think she minded.”, Everbody notice her showing no feelings she just nodded,rocked in her chair and didnt pay any attention.
The irony in “Trifles” is that the men could not relaize the clues because the small things that only the women paid more attention to. As in the scene where the men went to the upper level of the house for clues, when the main clues where in the Key Places; Kitchen, Living Room, and the bedroom. ” i want to go over everything, I’m not satisfied.” In reference to this he is saying how the direction of clues he is aiming for is not in his reach . The women have laid the clues out in the men face but because the attorney sexes words , he could not even notice.
In this play, irony was shown throughout th play. As part of irony in this play is when the County Attorney stated, “For that matter a sheriff’s wife is married to the law.” This is ironic because that means Ms.Peters was doing everything legally by the law. Unfortunately, this isn’t true because Ms.Peters was doing everything wrong by helping Ms.Wright get the things she needed to the jailhouse. Another form of irony in this short part of the play would have to be when the County Attorney stated “at least found out that she was not going to quilt it. She was going to- what is it call ladies? and Mrs. Hale replied, “we call it knot it, Mr. Henderson.” The point Mrs.Hale was getting at is Mrs.Wright didnt quilt everything when she gets mad you can tell that she was in a different mood by her form of quilting she was knotting instead of quilting it. So Mrs.Hale made that comment and by this you can use foreshadowing by knowingwhat Mrs.Hale was actually saying in this specific part. It’s also ironic how the man didnt catch on at all. The reason of this is because they had all the right evidence that the men just look right pass not knowing what type of evidence the women ally had. The women had the most important “Trifle”
Question 1:
The title and the theme play hand in hand with each other in the play. An obvious theme to this play is that “Sometimes the little things are the most important things”. Trifles, the unimportant, little of value things are the evidence in the play. In the play the trifles were the ruined fruit preserves, bread, incorrectly done quilt etc. The title is of great significance. The title is the evidence and it emphasizes the importance of the trifles in the play. For example, the unfinished quilt, it told of the emotional distress of Mrs. Wright and how the bird cage represents the freedom of Mrs. Wright.
Question 2:
Irony is an important part in the plays Trifles. Irony provided excitement/drama and some comical relief. Our group found it funny that the women found the evidence of the crime and not the men. It was also funny at the end of the play when the ladies use the term “knot it”. Its gives a hint of the evidence, correcting the men of the incorrect information. We found it ironic that Mrs. Peter was supposed to be married to the law, but was hiding information from the Sherriff.