Which of the following most accurately describes this excerpt? It is verbal irony because the County Attorney means precisely the opposite of what he is actually saying. It is dramatic irony because the audience knows that the County Attorney does not actually mean what he is saying.
Peters' stance on the law change? Mrs. Peters' begins to sympathize with Mrs. Wright, recalling her own suffering (i.e. the child, the kitten) and thus softening her stance on absolute law.
Peters realize from the clues they find that Mrs. Wright (Minnie Foster) has killed her husband but that she was justified in doing so. They conceal the evidence to prevent Mrs. Wright's possible conviction.
Being the Sheriff's wife, Mrs. Peters probably feels an extra duty to make sure that "justice is served." The County Attorney even reminds her that she's "Married to the law" (147).
At the beginning of the short drama, “Trifles,” Mrs. Peters, the sheriff's wife, is painted as timid and submissive wife. She willingly submits herself to the responsibilities she has as a wife.
Mrs. Peters is a dynamic character that sees the most change, from siding with the men and making excuses for them to hiding the cutting piece of evidence for the case, being the wife of the sheriff she faces conflict in helping Mrs.
Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale discover the evidence that provides Minnie's motive for murdering her husband, John Wright.
Attorney Juli Ganguli said there was detailed abuse of Lorenzen Wright on both Sherra Wright and their children. “Mr. Wright had beaten her for years and the beatings were consistent and it lead to her face being disfigured,” said Ganguli.
John WrightWe learn that John Wright tore the door off so that he could wring the bird's neck. Ironically, though, this symbolic murder of Minnie Foster is what leads to murder of John Wright. For Minnie, it's the last straw, and it's the thing that makes her strangle her husband in much the same way that he killed the bird.
The play comes to its spine-tingling conclusion when the ladies hide the bird from the male authorities, denying them the evidence of motive they need to convict Mrs. Wright.
Though it is made very clear in the opening scene of this play that Mrs. Wright is in fact guilty of the murder of her husband, the theme of this play is not solely based on the idea of feminism and social hierarchies. It is upon the continuation of reading this play that the true and deeper symbolism is revealed.
Sheriff PetersKey Characters: Mrs. Peters is married to Sheriff Peters. She is described as thin and nervous.
She says “I know what stillness is. The law has got to punish crime, Mrs. Hale”(Glaspell 167). The difference is she is talking about the crime committed against Minnie, not the murder of John by Minnie.
Mrs. Hale found two of the most important clues specially the bird cage and the actual dead bird. She knew that Mrs. Wright have killed John Wright because she was tired of him and especially because he killed the bird which was the last thing that made Mrs.
Peters infer after looking through Mrs. Wright's wardrobe? nerves were bad.
Peters and Mrs. Hale collect items from the kitchen that Minnie requested be brought to her at the jail, including clothes and an apron. In their search, they find a damaged bird cage. The men do not look closely around the kitchen for evidence of a motive, but discover Minnie's frozen and broken jars of fruit.
In a court of law, it is important for a prosecutor to have a motive (reason) for a defendant to commit a crime (particularly a murder). When a prosecutor is presenting evidence, they must prove, beyond reasonable doubt, that a defendant is guilty. Part of doing so requires showing that the defendant has a motive for committing the murder. For example, in " Trifles ," without the canary, the county attorney does not have a motive. This is why the women ultimately decide to NOT let the men know about the canary. Of course, this was not the ONLY motive for killing her husband (it was years of abuse), but it was the last straw for Mrs. Wright to kill her husband.
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Minnie’s laugh at the purpose of Hale’s visit suggests she recognizes the irony of his desire to join with John Wright to install a party line. Active Themes.
Before the men head upstairs to examine the scene of the crime, George Henderson finds Minnie Wright ’s canning jars of fruit in the pantry, which have broken and caused a sticky mess. Mrs. Peters exclaims sadly that Minnie was worried about the possibility that her newly canned jars would burst in the cold weather. Mr. Peters is amazed and amused that Minnie could worry about her domestic projects in the face of her serious situation. Mr. Hale responds that “women are used to worrying over trifles .”
Martha Hale’s concern about her husband’s retelling of events reflects her awareness that Minnie is in trouble and that the opinion of a man (her husband)—even a not completely competent man—could help or harm Minnie’s situation because Mr. Hale’s testimony will be taken seriously by the other men. Active Themes.
She believes Minnie killed her husband and that her reasons for doing so were connected to her isolation and mistreatment. John Wright is considered “a good man,” which reminds the reader that these qualities of “goodness” would have been defined by other men, and not by his wife. Active Themes.
Minnie Wright’s possessions reveal to the reader the type of situation she lived in with her husband.
Minnie changed after her marriage from a lively youth to a reclusive woman. This transformation is mentioned several times and here it is blamed on John Wright. This transformation speaks to the scale of John’s impact on Minnie. Whatever happened in their relationship, it was dramatic enough and hurtful enough to change Minnie’s personality.
From this, he assumes aloud that Minnie is a poor housekeeper. Mrs. Hale angrily says that a farmer’s wife’s work is never done and that Minnie must have had a lot to keep her busy. The attorney dismisses Mrs. Hale’s comments saying she must be prejudiced in favor of her own sex, or at least in favor of her friend.
More broadly, though, Mrs. Hale sees instantly that the dead bird is more than mere evidence of motive: it also shows the pattern of emotional abuse Minnie endured at Wright’s hands. She instinctively hides the bird from the men (who for their part are still mocking the women for their interest in the quilt), because she knows they will see it only as evidence of motive rather than evidence of abuse, and because in light of what she now knows she feels a stronger loyalty to Minnie than to the men .
She instinctively hides the bird from the men (who for their part are still mocking the women for their interest in the quilt), because she knows they will see it only as evidence of motive rather than evidence of abuse, and because in light of what she now knows she feels a stronger loyalty to Minnie than to the men.
The women then overhear the men talking as they come down the stairs. George Henderson is saying that the murder is all perfectly clear except for a motive, a reason for killing John Wright in such a strange way. The attorney says he’ll stay at the house longer and go over everything again. Mr. Peters asks if he wants to look over what Mrs. Peters is taking to Minnie in jail, but the attorney says that she’s trustworthy because, after all, “a sheriff’s wife is married to the law.”
The men’s dismissal reflects a larger mindset of devaluing women and their opinions and interests in general. Ironically, this dismissal ultimately causes the men to overlook the very evidence they seek.
Lewis Hale’s account establish es the dynamic between men and women in the world of the play. The men are concerned with the business of finding evidence, and George Henderson is established as the man in charge in the investigation. Mr. Hale’s account shows the value placed on the word of a man.
The details of Minnie Wright’s house reveal much about her relationship with her husband, as well as the way her marriage restricted her joy, her possessions, and isolated her. The men are blind to, and completely uncaring about, all of this contextual understanding. The apron Minnie’s wants shows that she is unable to let go of her assigned responsibilities as a woman, despite the situation.