Adnan Abed Ms. Stephans English 1020 March 19, 2011 Trifles and Symbolism
Trifles is a play about a woman who kills a man for a good go od reason. It is written by Susan Glaspell. After Mr. Wright wrung the neck of Mrs. Wrights pet bird he broke her heart. She felt as if he had destroyed her happiness. She was tired of him ruining her life that she chose to hang him. The bird he killed was Mrs. Wrights only connection to the life she wants to live. It is the symbol for her joy in singing and being young. The entire play is filled with symbolism.
The biggest example of symbolism in Trifles is the pet bird. Mrs. Wright bought this bird because it reminded her of herself when she was younger. When she was in the choir she used to sing and be happy. Ever since she got married to Mr. Wright she has been sad and the bird was her only connection to her previous life. When he killed it he killed ki lled the remaining portion of her soul that was still young and happy. She couldnt forgive him for this and she had to do what she did.
The next example of symbolism was the quilt that the two women found. It was messed up because Mrs. Wright wasnt focused when she was sowing it. She tried to sow it right after she killed her husband. Her mind was distracted by the crime she had just committed. She was worried she might get caught. So the messed up quilt represented her fear, worry, and her
crime in a physical item. It was a piece of evidence the women hid from the men because they knew it represented these feelings.
The last piece of symbolism was the method she killed her husband. It was with a rope that strangled his neck. The reason she killed him by the neck instead of with the gun that was in the house was because that is how he killed her bird. This method symbolized equality and innocence. She killed him with the rope for an ey e for an eye cause. Not just because she disliked him or because he was a bad person. It re presents innocence because it lets us readers know she isnt just a cold blooded killer. She could have just shot him in the head. But instead she did something with a reason behind it. It was almost like she was teaching him a lesson through this method.
These things had a far greater meaning than just mere words. They let us know that Mrs. Wright is not crazy. She knew what she was doing and felt that it must be done. We know Mr. Wright was not completely innocent. The symbolism alone in this play presents an argument and can justify here actions. If the bird had not meant so much to her there is no way the reader would side with her character and feel Mr. Wright got what he deserved.
