Trifles: an Analysis in Light of Symbolism - Essay Example

Analysis The first symbol in Glaspell’s play Trifles was the “quilt” (Glaspell 170-172); what started out to be a perfectly stitched quilt turned into an erratic pattern of knotting, much like the knotting of the knotted rope used to strangle John Wright. Mrs. Wright obviously found enjoyment in quilting. What did this quilt really say of Mrs. Wright? “It’s all over the place” (Glaspell 237) defined the quilt patterns much like the thoughts of Mrs. Wright. The erratic quality of the quilting shows the loss of Mrs.

Wright’s self control which is displayed in her pattern change from quilting to knotting. Mrs. Wright not only showed this pattern in her quilting but her life seemed to represent the same mirror image. She appeared to reach a point of less and less control in life which, over time, led to suffocation and strangulation. Ironically enough, Mrs. Peters is able to read deeper into Mrs. Wright’s pattern in the quilt, possibly thinking it was a symbol of Mrs. Wright’s nervousness. “What do you suppose she was so nervous about” (Glaspell 237) is possibly a large clue pertaining to the start of a breaking point of no longer being able to tolerate the suffocation under the life John Wright provided her. Mrs. Peters and Mrs.

It was obvious that her marriage to John Wright was a primary reason for her captivated state. While Mr. Wright was taken to be a decent man, was he behind closed doors? Mrs. Hale remembered a time when “she used to wear pretty clothes and be lively, when she was “Minnie Foster”, one of the town’s girls singing in the choir” (235). Could it have truly been Mr. Wright that striped Minnie of her joyful past? The clues and theme of the play lead readers to believe that it was in fact Mr.

Wright who caused the Mrs. Wright the distress and anguish she was going through. It was sad that the two men investigating the death of Mr. Wright could not perceive what the women saw as they walked through the Wright’s home. The Women continue into what they refer to as their less important, trivial puttering. In contrast, the significant importance of the men in their dominating allure leads the women to discover the birdcage. “Why, look at this door. “It’s broke. One hinge is pulled apart” (238) which means the cage had been roughly handled.

They were surprised that Mrs. Wright possibly had a birdcage even though their best past memory of her was a singer in a choir. The ironic symbolism of the birdcage could represent Mrs. Wright’s stifling life as the wife of Mr. Wright and the joy a singing bird might bring to her. The questions that immediately accrue are: where is the bird, why is the door unhinged and broken? Still aimlessly puttering the women ponder further in the home looking for patches for the abovementioned quilt to take back to the jail house for Mrs. Wright. Their efforts finally lead to the biggest symbolic clue of the mystery play Trifles, the a beautiful