Question

In part two of Trifles, how does Glaspell use irony to illustrate the idea that women were often seen as less capable than men in the early twentieth century?
She leads the men all over the Wright’s property to find clues, but leaves the women in the kitchen.
She makes Mrs. Peters appear to be afraid of breaking the law, but makes Mrs. Hale appear to be rebellious.
She emphasizes the trust that Hale and Mr. Peters have in their wives, but shows the wives plotting to upstage their husbands.
She suggests that Mrs. Wright may have been successful as a singer, but indicates that Mr. Wright was jealous of her possible success. 2In part two of Trifles, which is an example of dramatic irony?
The women find that Mrs. Wright was stitching a quilt with a log-cabin design.
The men believe that Mrs. Wright may not have been a very good homemaker.
The audience knows about the deceased bird hidden in the box, but the men in the play do not.
The audience views the setting of the Wright home as a lonely place, but the characters do not. 3In part two of Trifles, which of the following images most reinforces the theme of loneliness that exists throughout the play?
the hollow in which the Wright home sat
the box in which the dead bird was found
the partially messy table in the kitchen
the broken hinge on the door of the birdcage 4In part two of Trifles, how does the image of the dead bird wrapped in a silk cloth strengthen the feminist theme that women often suffer abuses within a male-dominated society?
The bird symbolizes loneliness, which Mrs. Wright endured throughout her marriage to Mr. Wright.
The bird symbolizes Mrs. Wright’s beauty, which heightened Mr. Wright’s insecurities about his marriage.
The bird symbolizes Mrs. Wright’s hopes of a singing career, which likely died when she married Mr. Wright.
The bird symbolizes nature, which Mrs. Wright missed greatly once she became secluded in the house.

Answer 1

1) She leads the men all over the Wright’s property to find clues, but leaves the women in the kitchen.
- Irony: the men dismiss the “trifles” of the kitchen as unimportant and search the barn/yard, while the women, left in the kitchen, uncover the crucial evidence the men miss — showing men’s underestimation of women’s knowledge and competence.

2) The audience knows about the deceased bird hidden in the box, but the men in the play do not.
- This is dramatic irony: the audience (and the women) know facts that the male characters overlook, heightening the gap between appearance and reality.

3) the hollow in which the Wright home sat
- The hollow emphasizes physical and emotional isolation of the Wrights’ home and reinforces the play’s persistent theme of loneliness.

4) The bird symbolizes Mrs. Wright’s hopes of a singing career, which likely died when she married Mr. Wright.
- The dead canary (wrapped tenderly in silk) stands for Mrs. Wright’s voice, joy, and creative spirit that were crushed in marriage, illustrating how women’s lives and autonomy were often harmed by men’s control.