from Trifles , Susan Glaspell

Question

The following passage is an excerpt from the one-act play Trifles by Susan Glaspell. Mrs. Peters, Mrs. Hale, the county attorney, and the sheriff are in the house of Mrs. Wright, a woman held at the county jail after her husband was found strangled at home. Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale have been given the task of collecting some belongings for Mrs. Wright while the county attorney and the sheriff look for clues upstairs. The passage begins just after the women find an unfinished quilt and continue their searching for what to bring Mrs. Wright. Read the passage. Then, answer the question(s).

(1) MRS. PETERS: (looking in cupboard) Why, here's a bird-cage. (Holds it up.) Did she have a bird, Mrs. Hale?

(2) 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.

(3) 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.

(4) MRS. HALE: I s'pose maybe the cat got it.

(5) MRS. PETERS: No, she didn't have a cat. She's got that feeling some people have about cats—being afraid of them. My cat got in her room and she was real upset and asked me to take it out, … (examining the cage) Why, look at this door. It's broke. One hinge is pulled apart.

(6) MRS. HALE: (looking too) Looks as if someone must have been rough with it.

(7) MRS. PETERS: Why, yes.

(8) (She brings the cage forward and puts it on the table.)

(9) MRS. HALE: I wish if they're going to find any evidence they'd be quick about it. I don't like this place.

(10) MRS. PETERS: But I'm awful glad you came with me, Mrs. Hale. It would be lonesome for me sitting here alone.

(11) MRS. HALE: It would, wouldn't it? (dropping her sewing) But I tell you what I do wish, Mrs. Peters. I wish I had come over sometimes when she was here. I—(looking around the room)—wish I had.

(12) MRS. PETERS: But of course you were awful busy, Mrs. Hale—your house and your children.

(13) MRS. HALE: I could've come. I stayed away because it weren't cheerful—and that's why I ought to have come. I—I've never liked this place. Maybe because it's down in a hollow and you don't see the road. I dunno what it is, but it's a lonesome place and always was. I wish I had come over to see Minnie Foster sometimes. I can see now—(shakes her head). . . . You weren't raised round here, were you? (MRS. PETERS shakes her head) You didn't know— her?

(14) MRS. PETERS: Not till they brought her yesterday.

(15) MRS. HALE: She—come to think of it, she was kind of like a bird herself—real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and—fluttery. How—she—did—change. (silence; then as if struck by a happy thought and relieved to get back to everyday things) Tell you what, Mrs. Peters, why don't you take the quilt in with you? It might take up her mind.

(16) MRS. PETERS: Why, I think that's a real nice idea, Mrs. Hale. There couldn't possibly be any objection to it, could there? Now, just what would I take? I wonder if her patches are in here—and her things.

(17) (They look in the sewing basket.)

(18) MRS. HALE: Here's some red. I expect this has got sewing things in it. (brings out a fancy box) What a pretty box. Looks like something somebody would give you. Maybe her scissors are in here. (Opens box. Suddenly puts her hand to her nose) Why—(MRS. PETERS bends nearer, then turns her face away) There's something wrapped up in this piece of silk.

(19) MRS. PETERS: Why, this isn't her scissors.

(20) MRS. HALE: (lifting the silk) Oh, Mrs. Peters—it's—

(21) (MRS. PETERS bends closer.)

(22) MRS. PETERS: It's the bird.

(23) MRS. HALE: (jumping up) But, Mrs. Peters—look at it! It's neck! Look at its neck! It's all— other side to.

(24) MRS. PETERS: Somebody—wrung—its—neck.

(25) (Their eyes meet. A look of growing comprehension, of horror. Steps are heard outside. MRS. HALE slips box under quilt pieces, and sinks into her chair. Enter SHERIFF and COUNTY ATTORNEY. MRS. PETERS rises.)

(26) COUNTY ATTORNEY: . . . (seeing the birdcage) Has the bird flown?

(27) MRS. HALE: (putting more quilt pieces over the box) We think the—cat got it.

Constructed Response Question
What inference can you make about Mrs. Hale’s motivations for not showing the county attorney the bird? Include at least two quotations from earlier in the passage to support your answer.
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Answer 1

Mrs. Hale's motivations for not showing the county attorney the dead bird seem to stem from her empathy for Mrs. Wright (formerly Minnie Foster) and her understanding of the significance of the bird in Mrs. Wright's life. Throughout the passage, Mrs. Hale reflects on her missed opportunities to connect with Mrs. Wright, expressing a sense of regret and compassion for her isolation. This deepens her desire to protect Mrs. Wright in her current vulnerable state.

First, Mrs. Hale conveys her regret for not visiting Mrs. Wright more often, saying, "I wish I had come over to see Minnie Foster sometimes." This statement reveals her guilt about not being a friend to Mrs. Wright and suggests that she feels a sense of responsibility to support her now, particularly given her dire circumstances.

Additionally, Mrs. Hale highlights a more profound understanding of Mrs. Wright's character by comparing her to a bird: "She—come to think of it, she was kind of like a bird herself—real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and—fluttery." This metaphor emphasizes the fragility of Mrs. Wright's spirit, which resonates with the destroyed bird. By hiding the evidence of the bird's death, Mrs. Hale symbolizes her desire to shield Mrs. Wright from further judgment or punishment, recognizing that the bird represented Mrs. Wright's lost joy and freedom.

In summary, Mrs. Hale's motivations for concealing the dead bird from the county attorney revolve around her feelings of regret, empathy, and her desire to protect a fellow woman from further anguish.