Two Page Lit Response: Trifles

Siarra Williams
February 12, 2009
AP English III Period 11
Two Page Literary Response

In the script for the play Trifles: a Play in One Act by Susan Glaspell, it consists of plenty of visual elements. Glaspell uses props and the actions of the characters to get across the visual elements to the reader. With these visual elements the reader is able to develop their own meaning for the story and the motive for why Mrs. Wright murdered her husband. The description of the characters’ actions helps the reader to get an idea of each of the characters’ perspectives on the murder.
The county attorney was cruel and presumptuous about the whole situation. The entire time he was at the Wrights’ farm, he spent looking around for things; anything to prove that Mrs. Wright is the one that murdered her husband. Rather than just take the room as is, he kept assuming there was more to the room. Of course this thought was fueled by his belief that Mrs. Wright killed her husband. Atop of that, the county attorney was very rude and critical of the Wrights’ home. He referred to it as not being a cheerful place. He criticized Mrs. Wrights “homemaking instincts.” He was disgusted with the look of the place. “He goes to the sink, takes a dipperful of water from the pail and pouring in into a basin, washes his hands. Starts to wipe them on the roller-towel, turns it for a cleaner place.” (Glaspell) Glaspell uses this visual element to give a vivid description of the actions of the county attorney. These actions show that he was disgusted with the way that Mrs. Wright kept her home.
Mrs. Peters was a very timid woman who believed the law was word and bond; nothing could impenetrate it. Of course she was the sheriff’s wife so thinking otherwise would be an inconsistency. She was always scared of speaking her mind. “In a frightened voice.” (Glaspell) Glaspell uses this action to describe how scared Mrs. Peters feel. Mrs. Peters is frightened at the idea that Mrs. Wrights could have actually had the guts to kill her husband.