Trifles a Small Account

Trifles by Susan Gladspell This is the link to the play. This play is set in rural farmland that could be almost any where in the US. Since Gladspell herself was from Iowa it might be easy to assume that the play could be set in the farmland surrounding Davenport, Iowa. It is true that many writers draw upon the experiences of their childhood and life as they create stories and the characters in the stories. This seems to be the case in this drama; a drama of a murder, sexism, crimes of passion or compassion. I have to say, the main characters of the play, Mr and Mrs White, husband and wife, are never seen nor do they offer any narrative about themselves or the events, all we know about them is third person information. The opening scene [exposition] is in the kitchen of the White's home, and the stage directions are as important to read as the narrative itself in order to completely follow the plot. The "men," a sheriff, Lewis Hale, and the county prosecutor enter the room followed by the "women" Mrs. Peters (the sheriff's wife) and Mrs. Hale. One might infer that Lewis Hale and Mrs. Hale are husband and wife although there is no reference to this, however Mrs. Peters is referenced as the sheriff's wife (pg. 922). I think this is a topic that should be explored more, simply because of the actions and comments the ladies make as the play develops, and the fact that Lewis Hale is the one that discovered the crime (pg. 913). Both women lament to some degree about not visiting Mrs. White  as much as they should have and both seem to regret this action (pg.921). Both of these women seem to have the same value system or moral / ethical code (not commenting on good or bad just stating it seems similar). The first example of this is how they enter the room (pg. 912) a few steps behind the men and they don't move toward the stove until asked to do so (pg. 912). This tells me they were both reared in a common cultural setting where women walk behind the men and do not encroach on the men's space or conversation until asked. That is why I feel that the relationship between Mrs. Hale and Lewis Hale needs to be determined. If Mrs. Hale is in fact Lewis Hale's wife then there is an even bigger reason why she feels guilty for not visiting; they were neighbors (pg. 915, 921). That might also explain how Mrs Hale knew intimate details about Mr. White's nature / personality (pg. 919). In this exchange of information Mrs. Hale says "yes...[pause] good; ...hard man." (pg. 919). She gave a pause which suggests to the audience that she is reluctant to agree good, qualifies  what she means or what exemplifies bad and then adds "but he WAS a hard man." (pg.919). Dead less than a day and already he [was, not is]..., she goes further with her verbal and non-verbal description of John White; she even introduces what Minnie might have wanted since she couldn't have children, a bird. This provokes the thought that if Minnie had a singing bird she might return the once happier version of herself and return to singing in the choir (pg.921), an activity that seemed to bring her and others a great deal of joy. This is why I think the women decide to cover up the evidence they find and somehow jump to the conclusion that if John Wright had indeed twisted the neck of a helpless little song bird to death, then he too deserved the same treatment. Make no mistake the women knew she was guilty of this crime and if the men found out they would punish her for it not be sympathetic or understanding. I understand the sense of compassion the women had and the need to expose their own desires for equality, but good reason or not does anyone really deserve to die? Is the quest for equality and recognition of intellectual prowess a good reason to commit a crime of omission? What are your thoughts? There is so much more to be said about this play; I may do another post from a different POV (point of view).