20 questions
Trifles: Which of these items is mostly likely an important symbol in the play?
the kitchen towels
the dead bird
the rocking chair
the windows
Trifles: This character is "married to the law."
Mrs. Wright
Mrs. Peters
Mrs. Hale
What is a "trifle"?
a chocolate candy
a dessert
a small, insignificant problem
a major issue
Trifles: Which character was the first to find the dead body?
Mrs. Hale
Mr. Peters
Mr. Henderson
Mr. Hale
Trifles: Which of the following are reasons Mrs. Peters can relate to Mrs. Wright? Select all that apply.
A boy killed Mrs. Peters' kitten, just like Mr. Wright killed Mrs. Wright's bird.
Mrs. Peters was imprisoned once, so this is a relatable experience.
Mrs. Peters lost a child, and the house was deathly quiet after.
A group of girls bullied Mrs. Peters when she was young, so she knows how it feels.
In Trifles, the sheriff is:
Mr. Wright
Mr. Hale
Mr. Henderson
Mr. Peters
Trifles:
What did Mrs. Wright love to do when she was young?
sing
dance
quilt
play piano
Trifles:
How is the word knotting used in the play? Select all that apply.
skirt worn as an undergarment
officer who investigates deaths
minor valley
tying fabric squares together along the edges
fastening a rope tightly
Trifles:
What is the County Attorney looking for?
a murder weapon
evidence that would point to a motive for the murder
fingerprints that would prove the killer's identity
evidence that would show how John Wright was murdered
Trifles: The erratic stitching of the quilt implies that Mrs. Wright...
was tired.
was not skilled at quilting.
had become very distressed or nervous.
did not know whether to quilt or knot the quilt.
Trifles:
What happened to Mrs. Wright's canary?
It lost its feathers.
It was hungry.
It had flown away.
It's neck was broken.
Trifles:
Why does Mrs. Hale wish she had visited Mrs. Wright?
She wanted to find out about the Wright's family business so she could start her own.
She realized that Mrs. Wright was lonely and could have benefited from the occasional visit.
Mrs. Hale wanted to get Mrs. Wright's recipes for canning fruit.
She was a young woman who needed guidance on being a wife.
Trifles:
Why does Mrs. Hale liken Minnie Foster to a bird?
Mrs. Hale describes her as a "sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and-fluttery."
She had feathers in her hair all the time.
She was small and quiet.
She didn't walk but hopped like a bird.
Trifles:
Based on Mrs. Hale's words to the county attorney, what can the reader infer about John Wright?
John Wright is an unpleasant, unenjoyable person.
John Wright tried to make the world a better place.
Mrs. Hale thinks that Mrs. Wright should have divorced John Wright.
Mrs. Hale wishes that she had gotten to know John Wright better.
Trifles:
The reader can conclude that Mrs. Hale is fixing the quilt because...
the irregular sewing reveals Mrs. Wright was in an emotional state
Mrs. Hale is a perfectionist and cannot let the quilt remain poorly sewed
Mrs. Peters thinks that the quilt should be fixed.
Mrs. Wright had asked her if she would finish it.
Trifles: The responses of the men to the thoughts of the women suggests that the men think the women are
dangerous and subversive
lazy and annoying
silly and superficial
helpful and accommodating
Author: Susan Glaspell, being educated and empowered for a woman of her day, would think that: (Select all that apply)
Women deserve to have the same rights as men.
Women are silly and superficial, always "worrying over trifles".
An item's worth is dependent on what that item means to the individual.
Right and wrong are not always as simple as legal and illegal.
The law is the law. Anyone who breaks the law is in the wrong.
Author - Susan Glaspell wrote the play "Trifles" after doing what?
Winning homecoming queen in high school.
Being a reporter on the John Hossack murder case.
Studying abroad in London to obtain her Ph.D.
Interviewing high-profile female killers.
Author: What major legal battle was being fought during Susan Glaspell's early life?
Men wanted to give up the right to vote.
All men (regardless of race or income) wanted the right to vote.
Children wanted the right to vote.
Women wanted the right to vote.
Author: Susan Glaspell did not marry until 1914 when she was 38 years old. What does this further tell us about her?
She believed that women should choose when and to whom they wish to be married.
She believed that all men are horrible.
She believed that marriage was always a mistake and could never be successful.
She believed that women were superficial.