The Significance Behind the Title: Why Trifles Reflects the Play’s Core Message
The title “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell is a poignant choice that reflects the underestimation of women and their concerns by the male characters within the play. The term “trifles” refers to things of little importance or value. Throughout the play, the male characters regard the domestic sphere and the details within it as trivial or insignificant. This title is a commentary on how women’s insights and contributions, particularly in the domestic realm, are often dismissed or belittled by a male-dominated society.
Irony in Trifles: How the Women’s “Minor” Observations Reveal the Major Truth
Throughout the play, there is a distinct irony in how the men scoff at the women’s observations and discussions. The male characters, including the sheriff and the county attorney, focus on finding explicit, conventional evidence to solve the murder of John Wright, while the women, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, pay attention to the small details in the kitchen and sewing room. These details, which the men consider inconsequential “trifles,” actually hold the key to understanding the motive behind the murder. The women notice the irregular stitching in the quilt, the broken birdcage, and the dead canary with a wrung neck—subtle clues that reveal the emotional turmoil and abuse that Mrs. Wright endured, leading her to kill her husband.
The irony is that while the men search for evidence to construct the crime narrative, they overlook the very evidence that could lead them to the truth. By paying attention to what the men dismiss as trifles, the women can piece together the story and understand the motive for the crime. The play thereby criticizes the gender biases that undervalue women’s perspectives and highlights the importance of considering all aspects of a situation, no matter how seemingly trivial. Glaspell’s play asserts that the so-called “trifles,” often associated with the feminine realm, can be of utmost importance and should not be overlooked.