Trifles Plot
The play Trifles, by Susan Glaspell is a murder mystery. Critic "Gary A. Richardson says that in Trifles, Glaspell developed a new structure for her action." (Kirszner and Mandell 1121) Richardson claims that "Trifles is carefully crafted to match Glaspell's subject matter- the action meanders, without a clearly delineated beginning, middle, or end.." (qtd. in Kirszner and Mandell 1121) Upon closer inspect we can clearly see that Glaspell does indeed have a beginning, middle and end, and the action does not meander.
The plot of Trifles follows the pyramid created by critic Gustav Freytag to follow the plot of dramatic work. According to Freytag, a play usually starts with exposition, this is where were introduced to the charters, setting and the basic situation the characters are involved. Exposition is then followed by rising action, this is where compilations start occurring and the suspense starts to build. The climax is the next sequence in the pyramid, at this point in the play tension has reached its peak. After the climax falling action is the next sequence in the pyramid. At this point in the play the intensity is starting to decrease.
Trifles begins in the kitchen in an old farmhouse, the kitchen was in total disarray. The Sheriff comes in, followed by the county Attorney and Hale. They are followed in by two women. One is the Sheriff's Wife and the other is Mrs. Hale. They have gathered because Mrs. Hale came over on the previous day to talk to John Wright about going in on a party telephone. The attorney asks Mrs. Hale what happen the day before when she arrived at the house. She tells about how she finds Mrs. Wright sitting in the rocking chair pleating her apron. She state that Mrs. Wright did not mind that she came over and that when she asked to speak to Mr. Wright that Mrs. Wright stated that she could not talk to him because he is dead. When Mr. Hale ask how he died Mr. Wright says "He died of a rope around his neck".(Tri 1.1.19.) This beginning
The plot of Trifles follows the pyramid created by critic Gustav Freytag to follow the plot of dramatic work. According to Freytag, a play usually starts with exposition, this is where were introduced to the charters, setting and the basic situation the characters are involved. Exposition is then followed by rising action, this is where compilations start occurring and the suspense starts to build. The climax is the next sequence in the pyramid, at this point in the play tension has reached its peak. After the climax falling action is the next sequence in the pyramid. At this point in the play the intensity is starting to decrease.
Trifles begins in the kitchen in an old farmhouse, the kitchen was in total disarray. The Sheriff comes in, followed by the county Attorney and Hale. They are followed in by two women. One is the Sheriff's Wife and the other is Mrs. Hale. They have gathered because Mrs. Hale came over on the previous day to talk to John Wright about going in on a party telephone. The attorney asks Mrs. Hale what happen the day before when she arrived at the house. She tells about how she finds Mrs. Wright sitting in the rocking chair pleating her apron. She state that Mrs. Wright did not mind that she came over and that when she asked to speak to Mr. Wright that Mrs. Wright stated that she could not talk to him because he is dead. When Mr. Hale ask how he died Mr. Wright says "He died of a rope around his neck".(Tri 1.1.19.) This beginning