Irony in Trifles

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Irony in Trifles: Little Things of Great Importance A trifle is a term used to describe something of little value or a matter of trivial importance or significance. These so-called “little things”, after which Susan Glaspell’s play, Trifles, is named, ironically represent overlooked details which are also important clues that expose a suspect’s motive for murder. Additionally, these trifles explain the background of the suspect, Mrs. Wright, which eventually garners sympathy from two important female characters who ironically, make the decision to conceal the very items that could have incriminated Mrs. Wright. The irony exists not just with the importance of those little things but due to failure to recognize their implications, the sheriff and attorney, who should have been the ones to uncover these clues leading to the motive, never succeeded in realizing their significance. Susan Glaspell's play, Trifles, was written in the early 1900’s, where at the time, it was a male-dominated society and women generally tended to the house, the children, and busied themselves with other domesticated duties. Near the beginning of the play, the men, a sheriff and attorney, are concerned with searching the house for a motive for the murder of Mr. Wright. Yet as they strode confidently around, they paid little attention to the kitchen, with its seemingly trivial, unimportant items: COUNTY ATTORNEY [Looking around.] I guess we’ll go upstairs first—and then out to the barn and around there. [To the Sheriff.] You’re convinced that there was nothing important here—nothing that would point to any motive. SHERIFF Nothing here but kitchen things. (415) Ironically, this was the place the women gathered and took interest in. It was here that they set on an unintentional course of discovery, evaluating Mrs. Wright’s life and behavior, as indicated by these miniscule pieces of her
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