Public-domain ebook
Plays
Language: en1,035 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
In: Plays/Films/Dramas·American Literature·Gender & Sexuality Studies
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #59432.
About this book
The piece is a stage drama by Susan Glaspell, set in a bleak, untidy farmhouse kitchen where a small group of men and women have gathered after a murder. The opening scene introduces the sheriff, the county attorney, and two local farmers, along with their wives, as they enter the cold, cluttered room and begin to question the surviving Mrs. Wright about her husband’s death. The dialogue is dense and realistic, moving from the practical concerns of a broken fire to the unsettling discovery of a rope around the dead man’s neck, while the characters exchange nervous remarks about household chores, frozen fruit, and the strange calm of the grieving woman. The stage directions emphasize the oppressive atmosphere, unwashed pans, a loaf of bread left out, and a rocking chair that rocks without a sitter, setting the tone for a tense investigation that unfolds through the characters’ fragmented conversation.
Glaspell’s language reflects early‑20th‑century American realism, with a focus on ordinary speech, regional details, and a measured, almost journalistic pacing. The play’s voice is spare yet observant, allowing the audience to hear the underlying power dynamics between men and women, law and domestic life. Readers who enjoy character‑driven drama, especially works that explore gender roles and community secrets in a rural setting, will find this play compelling. Its period style and emphasis on dialogue over plot make it a rewarding experience for those interested in early American theater and the social concerns that prefigure later modernist works.
Characters in Plays
- JOHN WRIGHTMiddle‑aged rural farmer, weathered skin, rough hands, plain shirt and suspenders, straw hat tipped back
- HALEMid‑life farmer, sturdy build, sun‑creased face, work‑worn denim trousers, flannel shirt, rolled‑up sleeves
- MRS. HALEMatronly woman, larger frame, soft‑spoken eyes, hair in a neat bun, plain dress, apron, modest shawl
The opening · free to read
Trifles
SCENE: The kitchen in the now abandoned farmhouse of JOHN WRIGHT, a gloomy kitchen, and left without having been put in order--unwashed pans under the sink, a loaf of bread outside the bread-box, a dish-towel on the table--other signs of incompleted work. At the rear the outer door opens and the SHERIFF comes in followed by the COUNTY ATTORNEY and HALE. The SHERIFF and HALE are men in middle life, the COUNTY ATTORNEY is a young man; all are much bundled up and go at once to the stove. They are followed by the two women--the SHERIFF’S wife first; she is a slight wiry woman, a thin nervous face. MRS. HALE is larger and would ordinarily be called more comfortable looking, but she is disturbed now and looks fearfully about as she enters. The women have come in slowly, and stand close together near the door.
Sheriff
[_Unbuttoning his overcoat and stepping away from the stove as if to mark the beginning of official business._] Now, Mr. Hale, before we move things about, you explain to Mr. Henderson just what you saw when you came here yesterday morning.
Sheriff
[_Looking about._] It’s just the same. When it dropped below zero last night I thought I’d better send Frank out this morning to make a fire for us--no use getting pneumonia with a big case on, but I told him not to touch anything except the stove--and you know Frank.
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