Class 11 English Trifles Act Chapter Complete Exercise Solution is an important Act Summary in terms of the exam point of view. Check out the Whole Chapter and download the pdf notes. To Download Pdf Notes Click on the Download Pdf Button at the Bottom of the Post.
Answer the following questions.
a. Do you believe that Mrs. Wright killed her husband? Explain.
a. The play does not give a definite answer as to whether Mrs. Wright killed her husband or not. However, the women who visit the house and discover evidence that the men overlook seem to believe that Mrs. Wright was driven to commit the act due to her abusive husband and the isolation she faced. It is up to the audience’s interpretation of the evidence presented in the play to decide whether Mrs. Wright is guilty or not.
b. Do you think Mr. Wright’s death would have been uncovered if Mr. Hale hadn’t stopped by the Wrights’ home?
It is uncertain whether Mr. Wright’s death would have been uncovered if Mr. Hale hadn’t stopped by the Wrights’ home. However, Mr. Hale’s visit did provide a reason for the authorities to investigate further, which led to the discovery of the evidence.
c. Why does Mrs. Hale think that Mrs. Wright’s worries about her preserves indicate her innocence?
Mrs. Hale thinks that Mrs. Wright’s worries about her preserves indicate her innocence because they show that Mrs. Wright still had something to care for and nurture, even in her isolated and abusive situation. The preservation of the fruit represents the preservation of life and growth, and the fact that Mrs. Wright was concerned about it suggests that she valued life.
d. How does Mrs. Peters’ homesteading experience connect her to Mrs. Wright?
Mrs. Peters’ homesteading experience connects her to Mrs. Wright because they both understand the struggles of living in isolation and facing harsh conditions. Mrs. Peters sympathizes with Mrs. Wright’s situation and begins to question the treatment of women in society.
e. How do the women’s perspectives on men differ?
The women’s perspectives on men differ in that the men in the play, including the County Attorney and the Sheriff, dismiss the women’s concerns and evidence as unimportant and focus solely on the physical evidence related to the crime. The women, on the other hand, are able to pick up on details that the men overlook and understand the emotional and psychological factors that may have led to the crime.
Reference to the context
Read the extracts from the play given below and answer the questions that follow.
a. “MRS. PETERS:(glancing around). Seems funny to think of a bird here. But she
must have had one, or why would she have a cage? I wonder what happened to
it?
MRS. HALE: I s’pose maybe the cat got it.”
i. Who does ‘she’ refer to?
‘She’ refers to Mrs. Wright.
ii. What does the word ‘one’ stand for?
‘One’ refers to a bird that Mrs. Wright must have had as she had a cage.
iii. What is the full form of “s’pose”
‘S’pose’ is the shortened form of ‘suppose’.
iv. What do you mean when Mrs. Hale says, “the cat got it”?
When Mrs. Hale says, “the cat got it”, she means that the cat probably caught and killed the bird.
b. “MRS. HALE: Wright was close. …… she used to wear pretty clothes and be lively, when she was Minnie Foster, one of the town girls singing in the choir. But that— oh, that was thirty years ago.”
i. Why does Mrs. Hale refer to Mrs. Wright as “Minnie Foster”?
Mrs. Hale refers to Mrs. Wright as “Minnie Foster” because that was her name before she married Mr. Wright.
ii. What does her description tell you about Mrs. Wright?
Mrs. Hale’s description of Mrs. Wright tells us that she was once a lively and happy person before her marriage to Mr. Wright. Her current situation has drained her of her spirit and vitality.
iii. What does Mrs. Hale mean by “that was thirty years ago”?
When Mrs. Hale says “that was thirty years ago”, she means that it has been a long time since Mrs. Wright was a happy and carefree person.
c. What is the main theme of the play?
The main theme of the play is the oppression of women in society and the way that their perspectives and experiences are dismissed and devalued by men.
d. Discuss the symbolism used in the play.
The play uses a number of symbols to convey its themes, such as the birdcage representing Mrs. Wright’s confinement and isolation, the preserves representing the preservation of life and growth, and the broken jars representing the shattering of Mrs. Wright’s spirit and hopes.
e. Discuss the setting of the play. Does it have an impact on the theme of the play? Reference beyond the text
The setting of the play, which takes place in the house of Mr. and Mrs. Wright, is significant to the themes of the play. The isolation and confinement of Mrs. Wright in her home, as well as the neglect and abuse she experienced from her husband, represent the oppressive societal norms and expectations placed upon women in that time period.
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Reference Beyond the Text:
a. The credibility of a character is determined not only by the character’s thoughts and actions but also by what other characters say and think about him or her. Discuss in relation to the characters of Trifles.
In Trifles, the credibility of characters is indeed determined not only by their thoughts and actions but also by what other characters say and think about them. For example, the men dismiss the women’s concerns and evidence as unimportant, which diminishes the credibility of the women’s perspectives. Conversely
b. Dramatic irony occurs when the reader or audience has information that is unknown to the characters in a play; it creates tension and suspense. Analyze the play discussing the author’s use of dramatic irony based on these questions:
- What information is crucial to the play Trifles?
- How does the playwright use this information to create dramatic irony?
- What effect does the dramatic irony have on the audience and on the play?
In Trifles, the crucial information that creates dramatic irony is the discovery of Mrs. Wright’s motive for killing her husband, which the male characters fail to uncover due to their dismissal of the women’s observations and insights.
The playwright, Susan Glaspell, uses this information to create dramatic irony by allowing the audience to understand the motive behind the murder before any of the characters do. Through the women’s discussions and discoveries, the audience learns about Mrs. Wright’s troubled and isolated life with her husband, which ultimately leads to her killing him. The male characters, on the other hand, are oblivious to this information and are only focused on finding concrete evidence to convict Mrs. Wright.
The effect of the dramatic irony on the audience is that it creates tension and suspense as they anticipate the moment when the male characters will finally discover the motive behind the murder. It also highlights the power dynamics between men and women, as the women’s insights and observations are dismissed by the male characters, who are supposed to be the ones in charge of solving the crime.
Overall, the use of dramatic irony in Trifles emphasizes the importance of considering different perspectives and listening to marginalized voices, as they may hold crucial information and insights that can lead to a better understanding of a situation.