Susan Glaspell's Mystery Character: Minnie Wright

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Susan Glaspell, in her play "Trifles" and novel "A Jury of Her Peers", presents the character of Minnie Wright through the many "trifles", or small clues, recognized by the two women---Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters---who accompany the official murder investigation team. The author points out that this device of the "unseen woman", also used by Edgar Allen Poe and Arthur Conan Doyle, draws attention to the marginalization of women who are unseen by men in a patriarchal society. The paper stresses that because they dismissed the importance of "trifles", the investigators could not solve the mystery of who Minnie Wright was and why she would murder her husband.

From the Paper:

"Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale allow us to see Minnie without actually seeing her. Both women share a significant number of life experiences and similar life responsibilities with Minnie. As such, they can see many small things that are nevertheless significant. These insignificant "trifles" include the half-sifted flour (or laid out bread), the preserves, the poorly sewn quilting patch, and the dead canary. One of the trifles noticed by the women but overlooked by the men was that of the flour / bread. Mustazza points out that this scene contains one of the subtle differences in scene between "Trifles" and "A Jury of Her Peers"."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Clausson, Nils. "The Case of the Purloined Genre: Breaking the Codes in Susan Glaspell's 'A Jury of Her Peers.' " Genre 34.1-2 (2001): 81-100.
• Glaspell, Susan. A Jury of Her Peers. Annenberg Media, Cambridge, MT. 30 April 2007 <http://www.learner.org/exhibits/literature/story/fulltext.html>.
• Glaspell, Susan. "Trifles." Plays. BiblioBazaar, 2006. 30 Apr. 2007 <http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/eng384/trifles.htm>.
• Hedges, Elaine. "Small Things Reconsidered: Susan Glaspell's 'A Jury of Her Peers.' " Women's Studies 12 (1986): 89-110.
• Holstein, Suzy Clarkson. "Silent Justice in a Different Key: Glaspell's 'Trifles.'" The Midwest Quarterly 44.3 (2003): 282-292.

More papers on Susan Glaspell's Mystery Character: Minnie Wright:

• Analytical Essay # 2148 : "Susan Glaspell's "Trifles": Suspect or Victim?"
• Book Review # 97519 : "Themes in Susan Glaspell's Work"
• Book Review # 104339 : "Susan Glaspell's "A Jury of Her Peers"

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