Class 11 Section II English Lesson 18

Understanding the text

Answer the following questions.

a. Do you believe that Mrs. Wright killed her husband? Explain.

Ans 👉 Yes, I believe that Mrs. Wright killed her husband. After listening to the conversation of two women, they were comparing Mrs. Wright’s life before and after marriage. From this, we understand that Mrs. Wright had a very wonderful life before marriage, but after marriage her life became boring. She couldn’t sing, talk to anybody, and was depressed. Her bird was also killed by her husband. So, in a case of revenge, she killed her husband.

b. Do you think Mr. Wright’s death would have been uncovered if Mr. Hale hadn’t stopped by the Wrights’ home?

Ans 👉 No, I don’t think Mr. Wright’s death would have been uncovered if Mr. Hale hadn’t stopped by the Wrights’ home. Since the house was located far from the road, if Mr. Hale hadn’t visited, nobody would have known about Mr. Wright’s death and the news would have remained suppressed.

c. Why does Mrs. Hale think that Mrs. Wright’s worries about her preserves indicate her innocence?

Ans 👉 Mrs. Hale thinks that Mrs. Wright’s worries about her preserves indicate her innocence because she did not feel happy, unlike Mrs. Hale herself. She contrasts Mrs. Wright’s behavior, saying that only an innocent woman would ask for an apron and a shout while worrying about fruit. This shows that Mrs. Wright’s concern for her preserves points to her innocence.

d. How does Mrs. Peters’ homesteading experience connect her to Mrs. Wright?

Ans 👉 Mrs. Peters’ homesteading experience connects her to Mrs. Wright because she ends up protecting Minnie Wright by hiding the strangled canary, which could have been key evidence against her. Although Mrs. Peters is the sheriff’s wife and married to the law, she understands Mrs. Wright’s suffering and acts on her behalf. Her experience of homesteading allows her to empathize with Mrs. Wright’s life.

e. How do the women’s perspectives on men differ?

Ans 👉 The women’s perspectives on men differ in that men are seen as powerful but often stupid and lazy, while women have no physical power but possess intelligence, which allows them to observe, understand, and manipulate men effectively.

Reference to the context

Read the extract from the play and answer the questions:

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?

Ans 👉 ‘She’ refers to Mrs. Wright.

ii. What does the word ‘one’ stand for?

Ans 👉 The word ‘one’ stands for a bird.

iii. What is the full form of “s’pose”?

Ans 👉 The full form of “s’pose” is “suppose.”

iv. What do you mean when Mrs. Hale says, “the cat got it”?

Ans 👉 When Mrs. Hale says, “the cat got it”, it means “the cat must have caught 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”?

Ans 👉 Mrs. Hale refers to Mrs. Wright as “Minnie Foster” because, before her marriage, she was a very beautiful singer known by that name, and she used to dress pretty and sing in the choir.

ii. What does her description tell you about Mrs. Wright?

Ans 👉 The description tells us that Mrs. Wright was a beautiful singer and lively before her marriage. She was known as Minnie Foster and used to wear pretty clothes and sing in the choir.

iii. What does Mrs. Hale mean by “that was thirty years ago”?

Ans 👉 By “that was thirty years ago,” Mrs. Hale refers to the period when Mrs. Wright was unmarried, lively, and known as Minnie Foster, contrasting with her current life.

c. What is the main theme of the play?

Ans 👉 The main themes in Trifles are gender, isolation, and justice.

Gender: Male characters focus only on evidence of Minnie’s crime, while the women understand the emotional pain that led her to murder her husband.

Isolation: Minnie Wright is isolated from her family and community by her controlling and abusive husband.

Justice: Men and women have different ideas of justice. Men want Minnie convicted, while the women hide evidence out of respect for her suffering.

d. Discuss the symbolism used in the play.

Ans 👉 Symbolism in the play represents hidden meanings through objects:

1. Preservative jars: symbolize the cold and broken marriage between Mrs. Wright and her husband.

2. Singing canary bird: symbolizes Mrs. Wright’s freedom before marriage.

3. Birdcage: symbolizes the trapped life of Mrs. Wright after marriage.

4. Wrung neck of canary: symbolizes revenge; Mr. Wright was also murdered with a rope.

5. Knot in a quilt: symbolizes the murder with a rope and Mrs. Wright’s nervousness.

e. Discuss the setting of the play. Does it have an impact on the theme of the play?

Ans 👉 The play is set in Mr. John Wright’s abandoned farmhouse, a lonesome and gloomy place far from the road. The rural, isolated setting emphasizes Mrs. Wright’s loneliness and isolation, which is central to the theme.

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.

Ans 👉 In Trifles, the readers learn about the off-stage character Mrs. Wright through the on-stage characters Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters. Their discussions reveal hidden aspects of Mrs. Wright’s life and suffering. Through their perspectives, readers empathize with Mrs. Wright and understand her actions. Their portrayal makes Mrs. Wright credible and sympathetic in the eyes of the audience.

b. Dramatic irony occurs when the reader or audience has information unknown to the characters in a play; it creates tension and suspense. Analyse the play discussing the author’s use of dramatic irony:

i. What information is crucial to the play Trifles?

Ans 👉 The crucial information is that Mrs. Wright killed her husband. Readers understand the reasons behind the murder through the discussions of Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, but the male characters remain unaware of these details.

ii. How does the playwright use this information to create dramatic irony?
Ans 👉 The playwright creates dramatic irony by letting the audience know Mrs. Wright’s motives before the male characters do. Suspense builds as the women uncover clues and interpret the situation, while the men overlook them.

iii. What effect does the dramatic irony have on the audience and on the play?

Ans 👉 Dramatic irony puts the audience in a position of superior knowledge compared to the male characters. It creates curiosity, suspense, and engagement as the audience anticipates how the men will react. This tension makes the play more interesting and highlights the contrast between male and female perspectives.