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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. According to Henry Peters, what had the temperature dropped below the previous night?
(a) 20 degrees
(b) 30 degrees
(c) 50 degrees
(d) 0 degrees

2. What do the women note about the birdcage in the Wrights’ home while the men are outside?
(a) The door is broken
(b) It is made of copper
(c) It is made of wood
(d) There is cat hair in it

3. What does Mrs. Hale notice about Mrs. Wright’s stitching on her sewing in one section?
(a) It has the wrong color thread
(b) It is erratic
(c) It is completely even
(d) It is more delicate than the rest

4. The County Attorney remarks that Mrs. Wright did not have what instinct?
(a) The designer instinct
(b) The child birthing instinct
(c) The money-saving instinct
(d) The homemaking instinct

5. Which of the following is a key theme in Trifles?
(a) Sexual longing
(b) Sibling rivalry
(c) Isolation
(d) The impact of war

Short Answer Questions

1. What is Mrs. Wright doing with her apron when Mr. Hale enters?

2. Who does Henry Peters say he sent to the farmhouse in the morning to make a fire?

3. What does Mr. Hale say he is going to town to sell when he stops by the Wrights’ home?

4. Where do the characters go first upon entering the house?

5. Who is perceived to have killed Mrs. Wright’s pet in the narrative?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Mrs. Peters describe her understanding of stillness in the narrative?

2. What does Mrs. Hale do with the stitching on the quilt? What is Mrs. Peters' response?

3. What causes Mr. Hale to backtrack in his description of Mrs. Wright's demeanor in his interview with the County Attorney?

4. What does Mrs. Hale remark to Mrs. Peters about the lack of children in the home and Mr. Wright's personality?

5. When does Mrs. Hale ask Mrs. Peters her opinion on the guilt of Mrs. Wright? What is her reply?

6. What condescending comments are made of the women as the men first disappear upstairs?

7. What does Mrs. Hale remark to Mrs. Peters about the signs of anger in the Wrights' house?

8. How does Mrs. Hale defend the suspect's dirty kitchen? What does Mr. Henderson regard this to be?

9. What leads Mr. Henderson to the conclusion that Mrs. Wright is a bad housekeeper?

10. What happens after Mr. Hale finishes his story of the previous day's events?

(see the answer keys)

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