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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What sentence was the murder suspect given for the murder of John Hossack?

2. When did Susan Glaspell marry George Cram Cook?

3. Where was the theatrical collaboration that Susan Glaspell and George Cram Cook formed originated?

4. For how many months did Susan Glaspell cover the John Hossack murder case?

5. Who was accused of the murder of John Hossack?

Short Essay Questions

1. What genre does the play Trifles fall into? Why?

2. What does Mr. Hale respond when questioned about how Mrs. Wright appears when he arrives the previous day?

3. Why has Trifles been associated with feminist writing and theory?

4. How does Mrs. Wright inform Mr. Hale of her husband's location and means of death?

5. How is the kitchen staging set up? Where are the entrances and exits?

6. How does Henry Peters begin the investigation after arriving at the Wright home? What does Mr. Henderson interrupt to ask?

7. What passing comment of Mr. Hale's reveals information about the Wrights’ relationship?

8. How was Susan Glaspell involved in the murder trial that she later based Trifles on? What were her feelings about the trial?

9. What is revealed about the characters through their dialogue and language?

10. Who does Mr. Hale call inside after Mrs. Wright tells him Mr. Wright is dead? What did they find?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze and discuss the character of Minnie Wright in comparison to Margaret Hossack. How, in the articles about the Hossack trial, was Margaret Hossack described? What was Margaret Hossack’s sentence? How does this relate to the play?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the details of the Hossack murder trial. Where did the trial take place and in what capacity was Susan Glaspell involved? How did the trial influence her writing in Trifles? What elements of the story were changed?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze and discuss the symbolism of the bird cage, the pretty box, and the dead canary. What is represented by each item? How do these symbols reflect the play’s themes? How do they help develop the tone of the story?

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