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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. Who claims “Somebody should have been left here yesterday”?

2. As the men reenter from upstairs, George Henderson remarks, “But you know juries when it comes to” what?

3. Mr. Hale says that he stops by the Wrights’ home to ask John Wright about sharing what?

4. Where in the house does Mrs. Peters find a birdcage?

5. According to Mr. Hale, how does Mrs. Wright respond when he says, “I want to see John”?

Short Essay Questions

1. What comment is made regarding the kitchen before the men depart upstairs? Why is this significant?

2. What is discovered by Mrs. Peters in the stitching of Mrs. Wright's quilt?

3. What does Mrs. Hale say to Mrs. Peters in disregarding the stitching of the quilt?

4. When George Henderson asks if Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Wright had been friends, how does Mrs. Hale reply?

5. What does Mrs. Hale begin doing once the men exit to investigate upstairs? What does she discover in the kitchen?

6. How does Trifles reflect women’s roles during Susan Glaspell’s lifetime?

7. What do the two women remark about the birdcage when they discover it?

8. What scene does Mrs. Hale recreate for Mrs. Wright after the men have exited upstairs?

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

10. What is strange about the choice of weapon used in the murder? What do the women remark about it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Define and analyze the theme of guilt in the narrative. What character is racked with guilt and why? In what different ways does “guilt” apply to the story? Is Minnie Wright guilty? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the objectives of each character and the actions taken to achieve those objectives. What does Mr. Henderson want to find in the home? Why does he abandon the kitchen?

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