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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. Mrs. Hale tells Mrs. Peters, “She used to ____. He killed that too.”

2. Mrs. Peters says that her first baby died when he was how old?

3. Mrs. Peters says that Mr. Henderson is awful what “in a speech”?

4. As the women are alone downstairs, what items of clothing does Mrs. Peters carry in the room?

5. Whose now abandoned farmhouse provides the setting for Trifles?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What indication does Mrs. Wright give in front of Mr. Henderson that Mr. Wright is unpleasant?

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

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

5. What does Mr. Henderson discover broken in the cupboard? What does Mrs. Peters remark about this?

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

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

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

9. How do the men in the play respond to Mrs. Wright's worry over her preserves?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the character of Lewis Hale and discuss his relationship with the other characters. How well does Mr. Hale know the Wrights'? What regard does he have for them?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze and discuss the relationship between the women in the narrative. How does the relationship develop? Why do the women gain sympathy for Mrs. Wright through the second half of the story?

Essay Topic 3

Trifles contains several important symbols. What are some of the important symbols in Trifles? How does Glaspell use these symbols to propel the plot and convey deeper levels of meaning about her characters or themes?

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