Gloomy and disordered with unwashed pans, a loaf of bread outside the breadbox, and a dish towel on the table
Characters:
George Henderson: County Attorney
Henry Peters: Sheriff
Lewis Hale: Neighboring Farmer
Mrs. Peters: Sheriff's wife
Mrs. Hale: Wife of Lewis Hale
Plot Overview
The play opens with Sheriff, County Attorney, and Lewis Hale entering the Wright farmhouse to investigate John Wright's murder.
Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale accompany them but remain near the door.
Mr. Hale’s Testimony:
Hale recounts discovering Mrs. Wright acting strangely and finding John Wright dead upstairs, strangled with a rope.
Mrs. Wright seemed indifferent and was pleating her apron when Hale arrived.
Hale describes trying to engage Mrs. Wright in conversation about a telephone, to which she reacted with a laugh.
Investigation
The County Attorney and Sheriff search the house for evidence of motive.
They dismiss the women's domestic observations as trifles.
Kitchen Observations:
The County Attorney criticizes the state of the kitchen.
Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters defend Mrs. Wright, attributing the disorganization to farm life.
Women notice that fruit preserves have frozen, which Mrs. Wright was worried about despite her situation.
Women's Discoveries
Quilt Discussion: Women find an uneven patch in a quilt Mrs. Wright was working on, indicating nervousness.
Birdcage Discovery: They find a broken birdcage and later discover a dead canary with a broken neck wrapped in silk.
Implications: The dead bird suggests a motive—the canary could symbolize Mrs. Wright’s lost happiness; perhaps John Wright killed the bird, leading to his own murder by Mrs. Wright.
Themes
Gender Roles and Perception:
Men's dismissive attitude toward "women's work" and domestic concerns.
Women’s attention to "trifles" reveals critical evidence.
Isolation and Oppression:
Mrs. Wright’s isolation and her transformation from a lively choir singer to a subdued farm wife.
Women's solidarity and understanding of Mrs. Wright's situation.
Conclusion
Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters choose to conceal the evidence of the dead canary to protect Mrs. Wright.
The play ends with the County Attorney unaware of the significance of the women’s discoveries, emphasizing underestimation of women’s insight.