Overview
This lecture explains how to analyze drama, focusing on how reading a play differs from reading stories or novels, using "Trifles" by Susan Glaspell as an example.
Differences Between Drama and Other Texts
- Plays often start with italicized scene descriptions to show setting and give stage directions.
- Scene descriptions help directors and actors understand the author's intentions.
- Plays are written to be watched rather than read silently.
- In stories, setting details are woven into the exposition, while in plays they are stated directly.
Understanding Scene and Character Descriptions
- Setting descriptions reveal important background information (e.g., disordered kitchen, cold weather).
- Character appearance and behavior are described upfront to set tone and mood.
- Noticing how characters enter and react helps predict the play’s atmosphere.
The Role of Dialogue and Stage Directions
- Most information about plot and characters comes from dialogue.
- Stage directions within dialogue describe actions, movements, and sometimes emotions.
- Bolding or all-caps text indicates which character is speaking.
- Example: County Attorney examines a messy cupboard, showing inquisitiveness and the poor state of the house.
Themes and Character Attitudes in "Trifles"
- The play uses everyday "kitchen things" to comment on gender roles.
- Sheriff's dismissal of "kitchen things" reflects a broader disregard for women's concerns.
- Women are shown to care about details (like fruit preserves), which men mock as "trifles."
- The word "trifles" means something of little value or significance, highlighting a key theme.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Drama — A type of literature meant to be performed, using dialogue and stage directions.
- Stage directions — Instructions in the script telling actors how to move or behave.
- Dialogue — Conversation between characters in a play.
- Trifles — Things of little importance or value; the play’s central metaphor.
- Characterization — The process of revealing a character’s personality through description, action, and dialogue.
- Setting — The time and place where the play’s events occur.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Download and print or open "Trifles" for active reading.
- Pay close attention to stage directions and character descriptions.
- Look up unfamiliar words, especially key terms like "trifles."
- Complete any provided questions about gender roles and character attitudes in the play.