Read this passage from Trifles by Susan Glaspell, which develops the symbols of the bird and the birdcage.



MRS. HALE: (with a slow look around her) I wonder how it would seem never to have had any children around. (pause) No, Wright wouldn't like the bird - a thing that sang. She used to sing. He killed that, too.



Remember that violence was inflicted on the birdcage and the bird. What inferences can you make about Mrs. Wright's experience in her home? Choose four correct answers.


  • She may have been able to sing freely.
  • She may have loved to travel.

Verified Answer :

Final answer:

The symbols of the bird and the birdcage in Trifles illustrate Mrs. Wright's confinement and oppression. Her inability to express herself, the emotional violence inflicted on her, her isolation, and the stifling of her identity all reflect her painful domestic life. The text captures crucial aspects of modern feminism through these powerful symbols.


Explanation:

Inferences About Mrs. Wright's Experience

In Susan Glaspell's Trifles, the symbols of the bird and the birdcage represent the confinement and oppression that Mrs. Wright experienced in her marriage. Here are four inferences we can make about her situation based on the passage:

  1. She may have lost her freedom to express herself. The bird, which symbolizes Mrs. Wright’s lost joy and ability to sing freely, reflects how her spirit was stifled under her husband's control.
  2. She experienced emotional violence. The killing of the bird by Mr. Wright symbolizes the emotional violence inflicted on Mrs. Wright, paralleling how her husband quashed any semblance of happiness in her life.
  3. She likely felt isolated. The lack of children and the way Mrs. Hale remarks on it suggests that Mrs. Wright's home was devoid of joy and companionship, contributing to her isolation.
  4. Her identity and vitality were stifled. The birdcage itself symbolizes her trapped existence; it once housed a lively creature, just as Mrs. Wright was suffocated by her domestic life.

These inferences reveal the profound impact of domestic oppression and how it can lead to the eventual emergence of modern feminist themes on the stage.


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