This document provides prompts and context for writing an essay responding to the modernist play Trifles by Susan Glaspell. The prompts explore themes of gender dynamics and the different perspectives of men and women in the play. Specifically, the prompts analyze how the women are able to solve the murder mystery by noticing domestic clues that the men overlook or dismiss as trivial women's matters.

1. Essay
1:
A
Response
to
Literature
of
the
Modernist
period.
Objectives
To
Lean
to
Write
a
Clear
and
Cohesive
Response
to
Literature
To
Learn
Rhetorical
Strategies:
Analysis,
Synthesis,
Argument,
Cause
and
Effect,
Compare
and
Contrast
To
Learn
Critical
Thinking
Skills
To
Learn
MLA
Documentation
Style:
Integrating
quotations;
Works
Cited
Prompt
Introduction
In
this
first
half
of
our
quarter,
we
have
read
and
discussed
multiple
texts,
theories,
and
opinions
on
both
literature
and
literary
analysis,
and
for
this
reason,
I
offer
you
several
choices
for
your
first
essay.
In
a
thesis
driven
essay
of
three
to
six
pages,
respond
to
one
of
the
following
prompts.
You
need
only
the
primary
text
for
this
essay,
but
you
may
incorporate
other
stories,
manifestos,
or
critical
theory
as
additional
support.
Remember,
you
can
also
draw
on
your
own
experiences
and
knowledge
to
discuss,
explain,
and
analyze
your
topic.
Trifles
1. The
title
of
the
play,
Trifles,
is
an
important
indication
of
the
dynamic
conflict
that
provides
the
tension
of
a
serious
situation
that
is
anything
but
trifling.
A
man
has
been
murdered
by
his
wife,
but
the
men
of
the
town
who
are
in
charge
of
investigating
the
crime
are
unable
to
solve
the
murder
mystery
through
logic
and
standard
criminal
justice
procedures.
Instead,
a
small
group
of
women
who
visit
the
home
where
the
crime
occurred
are
unable,
albeit
unintentionally,
to
“read”
a
series
of
clues
that
the
men
cannot
see
because
all
of
the
clues
are
embedded
in
domestic
items
that
are
specific
to
women.
Using
this
information
and
citing
textual
evidence,
explain
the
irony
of
the
title
that
Glaspell
chose
to
name
her
work.
Be
sure
to
incorporate
an
analysis
of
Trifles
by
Susan
Glaspell
in
terms
of
the
ways
that
the
men
dismiss
the
women’s
trifling
concerns.
2. All
of
the
action
in
this
play
takes
place
in
a
single
setting:
the
home
of
the
murdered
man
and
his
wife,
who
the
reader
learns
is
his
killer.
The
men
and
women
who
enter
the
home
after
the
crime
see
totally
different
scenes
in
this
same
setting,
though.
What
each
set
of
characters
sees
is
limited
by
his
or
her
gender.
The
women
notice
certain
items—preserved
fruit,
a
sewing
box,
an
empty
bird
cage—that
the
men
completely
overlook
because
they
consider
the
domestic
space
of
the
woman
of
the
house
to
be
worthless
in
terms
of
offering
clues
about
the
crime.
Write
an
essay
in
which
you
define
and
explain
the
two
gendered
spaces
and
their
significance
in
the
development
of
the
plot
and
the
play’s
outcome.
3. The
women
who
visit
the
Wright
home
after
the
murder
of
Mr.
Wright
notice
an
empty
birdcage
and
recall
that
Mrs.
Wright
had
owned
a
songbird.
The
women
observe
that
the
door
of
the
cage
is
broken
and
the
hinge
has
been
pulled
off;
Mrs.
Hale
observes
that
someone
was
“rough
with
it,”
which
suggests
the
motive
of
the
crime.
When
the
women
discover
the
dead
bird
wrapped
up
in
a
piece
of
fine
silk
in

2. Mrs.
Wright’s
sewing
box,
they
piece
these
clues
together
and
discover
the
reason
Mrs.
Wright
killed
Mr.
Wright.
Considering
the
discussion
that
the
women
have
about
the
bird,
consider
its
symbolism
and
what
it
might
have
meant
to
Mrs.
Wright.
Explain
why
Mrs.
Wright
would
have
killed
her
husband
over
a
small
bird.
4. Once
the
women
have
pieced
together
the
clues
and
solved
the
mystery
of
Mr.
Wright’s
death,
they
quickly
come
to
an
agreement
to
suppress
the
information
from
the
men
who
are
investigating
Mr.
Wright’s
murder.
Explain
the
process
by
which
the
women
come
to
this
agreement.
Identify
whether
any
of
the
women
resist
colluding
in
the
suppression
of
this
evidence.
Then,
construct
an
argument
in
which
you
identify
whether
the
women
were
right
to
withhold
their
discovery
from
the
investigators.
Identify
the
different
experiences
that
the
women
themselves
had
which
made
them
empathic
to
Mrs.
Wright’s
situation
and
helped
them
to
justify
their
actions.
5. After
the
women
have
discovered
the
true
story
of
the
crime
and
have
distracted
the
investigators
from
discovering
the
same
truth,
they
have
a
brief
exchange
amongst
themselves
about
the
relationships
among
women.
Mrs.
Hale
declares
that
never
visiting
Mrs.
Wright
was
“a
crime”
and
asks,
“Who’s
going
to
punish
that?”
What
Mrs.
Hale
describes
is
a
different
kind
of
crime,
of
course,
than
the
murder
which
Mrs.
Wright
has
committed.
Yet
it
seems
that
Glaspell
wants
to
make
a
commentary
about
other
kinds
of
crime
and
their
impact
on
individuals.
Write
an
essay
on
the
play
Trifles
by
Susan
Glaspell
in
which
you
explain
what
Mrs.
Hale
means
by
the
crime
of
not
visiting
Mrs.
Wright,
and
explain
the
distinctions
between
this
kind
of
crime
and
legal
concepts
of
crime.
6. One
of
the
most
important
characters
in
Trifles
is
Mrs.
Wright,
yet
she
never
appears
on
the
stage.
Why
did
Glaspell
leave
her
out
of
the
play?
How
does
her
absence
impact
Mrs.
Hale
and
Mrs.
Peters?
Discuss
the
ways
the
play
would
be
different
if
Mrs.
Wright
were
present.
Is
this
a
modernist
strategy?
How
or
why?
7. Mrs.
Peters
and
Mrs.
Hale
do
not
begin
the
play
determined
to
do
whatever
they
can
to
help
a
fellow
woman
in
trouble.
Discuss
the
development,
over
the
course
of
the
play,
of
their
attitudes
toward
Mrs.
Wright
and
the
killing
of
her
husband.
Refer
as
specifically
as
possible
to
any
factors
that
may
contribute
to
the
changes
in
their
thinking.
In
your
judgment,
have
Mrs.
Peters
and
Mrs.
Hale
acted
responsibly?
Has
justice
been
served
by
their
actions,
or
would
it
have
been
better
served
if
they
had
allowed
all
the
evidence
to
come
to
light?
8. Trifles
contains
several
important
symbols.
In
literature,
a
symbol
is
something
that
represents
something
else,
and
is
often
used
to
communicate
deeper
levels
of
meaning.
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?
9. Discuss
Trifles
through
the
lens
of
feminism
and
modernism.
Consider
traditional

3. and
evolving
gender
roles.
Look
to
the
following
questions
to
help
direct
your
discussion
of
feminism
and
modernism.
My
Antonia
1. When
Mr.
Shimerda
dies,
Antonia
is
left,
through
no
choice
of
her
own,
without
a
father.
She
and
her
family
are
left
poor
and
grieving
in
a
strange
new
land.
However,
the
rest
of
Antonia’s
life
after
his
suicide
becomes
shaped
by
the
choices
that
she
makes.
Explain
how
these
choices
cause
change
at
various
points
of
her
life.
2. Many
immigrants
arrived
on
the
Nebraska
prairie
from
all
over
Europe.
Most
of
them
were
very
poor
and
they
had
little
hope
for
survival.
It
can
be
said
that
the
true
meaning
of
their
pioneer
spirit
rose
from
their
perseverance,
their
sheer
will
to
survive
the
harshest
conditions.
They
braved
the
ordeals
of
prairie
life
for
many
years
until
they
found
comfort
and
established
themselves
in
a
new
land.
Discuss

4. the
many
hardships
these
immigrants
faced
and
how
overcoming
those
hardships
defined
their
pioneer
spirit.
Consider
if
and
how
The
American
Dream
played
a
role
in
their
decision
to
make
a
new
life
in
America.
3. Most
of
the
characters
in
My
Antonia
are
women.
Willa
Cather
has
chosen
to
represent
many
of
these
characters
as
successful
and
independent
women,
much
like
herself.
Describe
how
the
main
female
characters
in
this
novel
achieve
and
maintain
their
independence.
4. Cather
uses
the
seasons
in
this
novel
to
symbolize
life
itself,
using
them
to
great
effect
in
painting
scenes.
Each
of
these
scenes
show
how
the
endless
cycle
of
spring-­‐
summer-­‐fall-­‐winter
reflects
and
symbolizes
the
character’s
up-­‐and-­‐down
struggles
through
life
on
the
prairie.
Describe
the
use
of
each
season
in
the
novel
and
what
it
symbolizes,
using
examples
to
support
each
symbol.
5. Cather
describes
the
plow
"within
the
circle
of
the
disk;
the
handles,
the
tongue,
the
share-­‐black
against
the
molten
red.
There
it
was,
heroic
in
size,
a
picture
writing
on
the
sun.
Even
while
we
whispered
about
it,
our
vision
disappeared;
the
ball
dropped
and
dropped
until
the
red
tip
went
beneath
the
earth.
.
.
.
[and
the
plow
sank]
back
into
its
own
littleness
somewhere
on
the
prairie."
How
does
this
visual
image
of
the
plow
become
an
important
symbol
in
the
novel?
6. My
Antonia
illustrates
how
immigrants,
within
one
generation,
can
be
as
successful
or
more
successful
than
Americans
whose
ancestors
have
lived
in
this
country
for
many
generations
and
who
may
have
taken
their
blessings
for
granted.
Choose
one
immigrant
from
the
novel
and
show
how
that
character
made
choices
that
would
be
viewed
as
daring
by
the
standards
of
any
era.
7. In
a
1915
interview,
Cather
commented,
"No
one
without
a
good
ear
can
write
good
fiction."
In
“The
Novel
Demeuble”
Cather
writes,
“Whatever
is
felt
upon
the
page
without
being
specifically
named
there—that,
it
seems
to
me,
is
created.
It
is
the
inexplicable
presence
of
the
thing
not
named,
of
the
over-­‐tone
divined
by
the
ear
but
not
heard
by
it,
the
verbal
mood,
the
emotional
aura
of
the
fact
or
the
thing
or
the
deed,
that
gives
high
quality
to
the
novel
or
the
drama,
as
well
as
to
poetry
itself.”
What
particular
passages
in
My
Antonia
show
Cather's
"good
ear"
for
the
sound
of
language?
Which
show
her
ability
to
create
“the
thing
not
named”?
Discuss
how
and
why
these
passages
capture
the
moods
and
themes
of
the
novel.
How
do
they
contribute
to
the
idea
of
the
modernist
novel?
8. Discuss
My
Antonia
through
the
lens
of
feminism
and
modernism.
Consider
traditional
and
evolving
gender
roles.
Look
to
the
following
questions
to
help
direct
your
discussion
of
feminism
and
modernism.

5.
The
Great
Gatsby
1. Prove
that
Gatsby
really
is/
is
not
worth
more
than
“the
whole
damn
bunch
put
together.”
2. How
do
literary
devices
(such
as
imagery,
symbols,
foreshadowing,
irony,
allusion)
add
to
the
dimension
of
depth
or
texture
to
this
novel?
3. Write
a
character
sketch
of
a
character
in
The
Great
Gatsby.
4. Discuss
one
character
as
a
symbol
of
the
American
Dream.
5. Discuss
the
American
Dream
as
presented
in
The
Great
Gatsby.
6. Find
a
list
of
the
seven
deadly
sins
and
the
seven
cardinal
virtues.
Write
a
paper
in
which
you
analyze
one
or
two
characters
in
regard
to
these
sins
and
virtues.

6. 7. Do
parallel
character
sketches
of
Tom
Buchanan
and
George
Wilson;
compare
them
to
show
their
similarities.
8. Trace
the
recurring
image
of
eyes,
and
ascertain
the
purposes
of
those
images.
Consider
blindness
on
any
level
as
well
as
sight.
9. Nick
speaks
of
the
“corruption”
of
Gatsby’s
guests
and
Gatsby’s
“incorruptible
dream.”
How
do
these
phrases
begin
to
pull
all
the
threads
of
the
story
together?
10. How
does
Fitzgerald
make
statements
about
pseudo-­‐intellectualism?
11. Fitzgerald
demonstrates
the
power
of
proper
names.
Prove
this
statement.
12. In
a
sentence
from
her
short
biographical
introduction
on
F.
Scott
Fitzgerald
from
the
Norton
Anthology
of
American
Literature,
Vol.
D,
Nina
Baym
observes
that
The
Great
Gatsby's
"images
of
automobiles,
parties,
and
garbage
heaps
seem
to
capture
the
contradictions
of
a
consumer
society."
Discuss
some
of
these
contradictions
using
examples
from
the
novel.
13. Some
of
the
most
poignant
moments,
for
me,
in
The
Great
Gatsby,
are
those
in
which
overlapping
and
contradictory
power
relations
of
gender
and
class
are
foregrounded-­‐-­‐in
Gatsby's
desire
for
Daisy,
in
Daisy's
family's
control
to
prevent
her
from
seeing
Gatsby
off
to
the
war,
in
the
relationship
between
Tom
and
Myrtle
and
Myrtle
and
her
husband,
and
between
Nick
and
Jordan.
Discuss
some
of
the
tensions
of
class-­‐based
and
gender-­‐based
power
in
the
novel.
14. What
do
you
make,
finally,
of
Nick's
claim
that
he
is
one
of
the
few
honest
people
he
has
ever
know,
given
his
actions
in
the
novel,
and
considering
the
comparisons
invited
between
Nick
and
the
other
characters?
“Barn
Burning”
1. Discuss
“Barn
Burning”
through
the
lens
of
feminist
or
Marxist
criticism.
Use
the
questions
that
critics
use
in
each
theory
to
begin
your
interrogation
of
the
text.
2. Write
a
character
sketch
of
a
character
in
“Barn
Burning”
3. Discuss
a
major
symbol
in
the
story
“Barn
Burning.”
Poetry
1. Discuss
one
poem
using
feminist,
or
Marxist
Criticism.
2. Discuss
one
poem,
focusing
on
modernism.
Consider
using
one
or
modern
manifestos
to
support
your
ideas.
3. Discuss
one
poem
in
terms
of
its
cultural
context.
That
is,
how
does
the
poem
reflect
the
beliefs,
tensions,
or
trends
of
the
time?
4. Discuss
one
poem
via
literary
devices
and
form.
How
do
they
affect
the
meaning
of
the
poem?

7. 5. Discuss
a
significant
theme
that
emerges
in
the
poetry.
Does
the
poetry
deal
with
themes
related
to
love,
death,
war,
or
peace?
Are
there
particular
historical
events
that
are
mentioned
in
the
poem?
What
are
the
most
important
concepts
that
are
addressed
in
the
poem?
Zora
Neale
Hurston
“The
Eatonville
Anthology”
“How
It
Feels
to
be
Colored
Me”
1. Analyze
how
Zora
Neale
Hurston
enriches
our
sense
of
her
community
through
diction
and
point
of
view.
2. Discuss
either
or
both
of
the
pieces
we
read
by
Zora
Neale
Hurston
through
a
modernist
lens.
Or
use
any
critical
perspective
we
have
covered
so
far.
You
may
combine
to
complicate
your
ideas.
3. Discuss
why
the
pieces
we
have
read
by
Zora
Neale
Hurston
pushed
her
away
from
the
heart
of
the
Harlem
Renaissance
movement.
Be
sure
to
offer
textual
support
for
your
argument.
4. Hurston
purports
to
be
debunking
stereotypes,
but
are
there
instances
in
“How
it
Feels
to
be
Colored
Me,”
which
she
might
be
criticized
for
playing
to
stereotypical
notions
of
African
Americans?
Consider
the
evidence
for
both
sides
and
make
your
argument.
Modernism
1. In
the
Introduction
to
Volume
D
of
the
Norton
Anthology
of
American
Literature
the
editor
Mary
Loeffelholz
identifies
the
following
formal
and
aesthetic
characteristics
of
modernist
literature:
Compared
with
earlier
writing,
modernist
literature
is
notable
for
what
it
omits-­‐-­‐the
explanations,
interpretations,
connections,
summaries,
and
distancing
that
provide
continuity,
perspective
and
security
in
traditional
literature
(1078).
Identify
and
analyze
these
characteristic
features
of
modernist
aesthetic
in
one
work
that
we
have
read
so
far.
2. In
the
Introduction
to
Volume
D
of
the
Norton
Anthology
of
American
Literature,
Mary
Loeffelholtz
identifies
three
characteristic
issues
of
literary
modernism:
(a)
"the
question
of
how
engaged
in
political
and
social
struggle
a
work
of
literature
ought
to
be";
(b)
"the
place
of
the
popular
in
serious
literature";
and
(c)
the
role
of
tradition
versus
the
quality
of
authenticity
in
the
work
of
literature
(Norton
1072).
Consider
one
or
two
of
the
works
we
have
read
this
semester
in
relation
to
these
issues.
Describe
and
discuss
to
what
extent
one
or
more
of
these
characteristic
issues
of
literary
modernism
is
relevant
to
understanding
the
work
or
works
you
are
considering.

8.
Note:
You
are
free
to
pursue
another
writing
topic.
Please,
discuss
it
with
me
before
you
begin
so
we
can
make
sure
that
it
is
viable.
Due
Dates:
See
Syllabus
Submission
Requirements:
Please
submit
your
essay
through
Kaizena.
Format
Requirement:
MLA-­‐style
formatting
and
citations
Length:
Your
finished
text
should
be
between
three
and
six
pages,
excluding
the
Works
Cited
page.
Research
Requirements:
none
Works
Cited
Page
A
Works
Cited
page
names
all
of
the
sources
that
were
used
in
an
essay
or
research
paper;
it
credits
the
source
or
sources
for
the
information
you
present,
evaluate,
analyze,
and
synthesize
to
support
your
thesis.
A
Works
Cited
page
also
serves
as
a
reference
to
the
sources
that
were
used
so
that
a
reader
or
writer
can
quickly
refer
to
the
original
text.
The
Works
Cited
page
for
this
research
project
will
include
The
Great
Gatsby.
If
you
use
other
sources,
including
other
primary
or
secondary
sources
from
class,
please
list
those
too.
Expected
Student
Learning
Outcomes
§ Demonstrate
outlining
and
brainstorming
abilities
§ Demonstrate
an
awareness
of
the
time
needed
to
plan,
search,
and
write
an
essay
§ Demonstrate
increased
awareness
of
strategies
for
organizing
ideas
and
structuring
essays
§ Demonstrate
an
ability
to
use
complex
sentence
structures
§ Demonstrate
an
understanding
of
multiple
rhetorical
strategies
§ Demonstrate
active
reading
strategies
by
finding
textual
evidence
§ Learn
to
integrate
quotations
effectively
and
correctly
Previously
Learned
Skills
Required
to
Complete
this
Assignment
ü The
ability
to
summarize
sources
ü The
ability
to
use
multiple
rhetorical
strategies:
Narration,
Description,
Exemplification
ü An
awareness
of
plagiarism
issues
ü The
ability
to
write
grammatically
correct,
clear
sentences.
ü The
ability
to
write
a
clear
and
concise
thesis.
ü The
ability
to
brainstorm
material
for
an
essay.
ü The
ability
to
organize
an
essay
Best
Practices

9. Ø As
you
(re)read
The
Great
Gatsby,
keep
in
mind
the
prompts
and
highlight
specific
passages,
lines,
or
scenes
that
may
support
your
argument.
Ø Write
a
thesis
that
helps
readers
understand
both
your
argument
and
your
reasoning.
Ø Include
textual
examples
that
illustrate
your
points.
Ø Avoid
telling
the
reader
that
something
is
“interesting,”
or
“exciting”;
instead
create
images
or
use
examples
that
show
it.
Ø Come
to
my
office
if
you
are
unsure,
confused,
or
behind.
Traps
to
Avoid:
Ø Choosing
a
topic
that
you
do
not
understand
or
one
not
on
the
list
that
you
have
not
discussed
with
me.
Ø Failing
to
assert
a
clear
and
strong
argument.
Ø Seeking
to
present
the
subject
from
memory
or
hearsay.
Ø Failing
to
support
the
argument
with
evidence
from
appropriate
sources.
Citing
Wikipedia
(or
other
non-­‐academic
or
unreliable
sources)
as
a
source
for
your
paper.