Teaching Literary Analysis of Trifles by Susan Glaspell

Sometimes the best approach to teaching literary analysis is through a short text. This is why helping students work through the literary analysis of Trifles by Susan Glaspell can be such a powerful tool.

Trifles is a one act play by playwright and journalist Susan Glaspell. She wrote this and her short story “A Jury of Her Peers” based on an actual trial she reported on at the turn of the Twentieth Century in a small town in Iowa. A woman is accused of strangling her husband to death.

Students love this play because it is quick to read and there is a lot to talk about. I had originally planned a week of lessons around the symbolism in Trifles and the shift in American theater, but ended up giving the unit two weeks and wishing that we could have spent a third week on it.

So here are three ideas to help your students explore the literary analysis of Trifles.

1: Focus on Symbolism in Trifles

Symbolism in Trifles is a great starting point when introducing literary analysis of Trifles. Students very easily recognize that the symbol of the bird and the birdcage represent Minnie’s isolation and loss of voice.

A great text pairing to add to this discussion of symbolism in Trifles is the poem “Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar. In the poem, the speaker declares, “I know why the caged bird sings” which is something that Minnie Foster has ceased to do. The discussions that ensue when students discuss the different outcomes for the bird in the poem as opposed to the bird in the play are amazing.

2: Focus on the Storm Within

Use the theme of the “Storm Within” to focus on literary analysis of Trifles through a lens of psychological criticism. Introduce psychological criticism through Literary Criticism Anchor charts, then have students focus on the concepts of repression and inner turmoil.

Help students focus on close reading of the characters in the text through a double entry journal that focuses on the inner storm of one of the characters.

Assign pairs of students the task of writing an internal monologue for the characters in the play to focus on their inner storms. Student pairs can be assigned different characters or choose one of the characters. It would be nice if all the characters could be represented.

Have them write these like they are breaking the fourth wall. You may wish to show them a clip from the TV show The Office, so they can see what this looks like.

Literary analysis of Trifles by Susan Glaspell for AP Literature

3: Focus on Moral Ambiguity in Trifles by Susan Glaspell

Encourage students to examine the text through a lens of ethical criticism. Ask them to consider how emotional storms influence a person’s sense perception of justice.

Give them a two column graphic organizer that focuses on internal conflicts and why it is morally ambiguous.

Examining Literary Analysis of Trifles by Susan Glaspell

Because Trifles is a short work that incorporates significant depth, it is a great way to begin a unit on literary analysis through literary criticism lens as well as one that focuses on symbolism.

Looking for ready to use lessons on Trifles, check out the Pencils and Prologues Membership. This is an online membership that supports busy high school English teachers through ready to use curriculum plans that focus on essential questions. Each month offers three unit plan options that focus on the same questions through short works, literature circles and a full-lenth whole class text.