Minne Wright Is Guilty Essay, Research Paper
The opening setting in Trifles is described thus: The kitchen in the now abandoned farmhouse of John Wright, a gloomy kitchen, and left without having been put in order… Minnie Wright, the housewife, was married to John and is presently accused of his murder. Present in the room are the County Attorney (Sheriff) and Hale. Both men are in middle life, the County Attorney is a young man. The Sheriff s wife, Mrs. Peters, is a slightly small woman, with a thin nervous face. Mrs. Hale is larger and would ordinarily be called more comfortable looking, but she is disturbed now and looks fearfully about as she enters. Minnie Wright is guilty of killing her husband. She killed him because John killed her only friend. John was a very cold man.
Minnie killed John because she was sick of the way he was treating her. They were married for more than twenty something years. Before she got married, she was described as lively (556). Now she is depressed, distraught, and incoherent. The house was dirty. There were unwashed pans under the sink, a loaf of bread outside the breadbox, and a dishtowel on the table (551). She was rational in the things she did but became distraught. Mrs. Hale pointed this out when she showed Mrs. Peters the quit Minnie was working on. Mrs. Peters, look at this one. Look at the sewing! All the rest of it has been nice and even. And look at this! It s all over the place! Why it looks s if she didn t know what she was about! All of this shows that Minnie went crazy after
John Wright was described as a cold man. Mrs. Hale described him as a hard man (559), like a raw wind that gets to the bone . Mrs. Hale suspects that he killed the bird, Minne s only friend. Mrs. Hale suspects that John killed a part of Minne when he killed her bird. Minne was described kind of like a bird herself (560), real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and fluttery.
Minnie likely killed John in the same way he killed her pet. This was her only way of avenging her pet s death. She strangled him by putting a rope around his neck, choking him to death, in the same manner in which he twisted the bird s neck.
Minne Wright is guilty of murder, but she should not be brought to trial. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters realized this and that is why they hid the evidence they found from their husbands. They thought that all the mental abuse was finally over and she was free of John. I think that Minne was going crazy. When the police found her, she was in her own world. She was just sitting there rocking in her chair.
I conclude that she has already paid the price for the crime she committed. She lived with John for over twenty years, under all the stress and abuse. After marrying John, she became withdrawn. Mrs. Hale said she was lonesome and wishes she had visited Minne more often. Also, as I stated above Minne was distraught and incoherent. We see this in the way she kept the house and her apparent lack of care about her husband s death. So I say that was payment enough.