This is a classroom discussion about the play called Trifles written by Susan Glaspell. Think about the settings in the play you read. Consider these aspects: Physical space in which the story is placed (confined or open, small or large, limited to one place or not). Cultural and social landscape in which the story is situated.Time in which the action takes place (time of day, year, era, or century).Stage directions, including highlighting, music, and placement of props.Instructions Discuss the setting and stage directions in the play you read.Does the setting produce certain responses from the audience?  In what ways the audience influence the events? Does the settings constrain or liberate the characters? How does the setting reflect the central ideas of the play? 

In the year 1916, the one-act play Trifles by the writer Susan Glaspell was first performed at the Wharf Theatre and all the incidents take place in a small confined space, which is the kitchen of the Wright farmhouse. The play focuses on the American society of the early 20th century where women had but little significance in important matters like a murder investigation. The scene is taking place in the morning where the kitchen is gloomy with a lot of incomplete work like dirty clothes and unwashed dishes (Ben-Zvi, 2018). The lighting supports the dark and cold interior of a house where there has been a murder with ominous music playing to represent the underlying mystery. The props such as the unfinished quilt, the cage, the box with the dead bird, etc., all add up to the story and the uncertain fate of Mrs. Wright. The placement of the rocking chair where the murdered sat after committing the crime increases the effect of suspense for Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters.

The audience feels the gloomy atmosphere from the confined and cold interior of the kitchen as is the lives of the women of the century. The influence of the audience is by connecting with the murderer and her isolation (Hernando-Real, 2018). The fact that women worry about "trifles" and although "Held for murder and worryin' about her preserves", it is the trivial aspects that lead to the identification of the motive that the women hide from the men to save one of their own.