Student Question
Describe the condition of John Wright's house in Trifles.
Quick answer:
John Wright's house is described as gloomy and in disarray. The kitchen is untidy, with bread left out, dirty pans under the sink, and a dishtowel on the table. The lack of a fire has caused Mrs. Wright's jars of preserves to freeze and explode. The county attorney notes the dirty dish towels. Additionally, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters find an empty bird cage with a broken door and a dead bird with a broken neck, suggesting Mrs. Wright's turmoil.
As the county attorney says of Mrs. Wright:
I shouldn't say she had the homemaking instinct.
The kitchen is in a disarray as the attorney, the Peters, and the Hales come in after the murder. The room is "gloomy," with the bread left out of the breadbox, dirty pans left under the sink, and a dishtowel thrown down on the table. Also, because of the lack of a fire, Mrs. Wright's jars of preserves have frozen and exploded, making a mess. As the county attorney washes his hands, he discovers all the dish towels are dirty, which makes him unhappy.
After the men leave to go upstairs. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters discover an empty bird cage, with the door violently broken. Then they find, wrapped in silk, a dead bird with a broken neck.
Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters realize that Mrs. Wright snapped after her husband killed her bird, which is why everything is in a disarray.
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