Parent Guide > Trifles

by Susan Glaspell 1916

Welcome to the parent guide for this text! Read below to find out about what your child is reading in class and how you can support him/her at home.

This week in class, we’re reading "Trifles" by Susan Glaspell.

Susan Glaspell (1876-1948) was an American Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, actress, journalist, and a pioneering feminist writer. Trifles was first performed by the Provincetown Players at the Wharf Theatre in Provincetown, MA on August 8, 1916. In this one-act play, two women solve a mystery that the men cannot, uncovering some chilling secrets about the lives of their neighbors.

As we read, we will be discussing the themes of Gender Roles, Justice, Freedom & Equality, and Loneliness & Isolation as they relate to the text. We are trying to answer these big questions :

"What is fair?", "How do we define the roles of men and women?", and "What does it mean to feel alone?"

Ways to support your child:

  • Ask your child about this piece of drama at home:
    • What was "Trifles" about?
    • What did you learn about Gender Roles?
    • What did you learn about Justice, Freedom & Equality?
    • What did you learn about Loneliness & Isolation?
  • Watch Trifles by Susan Glaspell, a d'moiselles production in NYC at home with your child.