Trifles: An Investigation of The Murder of John Wright

The short trading floor Trifles written by Susan Glaspell is a story regarding the investigation of the murder of butt Wright by his wife, Mrs. Wright. Mrs. drag is the wife of Mr. obligate, mavin of the men investigating the murder, and the neighbor of the Wrights. While the men investigate around the farmhouse looking for clues to prove Mrs. Wright was guilty, Mrs. Hale is d consumestairs with Mrs. Peters discovering their own evidence in the mishaps of Mrs. Wrights cleaning and sewing. Mrs. Hale begins to remember on how cheerful and full of life Mrs.Wright was prior to her marriage. She regrets non visiting with Mrs. Wright throughout the years especially since they were neighbors. Upon finding the unfinished comfort and the empty bird cage, they discover a dead canary with a strangled neck, the same agency Mr. Wrights neck was strangled. She begins to forgather the argument for Mrs. Wright murdering her hubby. She concludes that Mrs. Wright was unhappy with her marri age and possibly overlook. She decides to keep this information between her and Mrs. Peters rather of informing the men of their findings. Why would Mrs.Hales change in horizon of Mrs. Wright make her justify the reasoning behind why she slay her husband? Maslows Hierarchy of Needs is a theory developed by Abraham Maslow to pick up human motivation to fulfill our peak potential. It is described as a model which is divided into our raw material postulate (physiology, safety, love and esteem) and our growth commands (cognitive, aesthetic, and self-actualization. ) (McLeod, 2007) Saul McLeod believes that one must satisfy lower take basic needs before progressing to meet higher level growth needs. (McLeod, 2007) Mrs.Hales regresses from the cognitive need down to the love and belonging need as she begins to see Mrs. Wright as the fri finish whom she used to have and because of this she believes she was in an unhappy and neglected marriage, which has driven her to murder her h usband. After entering the Wright house, which is now a plague scene for the murder of Mr. Wright, Mrs. Hale is left alone downstairs with Mrs. Peters tour the men go upstairs to find evidence to prove that Mrs. Wright murdered her husband. Upon engaging in conversation Mrs. Hales cognitive need performs apparent when they inspect the knitting on Mrs.Wrights quilt. Mrs. Hales states Mrs. Peters, look at this one. Here, this is the one she was working on, and look at the sewing All the rest of it has been so nice and even. And look at this Its all over the cast Why, it looks as if she didnt make love what she was about. (Glaspell, 666). Mrs. Hale suspects that something could have caused the negligence of her stitching, She asks Mrs. Peters What do you hypothetical she was so nervous about? (Glaspell, 666) She seemed intrigued, insinuating there may have been a reason which drove her to murder her husband. Mrs.Hale is staggering on the cognitive level which is preventing her f rom progressing on to the next level of aesthetic because she is not cin one caserned with her own needs to discourse herself in a pleasing way, But to express Mrs. Wright in a more pleasing way and not as some horrific murderer. Mrs. Hale goes on to explain to Mrs. Peters I tender youd seen Minnie Foster when she wore a white dress with blue ribbons and stood up there in the choir and sang. (Glaspell, 670) She wants Mrs. Peters to view Mrs. Wright in the positive way that she was prior to her failed marriage.This actually shows her regression down to the love and belonging level. Towards the end of the play she realizes that she has been so busy in her life that she had neglected her booster dose in a time of need. She regrets not visiting her, stating that I wish Id come over here once in a while That was a evil That was a crime Whos going to punish that? (Glaspell, 670) She feels guilty for not realizing that Mrs. Wright needed help. She tells Mrs. Peters I might have known she needed help I know how things can be-for women. I tell you, its queer, Mrs.Peters. We live so crocked together and we live far apart. (Glaspell, 670) Mrs. Hale wishes she had been a bring out admirer to Mrs. Wright and by doing that feels that could have helped prevent the murder from even happening. Maslows Law is a good theory to represent the apprehension of Mrs. Hale, it signifies the importance of better understanding why she acted as she did. We use Maslows Law of Hierarchy Needs to better understand what motivates us to reach our full potential. According to McLeod, progress is much disrupted by failure to meet lower level needs. (McLeod, 2007) Because Mrs. Hale had begun to care for her old friend, after trying to figure out what caused her to become a murder, She had regressed back down to the love and belonging level, Thus preventing her from progressing to the aesthetic level. WORKS CITED McLeod, S. A. (2007). Maslows Hierarchy of Needs. Glaspell, Susan. Trifle s. Backpack Literature An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing fourth part Edition. Ed. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey Pearson Education, Inc. , 2012. 659-671. Print.