Is Trifles Based on a True Story?
The Play Is Loosely Based on the Murder of John Hossack, Which Glaspell Reported on While Working as a Journalist for the Des Moines Daily News. on December 2...
The play is loosely based on the murder of John Hossack, which Glaspell reported on while working as a journalist for the Des Moines Daily News. On December 2, 1900, Hossack's wife, Margaret, reported to the police that an unknown person broke into their house and murdered John with an axe while she slept next to him.
Why did glaspell leave Mrs Wright out of the play?
Wright is actually being held in jail, and the other women are gathering things she might need. Mrs. Wright's absence from the play (physically) allows us to see her through the eyes of others.
What happened to Margaret Hossack?
On April 11, 1901, after five days of testimony before an all-male jury, Margaret Hossack was found guilty of her husband's murder and sentenced to life in prison. Her conviction was overturned one year later and she was released on bail to await a retrial.