What are similarities between the stories Trifles and "A Jury of Her Peers"?

Susan Glaspell is successfully able to transform her play Trifles into what would become her most famous story, "A Jury of Her Peers". 

In reality, it is easier to extrapolate the differences between the two works, more so even than the similarities. This is because a contrasting view of the two pieces helps us see which of the two carries with it more information, or offers more insight into the mindset of the characters. 

Since that is not an option, let's then look closely at how the two are similar. 

1. Central problem 

Both, the play and the story, have the same central problem. It is about the murder of John Wright by his wife, Minnie. The peripheral issue surrounding the central problem is also there. Namely, that the women have just discovered a motive for the murder, which may serve as key evidence to accuse Minnie Wright of murder. Hence, the women will try their best to conceal the evidence from the prying eyes of the male investigator, from the sheriff, and  from John Hale. 

2. Witness and investigators

As stated before, the witnesses are the same in "A Jury of Her Peers" as they are in Trifles. The county attorney, John Hale, and the sheriff, Mr. Peters, are the men actively looking for the cues around the house.

3. Names of the characters

Glaspell also keeps the names of each characters the same. Moreover, the female characters, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, also continue to address one another by their formal, married names. This means that, in both works, they maintain the same level of formality while still being able to bond at a higher level on behalf of Minnie. 

4. Location

The location of the story and that of the play are also the same. It is an isolated farm, in the middle of a non-stop winter. The inclement weather is also there, coloring the tone and atmosphere of the story with undertones of loneliness, isolation, and even desperation. 

5. Evidence

The evidence which directly points to Minnie Wright as the person responsible of committing the murder of John Wright is the same in the play and in the story. They include (in both works)

• the fruit compotes (which blew up with the winter cold)


• the dire condition of the house


• the unkempt kitchen


• the rope


• the disarrayed stitching pattern 


• the cage of the canary


• the hinged door of the canary's cage


• the body of the canary stuffed inside a box in a drawer

6. Background issues

The personal issues of each character, along with their prejudices, are also present in the story "A Jury of Her Peers", the way that they are in the play. The county attorney has an issue with women.  Sheriff Peters keeps laughing at them. Mrs. Hale still regrets not having gone to see Minnie Wright in years; she also remembers Minnie and how different she was before she got married to John. Mrs. Peters still has a deep issue with isolation and silence; in both works she remembers the death of her only child at age 2, and how the stillness and silence of the household was unbearable.

7. The decision to withhold evidence

The women of the story are more than just "true to their sex" like the county attorney suggested of Mrs. Hale, upon witnessing her defending Minnie's messy house. Rather than just "cheering" for a fellow female, they are actually quite aware of the reality of domestic violence that must have taken place in the Wright household. They are also aware that such degree of violence would have made any woman snap. 

Therefore, the story "A Jury of Her Peers" and Trifles keep the key elements that make them such unique works of literature intact. The basic gist remains the same, as well as the problem, the names of the characters, the evidence, and the ultimate discovery that Minnie is definitely responsible, albeit she does it due to an extreme reaction to domestic abuse.