AnswersIC English 11 - DeeringDramatic Monologue and Stream of Consciousness in Poetry

Trifles: The Rise of Modern Feminism on the Stage, Part 2 Answers

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Read the excerpt from part one of Trifles.HALE. Well, she looked queer.COUNTY ATTORNEY. How do you mean—queer?HALE. Well, as if she didn’t know what she was going to do next. And kind of done up.Which word has a meaning similar to “queer” as it is used in this excerpt?

A
doubtful
B
strange
C
pensive
D
irrational
2
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Which excerpt from Trifles contains a stage direction?

A
SHERIFF (looking about). It’s just the same.
B
COUNTY ATTORNEY. Somebody should have been left here yesterday.
C
HALE. Well, she looked queer.
D
MRS. HALE. Well, I don’t know as Wright had, either.
3

Read the excerpt from part one of Trifles.COUNTY ATTORNEY. How did she seem to feel about you coming?HALE. Why, I don’t think she minded—one way or the other. She didn’t pay much attention. I said, “How do, Mrs. Wright, it’s cold, ain’t it?” And she said, “Is it?”—and went on kind of pleating at her apron. . . . And then she—laughed. I guess you would call it a laugh.How does this dialogue further develop the idea that Mrs. Wright may have had a motive for killing her husband?

A
It suggests that she has actually gone insane.
B
It suggests that she finds death humorous.
C
It suggests that she did not care about his death.
D
It suggests that she is hiding her real emotions.
4

Read the excerpt from part one of Trifles.COUNTY ATTORNEY. Dirty towels! (Kicks his foot against the pans under the sink.) Not much of a housekeeper, would you say, ladies?What does this excerpt emphasize about the character of the County Attorney?

A
his strong belief in a woman’s domestic role
B
his fervent desire to solve all types of crime
C
his awkward shyness when dealing with women
D
his passionate desire to keep things orderly
5

Which of the following stage directions from part one of Trifles is designed to express emotion?

A
MRS. PETERS (after taking a step forward).
B
SHERIFF (looking about).
C
MRS. PETERS (to the other woman).
D
MRS. HALE (stiffly).
6

Read the excerpt from part one of Trifles.SHERIFF (unbuttoning his overcoat and stepping away from the stove as if to the beginning of official business).How does the use of the word “official” in this stage direction affect the mood of the scene?

A
It suggests that the Sheriff is an honest man with great integrity.
B
It suggests that the Sheriff is pretending to know what he is doing.
C
It suggests that the Sheriff is going to attempt to act professionally.
D
It suggests that the Sheriff is very experienced with crimes of this sort.
7

Read the excerpt from part one of Trifles.HALE. So I knocked again, and I thought I heard somebody say, “Come in.” I wasn’t sure, I’m not sure yet, but I opened the door—this door (indicating the door by which the two women are still standing), and there in that rocker—(pointing to it) sat Mrs. Wright. What can you infer about Hale based on both the dialogue and stage directions in this excerpt?

A
He is easily upset and becomes wildly animated as a means of expressing his upset.
B
He is prone to wild gestures and exaggerated descriptions of things that have occurred.
C
He is desirous of making it seem as though Mrs. Wright is guilty of killing her husband.
D
He is eager to relay the details of the incident with as much accuracy as possible.
8

Read the excerpt from part one of Trifles. MRS. HALE (abruptly moving toward her). Mrs. Peters?Which best describes the effect of the word “abruptly” in the excerpt?

A
The use of the word abruptly heightens the conflict by revealing to the reader that Mrs. Hale is becoming increasingly anxious.
B
The use of the word abruptly characterizes Mrs. Hale as someone who is aggressive and assertive by nature.
C
The use of the word abruptly quickens the plot by making it appear as though the characters in the play are rushed.
D
The use of the word abruptly adds to the mysterious mood in the scene as the reader is left to wonder why Mrs. Hale is upset.
9

Read the excerpt from part one of Trifles.HALE. I didn’t hear or see anything; I knocked at the door, and still it was all quiet inside. I knew they must be up, it was past eight o’clock. So I knocked again, and I thought I heard somebody say, “Come in.” I wasn’t sure, I’m not sure yet, but I opened the door—this door (indicating the door by which the two women are still standing), and there in that rocker—(pointing to it) sat Mrs. Wright. (They all look at the rocker.)How does the underlined stage direction affect the mood of the scene?

A
The emphasis on the rocker creates a tense mood as everyone is reminded of where Mrs. Wright calmly sat as she discussed her dead husband.
B
The emphasis on the rocker creates a hostile mood as the characters envision Mrs. Wright and the lack of emotion she showed as she sat rocking.
C
The emphasis on the rocker creates a calm mood as the reader is reminded of something that is typically used to pacify or soothe individuals.
D
The emphasis on the rocker creates a warm mood as the reader becomes focused on something that is often associated with fond memories.
10

Read the excerpt from part one of Trifles.MRS. HALE (examining the skirt).What does the word “examining” mean in the stage direction?

A
checking for flaws
B
looking very closely
C
searching for clues
D
seeking solutions
11

In part two of Trifles, how does the symbol of the broken fruit jar impact the theme that women were often unhappy in the roles they were expected to fulfill?

A
The shattered fruit jar symbolizes the broken and unhappy home in which Mrs. Wright lived.
B
The shattered fruit jar symbolizes the disappointment and hostility Mr. Wright felt for Mrs. Wright.
C
The shattered fruit jar symbolizes the lost career that Mrs. Wright had one day hoped to have.
D
The shattered fruit jar symbolizes the love and affection that Mrs. Wright once felt for Mr. Wright.
12

The fact that women often feel pressured to conform to society’s expectations is a common feminist theme found within literature. As this theme appears within part two of Trifles, which pair of symbols most strengthens this theme?

A
towel, table
B
bottle of fruit, birdcage
C
breadbox, cats
D
quilt, bird
13

In part two of Trifles, which of the following best supports the feminist theme that women often found it difficult to fulfill their own heart’s desires?

A
the suggestion that Mrs. Wright stopped singing in the choir
B
the implication that a young Mrs. Peters was discouraged from saving her childhood pet from a vicious little boy
C
the accepted understanding that Mrs. Hale was too busy with her own home and children to stop for a visit
D
the idea that Mrs. Wright was unable to open her own fruit-stand
14

In part two of Trifles, which of the following is an example of situational irony?

A
Mrs. Peters cannot bring herself to touch the dead bird, so Mrs. Hales puts the entire box in her coat pocket.
B
The men overlook the important details because they believe the kitchen holds nothing but trivial kitchen items.
C
Mrs. Peters explains to Mrs. Hale that Mrs. Wright had an uncomfortable feeling around cats.
D
Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters discover a birdcage with broken door hinges and no bird inside of it.
15

In part two of Trifles, which is an example of dramatic irony?

A
The women find that Mrs. Wright was stitching a quilt with a log-cabin design.
B
The men believe that Mrs. Wright may not have been a very good homemaker.
C
The audience knows about the deceased bird hidden in the box, but the men in the play do not.
D
The audience views the setting of the Wright home as a lonely place, but the characters do not.
16

Read the excerpt from part two of Trifles.COUNTY ATTORNEY (facetiously). Well, Henry, at least we found out that she was not going to quilt it. She was going to—what is it you call it, ladies!MRS. HALE (her hand against her pocket). We call it—knot it, Mr. Henderson.How is this excerpt an example of irony?

A
The lighthearted and humorous tone of the County Attorney is the opposite of what you would expect during a situation like this.
B
A show of interest in the quilt on the men’s behalf was a sudden twist of what would normally be expected.
C
The County Attorney appeared to be asking a question about the quilt, but he was actually asking another question entirely.
D
It appeared as though Mrs. Hale was answering the question, but she actually meant something quite different with her response.
17

In part two of Trifles, which of the following images most reinforces the theme of loneliness that exists throughout the play?

A
the hollow in which the Wright home sat
B
the box in which the dead bird was found
C
the partially messy table in the kitchen
D
the broken hinge on the door of the birdcage
18

Based on part two of Trifles, the symbolism behind the uneven stitching in Mrs. Wright’s otherwise perfect quilt indicates that she

A
did not enjoy the process of quilting.
B
was just beginning to learn how to quilt.
C
did not want her husband to know how well she could quilt.
D
was agitated or distracted by something during her quilting.
19

In part two of Trifles, how does the image of the dead bird wrapped in a silk cloth strengthen the feminist theme that women often suffer abuses within a male-dominated society?

A
The bird symbolizes loneliness, which Mrs. Wright endured throughout her marriage to Mr. Wright.
B
The bird symbolizes Mrs. Wright’s beauty, which heightened Mr. Wright’s insecurities about his marriage.
C
The bird symbolizes Mrs. Wright’s hopes of a singing career, which likely died when she married Mr. Wright.
D
The bird symbolizes nature, which Mrs. Wright missed greatly once she became secluded in the house.
20

Read the excerpt from part two of Trifles.MRS. HALE. It’s log cabin pattern. Pretty, isn’t it? I wonder if she was goin’ to quilt or just knot it? (Footsteps have been heard coming down the stairs. The Sheriff enters, followed by Hale and the County Attorney.)SHERIFF. They wonder if she was going to quilt or just knot it. (The men laugh, the women look abashed.)What is ironic about this excerpt?

A
The men laugh at the women, and the women find themselves feeling very embarrassed by this.
B
The men believe the women are incapable of discovering anything of substance when, in fact, they are the ones who discover evidence.
C
Although they are considered to be good, knowledgeable homemakers, the women are puzzled by which stitching technique was used in the quilt.
D
Although the women are in Mrs. Wright’s kitchen, they are unfamiliar with many of the items that they find.

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