Dialect
Explanation and Analysis:

The text of Trifles is comprised almost entirely of dialogue. Glaspell uses dialect to convey key elements of her characters’ backgrounds, personalities, and context. The play is set in a rural farmhouse in the Midwest and features qualities of regional dialects common to the Midwest, including contractions of words and unusual grammatical structures. One example occurs when Mr. Hale is describing his conversation with Minnie Wright at the beginning of the play:

"How do, Mrs. Wright, it's cold ain't it?"