Reading Guide

Margaret Hossack and her children gave very consistent accounts of what occurred on the night that John Hossack was attacked. Do you believe their stories? Do you believe that Margaret Hossack killed her husband? If so, what motivated her to commit the murder? Was she justified? Did she have an accomplice? How are we to interpret the relative calm in the Hossack household during the days right before the crime was committed?

In the introduction, the authors acknowledge that they were intrigued by "the interactions among neighbors and their obligations to one another; and the complexity of emotions, motivations, and loyalties that play into family relationships, often making them impossible for an outsider to reconstruct or ever fully comprehend" (page xvi). What was the relationship between the Hossacks and their neighbors? How did the neighbors respond to reports of domestic abuse in the Hossack household? Did John Hossack's neighbors consider him to be a threat to the safety of his family?

Susan Glaspell is one of the key figures in the book. As a young woman with a college education and a determination to have an independent life and career, she was unusual in her era. Glaspell serves as a kind of interpreter of events in MIDNIGHT ASSASSIN--first as a journalist; then later as a playwright and fiction writer. How does Glaspell's view of Mrs. Hossack change between December 1900 and April 1901? In Glaspell's newspaper accounts, what impression does she give her readers of Mrs. Hossack and the community in which she lived?

Newspaper accounts are used in the book to reveal the story of the crime and the community's reaction to the murder of John Hossack. How do these newspaper stories develop the narrative and illustrate the shifts in community sentiment? What do they reveal about Margaret Hossack and how she was judged by the community? How did the portrayals of Mrs. Hossack's physical characteristics--large, powerful, masculine--and her demeanor--stern, unemotional, quick tempered--affect the way she was perceived before the trial? Do you think the media coverage influenced jurors about her guilt or innocence?

There is a kind of irony in the fact that John Hossack's success and prosperity allowed his family to hire the best lawyer in town to defend Mrs. Hossack. Would the outcome of the trial have been different if a less skilled or less prominent attorney had handled the case? What does this suggest about how wealthy defendants and poor defendants are treated under the law?

William Berry and George Clammer were men of different generations but both of them were highly skilled, motivated, and effective attorneys. How were their styles and approaches to the case similar or different? What personal characteristics defined each man and his performance in the case? What changes in strategy would be necessary for each attorney if the case were to be tried today?

The men selected to judge Mrs. Hossack in the first trial are described as "a jury of her husband's peers" (page 120). Do you think the verdict at either trial would have been different if women were allowed to serve on juries? Is it truly possible to have an unbiased jury in a small, tightly-knit community where people have already formed impressions and opinions about their neighbors and fellow citizens?

What lessons can be drawn from comparing the two trials of Margaret Hossack? Was justice finally achieved? What would be different if the case were tried today?

When Ivan's daughter inquires about her grandfather's death, Ivan says that John Hossack "died of meanness" (page 259). What does Ivan mean? What do you think Ivan and his siblings truly believed about their mother's claim of innocence?

10.

The book details the incredibly difficult circumstances of farm life in the late 1800s and early 1900s. How did farm families cope with their responsibilities and the crushing burden of work? How was life different for rural men and women? How has farm life changed in the past century?

11.

There are a number of references in the book to mental illness--John Hossack, William Haines, the farm women who were committed to institutions during this era. What does this story reveal about attitudes toward mental illness and about the response of communities to people who suffer breakdowns? How have attitudes and treatment changed in the past century?

12.

In order to shed light on Margaret Hossack's ordeal, the authors present several parallel stories--Sarah Kuhn (pages 88-90); Lizzie Borden (pages 90-93); Emily Gillespie (pages 106-116); John Wesley Elkins (pages 208-210); the fictional plight of Minnie Wright (pages 238-243)--to provide insight into the Hossack case. In what ways are these other stories relevant to the story of Margaret Hossack? What can a reader learn from comparing the similarities and differences in these different stories? How do we learn from the stories of other people?

13.

Glaspell acknowledged that Trifles was inspired by the Hossack murder case, but Glaspell changes several crucial details. Why do you think that Glaspell changed the murder weapon from an ax to a rope? And why did Glaspell portray Minnie Wright as childless? In what other ways are Margaret Hossack and Minnie Wright either similar or different?

14.

In Trifles and "A Jury of Her Peers," Glaspell suggests that a legal system dominated by male authorities would not fairly judge Minnie Wright. What did Glaspell observe during the Hossack trial that caused her to have doubts about how Mrs. Hossack was judged?

15.

One of the most often quoted passages in Trifles appears on page 233: "I might have known she needed help! I know how things can be--for women. I tell you, it's queer, Mrs. Peters. We live close together and we live far apart. We all go through the same things--it's just a different kind of the same thing." These words are spoken by Mrs. Hale, the character played by Glaspell in the first performance of the play. What does Mrs. Hale mean? And how do these words reflect Glaspell's perception of the women in Margaret Hossack's community?