Question

read the excerpt from part one of trifles.
county attorney. how did she seem to feel about you coming?
hale. why, i dont think she minded—one way or the other. she didnt pay much attention. i said, \how do, mrs. wright, its cold, aint 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?
○ it suggests that she has actually gone insane.
○ it suggests that she finds death humorous.
○ it suggests that she did not care about his death.
○ it suggests that she is hiding her real emotions.

Explanation:

To determine the correct answer, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: The dialogue doesn't show insanity (e.g., no extreme irrational behavior like hallucinations), so this is incorrect.
• Option 2: There's no indication she finds death humorous; her laugh and response are more about detachment, not humor towards death.
• Option 3: The dialogue (her lack of attention, detached response) suggests she doesn't care about her husband's death, which could imply a motive (e.g., if she didn't care, she might have been willing to kill him).
• Option 4: There's no clear sign of hiding emotions (e.g., no nervousness or attempts to mask, just detachment).

Answer:

C. It suggests that she did not care about his death.