Final answer:
The birdcage in 'Trifles' symbolizes captivity, reflecting the main character Minnie Wright's confined and silenced life due to her marriage.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the play Trifles by Susan Glaspell, the birdcage symbolizes captivity. It reflects the life of the main character, Minnie Wright, who was once known as Minnie Foster before her marriage. The broken birdcage represents Minnie's own broken state and her confined life within the domestic space of her home, alongside the metaphorical caging by her husband. The bird itself, which is discovered to have been strangled, symbolizes Minnie's lost freedom and her silenced voice, further solidifying the birdcage as a symbol of her captivity. Through the setting of the play in a disheveled kitchen and the women's overlook of the 'trifles' considered unimportant by the men, Glaspell emphasizes themes of domestic life and the underestimation of women's perceptions and value.