Trifles is seen as an example of early feminist drama. Its two female characters, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale, are able to sympathize with the victim's wife, Minnie, and their understanding of her possible motive leads them to the evidence against her. The men, meanwhile, are blinded by their cold, emotionless investigation of material facts. The female characters find the body of a canary, which had its neck wrung, killed in the same way as the deceased (John Wright), thus leading them to the conclusion that Minnie was the murderer. Clearly, the wife is symbolized by the caged bird, a common symbol of women's roles in society. The plot concludes with the two women hiding the evidence against Minnie.