Lewis Hale
A middle-aged local farmer who visited the Wrights’ home and discovered Minnie calmly pleating her apron as her husband lay murdered in his bed. He accompanies Henderson and Peters, although not a legal…
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Mrs. Peters
The wife of the sheriff who, in Mrs. Hale’s mind, does not look the part because she is “small and thin.” Mrs. Peters’s physical characteristics are reflected in her subservience to her husband, and…
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Martha Hale
The wife of Mr. Hale and resident of the nearest farm to the Wrights’ home. Due to this proximity, as well as her acquaintance with the young Minnie Wright (when her name was Minnie…
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John Wright
The murdered man, and husband of Minnie Wright, whose death forms the backdrop for the events of the story. In the eyes of society, John Wright was respectable. He did not exhibit any of…
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Minnie Wright
The woman accused of killing her husband by strangling him in his sleep, she is held at the jail through the course of the story. Minnie Wright lived a life of isolation in her farmhouse…
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Minor Characters
George Henderson
A young man who holds the position of county attorney overseeing the investigation of John Wright’s murder. Henderson is self-confident in his ability to build a case against Minnie Wright and particularly sarcastic in his belittling of the female characters.
Henry Peters
A middle-aged man who is the local sheriff. He assists George Henderson in his investigation, and, although genial compared to Henderson, he is as clear about his prejudice against Minnie Wright. He is also dismissive of his wife and what he sees as her womanly concerns.