The main character would be Mrs. Hale. We see everything through her eyes. At the beginning of the story, she is dragged from her kitchen, and we are informed of how frustrating it is to her to leave things unfinished. This "unfinished" theme becomes part of the evidence that proves that Minnie killed her husband. We see through Mrs. Hale's eyes how her kitchen is messy, how her stitches are crooked in her quilting, and how the bird cage is empty.
Along with Mrs. Hale is the sheriff's wife, Mrs. Peters. Although Mrs. Peters wants to follow the law, like her husband does, she also feels what Mrs. Hale feels about what Minnie's husband has done to her over the years of their marriage. The story is built around Mrs. Hale's observations and how she convinces Mrs. Peters that they should keep the evidence to themselves. They even do away with the evidence so that the men can't prove Minnie killed her husband.
Without Mrs. Hale, we never would have noticed things like uneven stitching or messy kitchens or empty birdcages. The men would never have noticed them as evidence, either. However, Mrs Hale provides us with such insight so that we can find the killer as easily as she did. Yet, with her compassion for Minnie, and who she's become in her misery, we agree with the women's decision to keep the information from the men and let Minnie walk free.
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