Here's a breakdown of how the law is subverted and the evidence:
Subversion of the Law:
* The Male Gaze: The men, particularly the Sheriff and the County Attorney, approach the investigation with a narrow, masculine perspective. They prioritize physical evidence, assuming a crime of passion and overlooking the psychological and social context of the crime.
* Ignoring Women's Voices: The women, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, are initially dismissed as irrelevant to the investigation. The men prioritize the physical evidence (the gun, the broken birdcage) while failing to see the emotional and social context of the crime, which the women intuitively understand.
* Patriarchal Bias: The men's assumptions about Minnie Wright are shaped by societal expectations of women. They see her as a "simple" housewife who couldn't possibly have committed murder, let alone a planned one. This limits their investigation and ultimately prevents them from understanding the truth.
Evidence of Minnie Wright's Motive:
* The Dead Bird: The women discover a dead bird in a cage, which is a powerful symbol of Minnie's isolation and confinement. The bird is likely a pet, suggesting she was deprived of companionship and freedom. This provides a motive for Minnie's resentment and potential act of revenge.
* The Birdcage: The broken birdcage suggests Minnie's frustration and desire to break free from her constraints. It's a metaphor for her stifled life and the ultimate "breaking point" that led to her actions.
* The Quilt: The women find a partially finished quilt, with pieces sewn in haphazardly. This detail suggests Minnie's emotional state. It’s a symbol of her disrupted life and her inability to find peace or completion.
* The Bird's "Singing" and "Singing" in the Night: This detail reinforces Minnie's feeling of being trapped and isolated. She likely felt silenced and unheard, leading to her desperate actions.
The Significance of the Subversion:
Glaspell cleverly uses the women's actions to highlight the shortcomings of the legal system when it comes to understanding and addressing women's experiences. By choosing to protect Minnie, they challenge the prevailing patriarchal view of the world and offer a more empathetic and nuanced understanding of the crime.
The women's ability to "see" what the men cannot is a powerful statement about the importance of perspective, empathy, and the need for a more holistic approach to understanding crime.