A Truly Astounding Piece of Literature

I find "Trifles" to be one of the most moving pieces of literature that I have ever experienced.  I read this short play in high school and was happy to read it again.
In high school we discussed the secrecy between the two women, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters.  We determined that this secrecy was ultimately brought on by their mistrust of the men, and their mistrust of the men was caused by the men themselves.  Before Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters were even aware of Mrs. Right's canary and the actions following, the two women were reserved and nervous.  In the beginning of the play they stay in the background, huddled together near the door.  They seek protection in each other.  The attorney states this as being "loyal to your sex."  However, this is an unfair statement made by the man.  Although the women are indeed loyal, they have to be in order to avoid the belittlement that is hurled at them by the men.  Mrs. Hale ultimately is overwhelmed by guilt for not being there for Mrs. Wright to help her face the harshness she faces from her husband.  I find Mrs. Peters to be the most wonderful example of loyalty to Mrs. Wright.  Although Mrs. Peters did not personally know Mrs. Wright, she stays by her side in the end of the play.  As the two women are solving the case of the murder, Mrs. Peters tries to stay on the side of the law, not excusing Mrs. Wright for her actions.  However, in the end, after a snide remark from the attorney about being "married to the law," and another remark dismissing Mrs. Wright's quilting, Mrs. Peters decides to protect Mrs. Wright.  The women know that life is hard for women, and they stick together.  "Trifles" brilliantly displays the gender gap between men and women.
I also love the metaphor that the canary represents that Mrs. Hale constantly references; the vibrant, beautiful Minnie Foster before she was married.  Her marriage killed her spirit, and her husband killed her beloved canary in the same way as her spirit.
My favorite element of this play is the remarks made by the men degrading the women.  As the sheriff is searching for evidence, he states "Nothing here but kitchen things."  The kitchen is the place of the women, and there the sheriff considers it insignificant, although it houses the motive for which the men were searching.  Mr. Hale also writes off the women's concern stating that "women are used to worrying over trifles," whereas the women are worried over the most important things that they could be.  The men's dismissal of the women ultimately causes them to miss the truth in front of them.
Upon this reading of "Trifles," what stood out to me the most was the list of characters.  The men are given full names and short descriptions of their characters, whereas the women are not even graced with first names.  They are only called Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, their husbands' last names, and even address each other in this manner.  This seemed to be a strong indication of the ranks of the women, even before the play begins, and it really stuck with me.