The past cannot be changed, but it can fill the present with regret. Minnie Wright clearly regrets marrying John, for her marriage was unhappy and even abusive. Yet there is little evidence that she regrets John’s death. She is nervous and behaves strangely when Mr. Hale arrives, but she announces that her husband is dead with little emotion.

Mrs. Hale has regrets of her own. She knew Minnie Wright as a girl, but they have grown apart over the years. She has not visited Minnie in a long time. “I stayed away because it weren’t cheerful,” she explains to Mrs. Peters. The Wright house is uncomfortable and lonely. Now, though, she knows that this is exactly why she should have visited Minnie. She regrets not supporting her or offering comfort and companionship. In fact, she calls it a crime and wonders who will punish her for it. In truth, she will punish herself with her regrets.