BORDEN, LIZZY.   Term Paper ID:25433 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Examines life & her trial for murdering her parents, at which she was aquitted.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Examines life & her trial for murdering her parents, at which she was aquitted. Paper Introduction: Lizzie Borden took an axe And gave her mother forty whacks. And when she saw what she had done, She gave her father forty-one. So, goes the old verse that immortalized Lizzie Borden as one of history's most notorious murderers, fair or not. For most people, that ends the story. Some also probably know that she won acquittal on all charges, thus becoming in many minds the O.J. Simpson of her time. Indeed, just as the Simpson case involved issues other than murder (such as race), Borden's story provides revealing details about the lives of women in 19th century America. This paper will examine the status of women in America during the previous century by analyzing the life and trial of the infamous Lizzie Borden. Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. If their loves are stronger and more enduring thanthose of men, their hates are more undying, more unyielding, morepersistent" (Brown, 1991, p. At 11:1 A.M., Lizzie Borden found her fatherhacked to death (with a hatchet, it turned out, not an axe) in thedownstairs sitting room. After his murder,crowds gathered outside the Borden house, but for every mourner there were1 people who cheered. The female experience: An American documentary.Indianapolis, Indiana: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc. Even in death, women did not achieve equality: TheFall River police, upon discovering Abby's body, closed the door to theroom and returned downstairs to examine Andrew's body first (Kent, 1992, p.2 ). My mother died when I was a child") (Kent, 1992, p. Helimited running water to only the kitchen and the basement, and no hotwater could be found in the Borden house (Brown, 1991, pp. 43). (Though the prosecutor introduced a handle-lesshatchet found in the basement as the murder weapon, that allegation hasbeen discredited.) The prosecutor stressed motive, citing Lizzie's dislike of herstepmother and her desire to inherit half of her father's fortune. So she threw herself into her charity work (Brown, 1991, p.54). Mostcontemporary observers agreed, and historians who have examined the casealso have concluded that Lizzie did not kill her parents. Andrew Borden had returned home at1 :55, so his murder must have occurred between then and 11:1 . For Lizzie,that meant Andrew Borden, a successful but cold man. 16). 79-82). So, Lizzie waited and waited, and not long after high school, itbecame apparent that marriage did not beckon, either. The prosecutor also emphasizedopportunity, wondering how anyone else "could have got in there, remainedan hour and a half, killed two people and then have gone out without beingobserved" (Brown, 1991, p. Andrew, Abby, Emma, and Lizzie lived together for 27 years, and notvery happily. 53-54). Lizzie Borden entered the American consciousness on August 4, 1892,when police in Fall River, Massachusetts responded to the report of amurder at the Borden house. Lizzie longed to travel, or dosomething, anything, only that option was not available to a woman in hersituation. The jury deliberated for half an hour, agreed unanimously that Lizziewas innocent, but stayed in the room for another 3 minutes so as to look"reasonably deliberative." They then returned a verdict of not guilty,apparently to the surprise of hardly anyone (Brown, 1991, p. Sarah died in 1863, leaving Emma, 1 yearsolder than Lizzie, to serve as her surrogate mother (Brown, 1991, pp. The police immediately suspected Lizzie because she and the maid,Bridget Sullivan, were the only ones on the property at the time of themurders, and because of her reaction when a po1ice officer referred to Abbyas her mother (Lizzie snapped back, "She is not my mother, sir. 21) .Thepolice, under pressure, arrested Lizzie within a week and charged her withthe murders of Andrew and Abby individually, and the murders of themtogether. She is mystepmother. Herlawyer, in his closing, appealed to stereotypes when he told the jury that"you must conclude at the outset that such acts as those are morally andphysically impossible for this young woman defendant" (Brown, 1991, p.266). For Gray,already considered old by the standards of that era, the marriage ensuredthat she would not be consigned to a life of spinsterhood (Brown, 1991, p.46). That left Abby,Emma, and Lizzie with too much time on their hands and nothing to do.Lizzie longed for material things, but lacked the means to acquire them andcould not pry any money out of her father. He refused to connect hishouse to gas mains, using kerosene instead, and then only sparingly. 51) wrote that "Victorian ladies were supposed to get the vapors,tremble, and swoon at times of adversity. The brutality of the crime and the sensationalism that surrounded itobscured the role that Lizzie's gender played in the verdict. 43). "The predominant values of society held that the home was theproper sphere for women and domesticity and motherhood their naturaloccupations" (Lerner, 1977, p. She took herinheritance and bought a big house in the nicest section of Fall River,deciding to remain even as the Globe waged a vicious campaign against her.The Globe succeeded in turning many against her, and Lizzie found herselfshunned in certain circles. 54-55). For most people, thatends the story. Forty whacks: New evidence in the life and legend ofLizzie Borden. 53). Andrew Borden had been murdered during a 15-minute span between1 :55 and 11:1 , seemingly not enough time to dispose of the evidence(Brown, 1991, p. 27 ). Healso became legendary as the Scrooge of Fall River, so penurious that onthe day of his death, he brought home a broken lock that had been discardedon the street (Kent, 1992, p. (1991). Emma lived with her for 1 years, then movednorth. The 1892 public, and the writerswho have written about her since, will not forgive her for her shyness, herstrong sense of propriety, and her unwillingness to show her deepestemotions in public." That composure served Lizzie well after her acquittal. If they lack in strength,coarseness, and vigor, they make up for it in cunning, in dispatch, incelebrity, in ferocity. Marriage and child rearing were the proper roles forwomen. In Lizzie's social circles, those who did not marry were doomed tothe "awful" life of a spinster, living in her father's house. Emmaus, Pennsylvania: Yankee Books. Andrew worked 14-hour days, always looking to make even moremoney, while the housekeeper took care of the chores. 2). Any man withoutindependent means who called upon Lizzie would immediately be dismissed asa fortune hunter. (Her happiness mayhave prompted her estrangement from Emma, who never recovered from themurders.) Lizzie Borden, ultimately, is neither an ax murderer nor afeminist poster woman. Women had few educational opportunities, so when Lizzie graduated fromhigh school, college did not beckon. Lizzie was a "poor little richgirl" (Brown, 1991, pp. 215). Lizzie Borden: The legend, the truth, the finalchapter. As partof the plot, the prosecutor alleged that Lizzie destroyed Andrew's will,which left her only $25, , so that he would die in testate and she andher sister Emma would share the estate. (1977). Kent, D. Conversely, any man of independent means would have morebeautiful and more "acceptable" women to pursue because Borden enjoyed suchlow standing among Fall River's elite. She is simply someone who made the most of her lifeafter her acquittal (each sister died in 1927), in an era when few womenhad that option. Nashville, Tennessee: Rutledge Hill Press. Lerner, G. Only the Globe,Fall River's sensationalist newspaper, disagreed, and its outraged storiesafter the verdict helped create the myth of Lizzie Borden, axe murderer(Kent, 1992, p. 5 -53). References Brown, A.R. Andrew apparently married for convenience,securing not only a wife but also a nursemaid and a housekeeper. 277). The prosecutor countered by arguing that while women may beinferior, they are capable of murder. Sheentered the world on July 19, 186 , the daughter of Sarah and Andrew Bordenof Fall River, Massachusetts. Simpson of her time. The latter charge defies explanation, so odd that even the trialcourt could not comprehend the state's reasoning (Brown, 1991, p. The prosecutor also cited Lizzie's composure as proof of her guilt.Kent (p. Lizzie Borden took an axe And gave her mother forty whacks. As one writer noted, "Andrew Borden had nosocially redeeming qualities" (Brown, 1991, p. At that time, women were cared for by men at all stages of their lives-first their father, then their husband, and finally their son. 28 ). Indeed,just as the Simpson case involved issues other than murder (such as race),Borden's story provides revealing details about the lives of women in 19thcentury America. No doubt, her family expected her tobecome refined in the ways of a lady and marry an upstanding young man(Kent, 1992, p. Lizzie traveled all over New England, often heading to New York tobuy the latest fashions (Kent, 1992, p. Society's view of women actually helped Borden in her trial. A neighbor soon found Abby Borden, Lizzie'sstepmother, hacked to death upstairs. Andrew Borden hadrisen from modest beginnings to become very prosperous. He noted that the Borden's housecontained numerous locks inside and out and compared it to a "fortress."Finally, the prosecutor noted that throughout this entire affair, Lizziewas the only person "not been seen to express emotion" (Brown, 1991, p.236). He said, "While we revere[women]...they are human like unto us. Lizzie livedat a time when women did not enjoy basic rights such as voting. No forensicevidence linked Lizzie to the crime-no blood on her dress, her hair, or hershoes. He earned hisfortune as an undertaker, then used that wealth to acquire real estate. (1992). 234-35). 233). Some also probably know that she won acquittal on allcharges, thus becoming in many minds the O.J. Andrew's first wife died in 1863, but in 1865, the 42-year old widowermarried Abby Durfee Gray, 37. 2 ). Thanks to the death of her father, Lizzie had become a woman ofindependent means, a rarity in late 19th century, early 2 th centuryAmerica. And when she saw what she had done, She gave her father forty-one. Andrew Borden's questionable business tactics, miserly ways, and coldveneer made him many enemies. So, goes the old verse that immortalized Lizzie Borden as one ofhistory's most notorious murderers, fair or not. A preliminary hearing followed, then the grand jury returned anindictment and Lizzie finally faced her trial in June 1893. "Until thelate nineteenth century, a young girl had only two possible reasons forleaving the home of her parents: marriage and the death of her parents"(Lerner, 1977, p. AbbyBorden had last been seen alive around 9 A.M., and based on her stomachcontents, the medical examiner estimated her time of death at approximately9:3 (Brown, 1991, pp. This paper will examine the status of women in Americaduring the previous century by analyzing the life and trial of the infamousLizzie Borden. His tight-fisted ways left him with afortune of more than $5 , at the time of his death (Brown, 1991, p.53). She appeared happy, despite the slings and arrows from the Globeand the wayward glances of the citizens of Fall River. Andrew collected rents personally, trudging aroundFall River with his rent book and eggs, which he sold to his tenants foronly one cent more than the local grocer did. 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