Abstract This paper discusses Lizzie Borden's trial for the murders of her father and stepmother and explains that this was a situation that had never before been seen in any previous American murder case. This was the case of a privileged, upper-class woman who had allegedly murdered her parents in cold blood. This paper will describe the facts of the case, then analyze some of those facts and ultimately draw a conclusion as to why Lizzie Borden was eventually acquitted of the brutal murder of her father and stepmother.
From the Paper "Lizzie Borden's trial for the murders of her father and stepmother was a situation that had never before been seen in any previous American murder case. This was the case of a privileged, upper-class woman who had allegedly murdered her parents in cold blood. This paper will describe the facts of the case, then analyze some of those facts and ultimately draw a conclusion as to why Lizzie Borden was eventually acquitted of the brutal murder of her father and stepmother. Facts of the Case On August 4, 1892, the couple of Andrew and Abby Borden were murdered by in Fall River, Massachusetts. The cause of death for both of them was bludgeoning by an axe. There were no signs of disturbance in the house -- other than the two bodies. Lizzie Borden, who was thirty-two, was Andrew Borden's youngest daughter."
Abstract This paper provides the background of the infamous case and an analysis of the relevant facts to prove that Lizzie Borden's motive in killing her parents was her rich father's estate. A summary of the research is provided in the conclusion.
From the Paper "In August 1892, an affluent banker and mill director, Andrew Borden, was found murdered in the front parlor of his home in Fall River, Massachusetts, and his second wife, Abigail, was discovered in an upstairs bedroom. Both victims had died as a result of repeated blows to the head, face, and neck with a hatchet. Despite the strong case presented against her, Andrew's daughter, Elizabeth, was acquitted of all charges against her. While the historians continue to debate the correctness of this verdict, many observers today claim that there can be no doubt that "Lizzie" did the deed."
Abstract The paper explores the horrific axe murders Lizzie Borden is supposed to have committed. The paper offers a look at her background and discusses how socialization theories suggest that her poverty-like conditions, family relationships, isolation from her peers and lack of self-image all played a part in her crimes.
From the Paper "Lizzie (not Elizabeth, her baptismal name is Lizzie) was born in 1860, the daughter of Andrew Borden. Andrew was a successful banker and businessman, but like many Victorian fathers, was exceedingly strict with his two daughters. He was known to be worth a great deal "But refused to install plumbing in his home" (Burns, 2004), and still retains a reputation for meanness: "He and his family lived as paupers in a modest, two and one half story frame house in one of the poorest sections of town" (Dorfman, 2002). At the time of the murders, he and his daughters were not close: he had married again shortly after his first wife's death, and the girls and the stepmother quarreled frequently."
From the Paper "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."
Abstract This paper discusses Sharon Pollock's play, "Blood Relations" which is a depiction of Lizzie Borden who was famous for allegedly brutally murdering her father and stepmother in 1892. The paper analyzes the play's concern with the idea of inequalities within gender, class and society in general. It shows how the main focus of the play is Lizzie's subordination to the men that control her life and her opposition to this control.
From the Paper "Blood Relations is a fictional look into the story behind the media story surrounding Lizzie Borden. Sharon Pollock centers the play on the various inequalities that Lizzie faces within a patriarchal context, and her frustration as a result of them. Pollock is able to demonstrate that Lizzie's extreme frustration, caused mainly by the social, class, and gender struggles, could most definitely have caused Lizzie to commit the murders. By focusing on Lizzie's struggles leading up to the murders, and the extremity of her social subordination and oppression, Pollock bestows incentive upon her character in relation to the brutal crimes. Although both in the play, and historically, Lizzie Borden was acquitted from her murder charges, Pollock does force her audience to question the outcome of social inequality."
