Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0009-9185-8865

Semester

Summer

Date of Graduation

2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MA

College

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Department

History

Committee Chair

Joseph Hodge

Committee Co-Chair

Brooke Durham

Committee Member

Brian Luskey

Abstract

“Skirting the Law: Sensationalism and Spectacle of British Murderesses from the 1830s to the 1860s” concentrates on women who committed the crime of murder during a time where print culture rose in popularity, gendered spheres of influence dictated lives, and class consciousness governed society. Due to their rarity and uniqueness, murderesses became a fascination among the public as they defined societal expectations. While some women inspired sympathy for their plight that led to their actions, others were viewed as wicked and abominations of nature. When observing how infrequently women were convicted in comparison to men, the thesis argues that their gender and perception aided women in escaping guilty verdicts. Previous scholars have only examined the topic from a literary or historical perspective, but this analysis forms a bridge between the two while focusing primarily on women. The main point of the argument is not to answer the question why women killed, instead, to understand why female murderers were portrayed to the public in a particular light. By examining court records, newspapers, broadsides, and literary works, “Skirting the Law” argues that women who committed murder faced two trials: one of conviction and more importantly one in the court of public opinion waged in the press and literature. Emphasizing ideals of femininity and desperation were essential for murderesses and those who portrayed them in popular culture to appeal for sympathy. Establishing sympathy allowed for women to receive fewer convictions and lesser punishments while calling on the public to question the moral nature of their Victorian views through the context of murder.

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