Summary Of The Red Parts By Maggie Nelson

Maggie Nelson condemns the media’s erotic interest in violence done to women. Her novel, The Red Parts, is as much of an explanation of what happened at the trial for her aunt, Jane, as it is commentary of the perverse enjoyment people have for learning of these cases on TV. When going over her aunt’s case, Nelson tries to describe what occurred truthfully and objectively, avoiding erotic descriptors as they are disrespectful to Jane and all the women who shared a similar fate. One of the things Nelson shared about the trial was the media’s high interest in it. News stations and crime shows sent cameramen to film the proceedings and tried to secure interviews with members of the Nelson family. The show 48 Hours Mystery managed to acquire an

When presented with a photo of the crime scene, Nelson writes, “Jane’s body lies at their feet, her head and upper body shrouded by her raincoat” (10). No mention of Jane’s legs, chest, or facial expression; nothing that could be spun into something more sensual than it truly is. Occasionally, Nelson deviates from her factual descriptors to explain bodily reactions, like when she is commenting on the change that occurred to Jane’s eyes when she was shot, “It shows that the body hurries to heal itself, even as it’s dying” (91). The phrase emphasizes how tragic and wrong the things done to Jane were; to remind her audience that there is no beauty in a violent death, just heartrending pain. This method of Nelson gives Jane her respect back as others are less likely to glorify the pain forced on

Nelson became consumed by thoughts and dreams she came to term ‘murder mind’ due to the in-depth research she had to conduct on all the young women of the Michigan Murders. “In bed at night I found a smattering of sickening images of violent acts ready and waiting for me” (5). Nelson did not have peaceful sleep for months and it began to affect her day-life. “I began to feel like a ghost, a stranger to myself” (9). Nelson no longer resembled the self she knew, and began to desperately look forward to her book’s release, thinking it would be the start of the end of ‘murder mind’. Those intrusive thoughts would eventually fade, but Nelson was later compelled to find similarity when serial killer Michael Ross described his own mental state online. A explanation that “chilled [Nelson] to the bone. It was an excellent description of murder mind” (76). After spending years abhorring the actions of violent, sexist men, Nelson found she had a resemblance to them. The big difference though, was that Nelson never violently acted on those thoughts, even working to create greater respect for Jane and other Michigan Murder victims to contrast her ‘murder