The Lizzie Borden Trial

In an attempt to influence the jury, the prosecution and defense of the Lizzie Borden trial utilized female stereotypes in intricate ways. Understandably, the defense applied the public labels for women to convince the jury that Lizzie Borden could not possibly commit murder, let alone kill her own father and stepmother. The defense’s main goal became proving that Lizzie Borden’s actions and attitudes fit the stereotypical description of a Victorian Era woman. Throughout the trial, the defense provided seemingly indirect remarks regarding Lizzie Borden’s feminine nature to intentionally develop the idea of her innocence in the minds of jury members (Carlson). The defense often referred to Lizzie as “’a little girl’” (Filetti 473). Head defense attorney, George Robinson, did not fail to remind

Prior to the murders, relationships in the Borden house grew tense. One reason for the tension appeared because of Lizzie Borden’s desire for wealth. Even though Andrew Borden’s fortune rose into the millions by today’s standards, he continued to live frugally and housed his family in an undesirable neighborhood (Mehren). The house contained no “running water or electrical power” (Mehren). Due to the dull living conditions, Lizzie’s relationship with her father suffered. Additionally, Lizzie Borden’s relationship with her stepmother declined to a state of near hatred. Years before the trial, Lizzie had ceased calling Abby Borden by anything other than “’Mrs. Borden.’” After tensions began to grow, the family ate meals separately and locked their doors from other house mates (Stuart). Evidently, the Borden family had many dysfunctions before the murders occurred. Nonetheless, the jury and the public disregarded the strained family relationships, along with Lizzie’s drastically changing emotions as the trial