Murder Most Foul, The Killer and the American Gothic Imagination -Karen Halttenen

Execution Sermon Horror Murderer is a common More description of the murders sinner Show relationship between community and murderer Personal Monstrosity Moral Characteristics Alien of the killer Deviance: Normal v Abnormal Moral Code Criminal Violence Interest in human nature Enlightenment way of thinking Secular About the killer Pornography of Violence Study the relationship between Victim and Killer Study the relationship between Victim and Reader Mystery Structured as a Puzzle: Given info/ facts but not always relevant or in correct order Clues -Medical Evidence: The Body as evidence -Location: Maps, charts, blueprints -Pictures of victim & killer Reader has an active role Information about various suspects: Alibies- Counter Narrative (Motive) Problem that needs to be solved- bring closure What info is key??

No motive Story of Redemption

Pain Pleasure Sadism/ Masochism: Both Pleasure Killer/ Victim: Only Pleasure Sensationalism (Availability: Penny Press) Study & Interest in what happens to the human body About the Victim

Saving / Healing of the Community Theological About the killer

Domestic Murder Allows public a look behind the closed doors. (Secrets) Leads to the idea of evil within the home, no longer safe (No Escaping it)

Murdering Medusa Murder of the Mental Alien Women as a source of evil/ the problem Movement from the depraved soul to mental depravity (Monsters) Sexualization of Women [PROBLEM!!] Sex no longer about the need to create a child, but as a form of pleasure Women are the seducers of men Beginning to look at the brain & how it works. Debate: if a person does something wrong but doesnt understand it- are they wrong? Should they be held to the same standards? Crimes committed werent changing science was getting involved in the study, therefore they were written about with these new ideas

Scale Other families are really messed Justification of Male Violence & Male up Desire (Specifically out of their marriage) Model is Response to: Sociological Changes in marriage

Women are the problem, the violence is Depraved Disease (New idea) the fault of the victim Response to sociological change Reinforces idea: they are different, they are bad. We are ok. Little about motive because of idea about disease