Spousal Murders

Introduction

The period between 1930s and 40s was the era of the great depression. It was characterized with deceits and murders. Spousal murders were common in that era. This discussion sought to explore the 1930's trend in which housewives began to murder their husbands. The paper explored spousal murders and the motives that drove housewives to engage in homicide. The paper also shed light on the characteristics of these murders. The essence of the paper was to assert that such occurrences should not be considered to be one-time incidents. In fact, such occurrences still take place and should be given relevance.

The trend to believe it is against a woman's nature to commit crime, especially murder, may be remnant from the 1930s and 40s era when women were considered as paragons of virtue, born to serve and to inspire men. Women were kept indoors to protect them from immoral influences, and this prevented them from being exposed to situations, which could awaken the temptation to commit a crime. This disposition supposes that committing a crime is attributed to external influences, and any internal inclination towards crime is negated (Ressler, p. 56-73).

Discussion

During 1930s and 40s, society imposed such strict expectations upon the conduct and demeanor of respectable women, that to oppose these, would mean ostracism from that very society. Women were innately regarded as non-criminal, as paragons of virtue, upholders of the faith and from this pedestal they were supposed to inspire men to greater virtue.

A woman's fall from grace was considered much more of a social scandal than a crime, and punishment reflected this, especially in upper society. Society preferred not to know about such crimes for it threatened the delicate threads that wove their moral safety net. Families were expected to confine the "unfortunate offender" to the family home or dispose ...