History 326 Readings Wiki

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Patricia Cohen's narrative is dedicated to the study of the murder of Helen Jewett in 1836. According to the author, this murder should be understood in a broader context of masculine subcultures, as their analysis can contribute to an understanding of the social background of the murder. P. Cohen distinguishes between three subcultural groups: young clerks and merchants, working-class ruffians, and newspapermen. Each of these subcultures had its own particular features and ways of expressing masculinity. In particular, the details of the murder and trial revealed the complexity of clerks’ and merchants’ masculinity, as the latter included an element of "sporting culture." This phenomenon refers to an active heterosexual sexual life outside of marriage as a certain performance of masculinity among middle-class males. On the one hand, participation in this culture was a sign of respect and prowess among male friends. On the other hand, it was forbidden by middle-class morality with an emphasis on sexual virtue and self-control. This paradox indicates the complexity of the case as well as the ambiguity of New York middle-class life, substantially contributing to nineteenth-century understandings of gender. - Nikolai Kotkov

Patricia Cohen’s paper exemplifies how social ideas and expectations can fester into gross injustices of the justice system. Cohen’s discussion of Helen Jewett’s case and Richard P Robinson’s subsequent acquittal shed light on the homosocial aspect of the commercialization of sex and social expectations of manhood. For example, Cohen discussed the contrast between the public displays of violence rampant in many New York City gangs during the 1900s, while describing how working men, such as clerks, engaged in similarly hostile behavior, expecting they did so in private. Cohen talked about how some young men engaged with sex workers and prostitutes, while simultaneously keeping up a ‘clean’ public image by dressing well and working respectable jobs. Furthermore, Cohen emphasized how the public coverage of Jewett’s case shed light on the double standard among men. The homosocial aspect of being socially rewarded for engaging with prostitutes also carried scrutiny if men were too vocal or public about their exploits. (Allisya Smith)

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