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====== Unregulated Youth: Masculinity and Murder in the 1830s City By: Patricia Cline Cohen ======

The relationship between young clerks and the prostitutes they frequented offered an illusion of a domestic relationship. Upper-class prostitutes, with whom young bourgeois men were expected to show a level of fidelity to in their relationship, gave these men emotional and sexual comfort, and even performed domestic services for them, in return for this fidelity. In a way, just as these prostitutes performed services similar to wives for these men, these clerks performed services similar to husbands with the money they provided to the prostitute. These men were not socially or financially established enough for a wife of their own, so for many, a relationship with a prostitute who was willing to perform at least some more "wifely" duties was attractive in this stage of their life; furthermore, in this era, upper-class prostitutes had a measure of independence due to their income and their lack of a legal husband. (Nick Thodal)

===== Masculine Subcultures & the Context of the Helen Jewett Murder =====

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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

Cohen puts particular emphasis on the differences between the young ruffians and the clerks in her description of the reactions to Jewett's murder and the subsequent trial of Richard Robinson, who was ultimately acquitted. Cohen describes how, since violence towards and resentment of higher status sex workers had a class element, the reaction to her murder was also divided by class, though possibly in unexpected ways. A gang formed by lower class men which claimed to support Jewett likely were influenced by their opposition to the clerks rather than genuine care for Jewett's suffering. The clerks, in turn, were overwhelmingly supportive of Robinson, a fellow clerk, even elevating him to an almost celebrity status (complete with a mob of fans on one occasion). (Cameron Spivy)


===== Homosocial Masculinity, Double Standards, and Injustice =====

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)

The concept of erotic male bonding as something positive is interesting to conceptualize because instead of the men bonding with each other through other means, they chose to bond over a shared woman. This idea is unique because it almost shows that manhood cannot be achieved without a woman as a dependent variable. This notion is reinforced when men would use aliases to reduce recreational exposure to protect reputations and conceal relationships from women. The combination of sharing women and concealment fosters the revelation that manhood is expressed through means of risk, sex, and secrecy. (Reiley Gibson)