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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
