Food for thought- Crimes of Passion

When a man kills the motive is unclear, his victim could be anyone and at times it could be a complete mystery as to why he did it. But when a woman kills, she kills with conviction. When a woman kills, they are often described as “crimes of passion”.

Where did this indication that there had to be a reason for a crime committed by a woman?

People simply did not believe they were capable. During the 1920s it was a time of guns and

glamour. In an article published by The Christian Science Monitor, women were morally superior to men. When a murder was committed by a woman, the story was about how she was the real

victim in the case. With a jury consisting of strictly males, it was not a difficult task to play up

the sympathy card.

“Murderesses Row: Guns, Gams, and Glamour in 1920s Chicago.” The Christian Science Monitor, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Sept. 2010, www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2010/0903/Murderesses-Row-guns-gams-and-glamour-in-1920s-Chicago.