Reasons Of Insanity: Lizzie Borden

Reason Of Insanity For Andrew and Abby Borden, life was ideal. Their daughters flourished in a household that was looked upon as one of happiness, comfort, and love as they taught Sunday School every weekend. Their lives were those that others envy. It was for this reason that outside observers were quite astounded when Lizzie Borden bludgeoned her parents to death with an axe. This goes to show, when faced with untreated illness alongside neglect and abuse by loved ones, the verdict of acquittal in the controversial court case of Fall River vs. Lizzie Borden made sense. When one cannot understand their actions, they cannot be guilty. Society tends to believe that criminals should be punished for their crimes. Surely, because they committed …show more content…
In the 19th century, while technology and medicine was in its infancy, mental illness was seen as otherworldly rather than psychological. In the words of Rodney Porter, “Mental illness reinforced prejudices against patients because it implied segregation between the sick and the well (Porter).” In Victorian families such as her own, these were especially private issues. An example includes the “peculiar spells” and “fits of anger” experienced by Emma at the hands of her mother, Sarah, who likely suffered from bipolar disorder. Claimed by the Lizzie Borden Society, “Bipolar disorder is often hereditary, and it is likely that Lizzie also suffered from it, from all accounts of her personality. The description of her as a child, being quiet, withdrawn, and lacking in confidence, would fit the diagnosis (Lizzie Borden Society).” Sarah may very well have suffered from bipolar disorder, which, having only been discovered forty years prior, would have been unknown and undiagnosed back then. Pairing psychopathy alongside bipolar disorder, believing that Lizzie was not in peaceful state of mind does not seem far-fetched. It is likely that, had Lizzie been evaluated for insanity during her trial, the jury would have acquitted …show more content…
“Psychopathy is believed now to be a genetic predisposition that is influenced by environment, possibly requiring abuse to tip the balance (Naik).” Lizzie always had the capacity for destruction within her, but it was her parent’s abuse and neglect that are directly responsible for her crimes. In the controversial court case of Fall River vs. Lizzie Borden, after considering untreated illness and neglect by her parents, one can see that the acquittal of Lizzie Andrew Borden makes sense on the grounds of not guilty by reason of insanity… Despite being debated and theorized today, this case capitalizes on the concept that the biggest secrets are, and forever will be, embedded in our history. Following her acquittal, Lizzie lived peacefully and happily with her inheritance in Maplecroft, Fall River’s wealthy district, dying alone and unmarried in