“Crime, the object with which the penal practice is concerned, has profoundly altered; the quality, the nature, in a sense the substance of which the punishable element is made, rather than its formal definition (Foucault 17).” Originally, the punitive system evaluated crimes based upon juridical code violation. An investigation was conducted to prove the offender’s physical responsibility in the act. But late eighteenth century theoreticians altered the objective of the punitive system. Theoreticians realized the mind is more powerful than the body and that, “The expiation that once rained down upon the body must be replaced by a punishment that acts in depth on the heart, the thoughts, the will, the inclinations (Foucault 16).” Evaluations
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Foucault describes the effects of normalization as ‘imposing new delimitations among the Law, the Word and the Text, Tradition (184).’ In other words, normalization influences the culture of a society. Normalization allows institutions to classify individuals. A normalizing occupation, a job that controls the composition of a society, measures an individual’s compliance to the social norms and determines his fate (Foucault 184). In Chapter I, Nellie Bly presents her goals and mission plan to the reader. The reader quickly learns the importance of the judge in late nineteenth century America. Bly explains that there are only two viable ways to get admitted into Blackwell Insane Asylum; she can feign insanity at a friend’s house and recruit doctors sympathetic to her cause or she can go by way of the police courts (Bly 2). Bly chooses the latter method because it is quicker and more effective (Bly 2). Her method of being processed at the police court is unorthodox as she does not commit a crime nor was she framed for a crime. Rather, Bly gets delivered to the Essex Market Police Courtroom because she feigned insanity at a working women shelter over the loss of her trunks. Some may argue that it is reasonable for Bly to be sent to the court. They believe Bly was sent to report her stolen trunks. But they forget Bly was forced by two police …show more content…
The format of the dialogue is conventional as it is investigative. However, the form and type of questioning used is unconventional. Judge Duffy begins by asking Bly her name. Bly responds, “Nellie Brown. I have lost my trunks, and would like if you could find them.” The judge responds, “When did you come to New York (Bly 10)?” The judge displays prejudice when he asks Nellie when she came to New York. He assumes Nellie is a poor immigrant woman who just recently came to New York through Ellis Island. It’s interesting how the judge immediately classifies Nellie and places her in a hierarchy based off of homogenous social norms. Immigrants and women were of low socio-economic status in the late nineteenth century. Women did not even have the right to vote until the nineteenth amendment was ratified in 1919. Nellie replies, “I did not come to New York.” The judge does not listen to her response, rather, he engages in conversation with the police officers about Nellie’s accent (Bly 11). The judge then consults with the assistant matron of the working women shelter, Mrs. Stanard, who came with Nellie (Bly 11). He asks her, “What do you know about this child?” Mrs. Stanard replies by discussing Nellie’s personality (Bly 12). A judge is supposed to disavow any circumstantial evidence, but instead, Judge Duffy entertains it. Judge Duffy continues to classify Nellie by
Foucault describes the effects of normalization as ‘imposing new delimitations among the Law, the Word and the Text, Tradition (184).’ In other words, normalization influences the culture of a society. Normalization allows institutions to classify individuals. A normalizing occupation, a job that controls the composition of a society, measures an individual’s compliance to the social norms and determines his fate (Foucault 184). In Chapter I, Nellie Bly presents her goals and mission plan to the reader. The reader quickly learns the importance of the judge in late nineteenth century America. Bly explains that there are only two viable ways to get admitted into Blackwell Insane Asylum; she can feign insanity at a friend’s house and recruit doctors sympathetic to her cause or she can go by way of the police courts (Bly 2). Bly chooses the latter method because it is quicker and more effective (Bly 2). Her method of being processed at the police court is unorthodox as she does not commit a crime nor was she framed for a crime. Rather, Bly gets delivered to the Essex Market Police Courtroom because she feigned insanity at a working women shelter over the loss of her trunks. Some may argue that it is reasonable for Bly to be sent to the court. They believe Bly was sent to report her stolen trunks. But they forget Bly was forced by two police …show more content…
The format of the dialogue is conventional as it is investigative. However, the form and type of questioning used is unconventional. Judge Duffy begins by asking Bly her name. Bly responds, “Nellie Brown. I have lost my trunks, and would like if you could find them.” The judge responds, “When did you come to New York (Bly 10)?” The judge displays prejudice when he asks Nellie when she came to New York. He assumes Nellie is a poor immigrant woman who just recently came to New York through Ellis Island. It’s interesting how the judge immediately classifies Nellie and places her in a hierarchy based off of homogenous social norms. Immigrants and women were of low socio-economic status in the late nineteenth century. Women did not even have the right to vote until the nineteenth amendment was ratified in 1919. Nellie replies, “I did not come to New York.” The judge does not listen to her response, rather, he engages in conversation with the police officers about Nellie’s accent (Bly 11). The judge then consults with the assistant matron of the working women shelter, Mrs. Stanard, who came with Nellie (Bly 11). He asks her, “What do you know about this child?” Mrs. Stanard replies by discussing Nellie’s personality (Bly 12). A judge is supposed to disavow any circumstantial evidence, but instead, Judge Duffy entertains it. Judge Duffy continues to classify Nellie by