The New York Investigator
The Suspicious Murder by Toni Patterson
Greenwich Village, New York 1954
Last night a man was arrested for the murder of his wife. Lars Thorwald bashed her head, hacked her body into pieces, and dumped them in the East river. It all started when there was a piercing scream followed by dead silence with one neighbor becoming suspicious, L.B. Jefferies. He stayed up watching across and saw Thorwald making several trips to and from his house with a metal suit case in the middle of the night. There was no sign of his wife. Later he is seen cleaning a knife and handsaw. Jefferies kept his eye on him and mentioned everything he saw to his nurse, Stella and his girlfriend, Lisa. He noticed one of the neighbor's dog was digging in the garden and Thorwald shewed him away. Next time the dog was seen it was dead, it had been strangled. Lisa and Stella was with Thorwald when the neighbor found her dog that had been killed. They both grew suspicious and went down to dig where the dog had been digging when Thorwald left. They found nothing but the flowers were different like what ever was there was moved. Lisa took a step further and broke into Thorwald's apartment where she found his wife's wedding ring. Thorwald came home, found her there and started grabbing her. Jefferies called the police. Lisa, still in Thorwald's place pointed at the ring on her hand to show Jefferies she found it as evidence. Thorwald noticed what she was doing, looked across and saw Jefferies. He knew that Jefferies was onto him. When the police took Lisa away, Thorwald then went to Jefferies and tried to kill him by throwing him out of the window. The police saw what was happening when they came back and caught Thorwald. That is when he admitted to everything and was taken to jail.
Feminism in the 1950's vs Now
In the 1950's many women had certain jobs they needed to do and the men had the tough jobs.
Also, women didn't get paid as much as men and were seen lower then men. Women didn't have the right to vote.
Now women can vote, women can work in the field, women get paid on the work and not their gender. Women now have more opportunities.
Of course there are still people who see women lower then men but it's no where close to where it was then.
L. B. Jefferies
Jefferies is a photographer who was injured staying at the Greenwhich apartments. He also has heroic qualities by watching and doing something about his suspensions. He shows how if he gets married then his freedo willbe taken away and there will be nagging, but by the end he seems to not think that way as much. He starts to like Lisa more at the end by how she's daring and helping him.
Lisa Carol Fremont
Lisa is the girlfriend of Jerfferies. She is seen as the stereotypical woman. She is independent, always dressed in expensive clothing with jewelry, pretty much perfect. She has heroic qualities by how shes daring in finding evidence about Thorwald. She kind of changes because she was mad at Jefferies and left him but came back and was loving on him the next day but she seems to have a little bit more control in the relationship.
Stella
Stella is the nurse that takes care of Jefferies. She portrays the women's intuition.
Lars Thorwald
Lars Thorwald is the husband who killed his wife. He seems heartless and sees women as objects. He sees everything as objects and when he's in trouble his way of fixing it is hiding it or killing it like his wife, the dog, attacking Lisa and Jefferies.
Miss Lonely Heart
Miss Lonely Heart is one of the neighbors. She stands for women being lonely. She shows the fact that they need companionship or they could crazy.
Miss Torso
Miss Torso is a neighbor and dancer. Many people would see her as a sex symbol by walking around in tight little clothing.