A Day in the Life of Lizzie

joe1956 · Post by **joe1956** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 5:29 pm

I understand that not much was known about the daily life of the Bordens before August 4, 1892, but I am fascinated by the daily life of Lizzie before the murders were even a "twinkle" in anyone's eye. What do you think her day was like from the time of waking up in the morning to the time she laid her head down on her pillow at night? Was it like any other Victorian woman's life at that time? Did she have a routine? I would love to read some scenarios concerning a day in the life of Lizzie. Thanks for your thoughts.

snokkums · Post by **snokkums** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 3:20 pm

She was fairlyl active in the temperance moverment. So, I think she would be doing something with that. She also was a Sunday school teacher. So, I think to she would be involved with the church, ladies of the church and the like. There really wasn't anything for a proper young lady to do who didn't graduate high school and wasn't married.

DJ · Post by DJ » Fri Sep 19, 2008 3:39 pm

Well, her basic household responsibilities were minimal-- she didn't have to worry about preparing meals, washing clothes, or keeping any indoor/outdoor area tidy, aside from her bedroom.
Of course, her activities would have been increased on certain days and at certain times. For instance, Sunday-- with church-- would have been a more social-than-normal day. When she received her monthly allowance, she no doubt went out shopping. She could do needlework and liked to read. Apparently, she also liked to daydream, more than most, given her seeming "drifting off" in the presence of others.
Apparently, she sometimes called upon others after dusk, particularly those who were occupied during the day and could not receive her then.
We know, in her post-trial life, that she enjoyed theatricals, rides through the country, traveling (not necessarily all that far), and entertaining at home.
Those passions were doubtless constricted by her home environment and limited funds before the trial.
Her Grand Tour of Europe the year before the murders was probably the highlight of her life to that juncture, and she probably "crashed" badly, back at home, following the "high," doubtless pondering the mundanity of her day-to-day life, which certainly needn't have been so, if only she had the money so she could enjoy the lifestyle she craved.
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One wonders how much she and Emma interacted, to keep each other entertained. One wonders at the dynamics of their relationship. Of course, Emma had departed that summer, her return a question mark.
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It seems that one of Lizzie's predominant problems was that she was afforded a largely idle existence with enormous constraints from both inside her household, and from the prevailing societal constraints from without.
On top of that, she was not afforded a full sampling of the pleasures that could have distracted her from her "constrained idleness."
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If only Mr. Borden had settled something on Lizzie and Emma, allowing them to set up their own household.
I would have done it for the sake of peace and calm.
Perhaps he believed they didn't deserve such a substantial settlement.
Perhaps Lizzie sensed that. Perhaps she had asked.
Recipe for disaster.

snokkums · Post by **snokkums** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 1:56 am

Yes, I agree too. Maybe if Andy would have given them a house or something. Maybe take part in a business with him. Or go to work at one of his banks. Nothing that was really work. You know, a hostess directing people to the shortest teller line, the person that takes care of loans that kind of thing. A bank manager; don't have to do anything, just be there, someone else does the work.

joe1956 · Post by **joe1956** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 10:35 am

I always get the feeling that Lizzie was dying from boredom. Her taste of the good life, the Grand Tour of Europe, planted a seed of how her life could be a lot different. Desperate people will do desperate things. It was either kill herself or kill the one or ones responsible for her captivity. Lizzie had far too much self-esteem to do herself in, so..........August 4, 1892. Lizzie knew she had far too much to live for, and with a few people removed from the scene, she could live the way she wanted. If I were to meet Lizzie (one can have fantasies), I would imagine that she would not be a nice person. She may have warmed up a little as she got older, but when she was younger, watch out...she was not what one would call warm and inviting. Just my rambling thoughts.

DJ · Post by DJ » Sat Sep 20, 2008 12:26 pm

Also, Joe-- she seemed to enjoy certain pets, especially her dogs, in later years. Of course, it's now come to be well known what good "therapy" pets can be, especially to withdrawn and isolated persons. I wonder whether she ever asked to have a dog at No. 92, and was denied--
Andrew got rid of her pigeons. Taking care of pets certainly gave her some sense of responsibility, and certainly provided some occupation to her time and thoughts.
I still think-- just a supposition-- he liked "lording it over his women," and Abby seemed to be the perfect candidate. What if she had been demanding about leading a certain lifestyle? Too bad the three ladies couldn't have ganged up on Andrew, come at him from all directions? Too bad they couldn't have worked together for their "common good" w/in that household.
You know, if I'd been Lizzie or Emma, or even Abby, I would've been livid that he was planning to will property away-- probably money, too.
*Andrew appeared to have a need to control them, even in death.*

DJ · Post by DJ » Sat Sep 20, 2008 12:46 pm

Sorry to double up, but it's a separate thought. Through the decades, women who were undertaxed in responsibilities often entertained frequently in order to break the boredom.
If Lizzie had been able to open up the parlor, have little parties and socials and musicales-- even little parlor theatricals-- as well as games and such, to serve refreshments, then:
She could have been preoccupied in the planning of such, in looking forward to such, in expanding her social milieu, and no doubt being "reciprocated" for her hospitality.
To top it all off, even Emma was quoted (correctly or incorrectly) in at least one newspaper account, as referring to Lizzie as "queer" (in the old sense). I imagine Lizzie was more than a bit of a rebel, in personality and attitude, for her time. Women were taking axes to whiskey barrels and barrooms and saloons-- why shouldn't she lift her blade for her own cause?
If shedunit, I imagine each blow of that hatchet was like a peal from the bell of freedom-- some people die for the cause, and she was obviously reconciled to dying for freedom over dying from boredom.

joe1956 · Post by **joe1956** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 1:50 pm

Thank you DJ. I must say that I really liked your last paragraph (the raising of hatchets...). Well put!

snokkums · Post by **snokkums** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 10:36 am

I, too, think tha European cruise reallly opened her eyes to how she and her family could live. And I think that she just had all that anger built up inside her, so she killed.

Angry at her father for being a tight wad, hatred for her steopmother she just snapped.

kssunflower · Post by **kssunflower** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 11:42 am

DJ @ Sat Sep 20, 2008 12:46 pm wrote: I imagine Lizzie was more than a bit of a rebel, in personality and attitude, for her time.

You made some good points, DJ. I could see Lizzie having a part in the women's suffrage movement then also.

snokkums · Post by **snokkums** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 1:46 pm

You know what I have been wondering? What did she do and get invovled with after the trial.

We know that she really wasn't welcome at the church she used to attend and the temperence movement. So, my question is: What did she do and get invovled with after the trial?

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 3:31 am

It was opined that Lizzie and Emma may have wanted to "set up their own household."
Just some thoughts on this:
Maybe she didn't want her own household. She was brought up in a time where her father was boss, with a capital B. She might not have been as adventuresome or advanced in her social views as that scenario suggests.

Maybe she just wanted an upgrade on what she had, plus no Abbie - but maybe did want her father there. I guess a love/hate relationship with him, especially if she had ceased maturing emotionally in her teens.

When I think of Lizzie becoming a *joiner* in church activities kind of out of the blue, I wonder what motivated her. She must have gotten something out of it- social or personal edification- or maybe she was channeling her anger, sublimating any homicidal tendencies- getting herself out of the house as a primary goal?

[Oh and PS: Her grand tour was in 1890, into the Fall of that year.]

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 3:43 am

We've gone round and round about what Lizzie meant when she claimed a flea may have made that one tiny spot of blood on her underskirt.

Some think it was an euphemism for her period. I've argued against that always- looking for a real flea- a literal flea. We've discussed the horse and the barn, and an old cat maybe brought in fleas- resulting in Lizzie having fleas, as she claimed.
So I ran across this in Agatha Christie's autobiography, page 81, and thought I'd include it. Christie lived from 1890-1976:

She was talking about her dog, and she reminisced that dogs had more fleas in her younger days, more then than *now.* "Perhaps they frequented the stables," and wondered if they played with other dogs with fleas.

If the Borden stable had fleas and whatever cat they had came in with them, that might be another "Day in the Life" aspect of Lizzie Borden and family.