"The Fall River Axe Murders" by Angela Carter

Early in the morning of the  fourth of August, 
1892, in  Fall River Massachusetts.

Opening to

 "The Fall River Axe Murders" 

by Angela Carter

Did Lizzie Borden take an axe?

Angela Carter examines the character and her situation in "The Fall River Axe Murders."  Her telling of what happened on the day of the crime stops short of the murders. Instead, Ms. Carter looks at Lizzie Borden's life, her family, and what was expected of young women in late 19th century America.  The ways of New England families are Ms. Carter's subject.  Could they lead one young girl to murder her father and step-mother?

It's a fascinating story, one full of more suspense than you'd expect.  It reminded me of a production of Medea C.J. and I saw several years ago starring Fiona Shaw in the title role.  The play's conceit was to set the action in a more modern apartment building with  Medea as an upwardly mobile housewife.  The audience all knows how the play will end, but Ms. Shaw's performance kept us on the edge of our seats the entire time.  We just couldn't quite believe that she would do it.  Not this Medea, this woman loves her husband and her children far too much to go through with it.  She seems a little crazy, and it's clear what she's thinking of doing, but it's also clear she doesn't want to. Right up until the final moments before the murders we all thought this Medea would have a different ending.

Image from Wikipedia

"The Fall River Axe Murders" works the same way.  I expect that when Ms. Carter wrote the story Lizzie Borden's innocence was already established--I believe most historians now agree it was someone else, maybe the minor character Ms. Carter writes out of the script in the opening pages of her story.  But Lizzie Borden's innocence or guilt is immaterial as far as "The Fall River Axe Murders" is concerned.  The question of the crime's cause, what might lead to such an act, are what interests Ms. Carter.

The end result is a terrific short story. One that works as a thriller and as a piece of literature, even as feminist literature.  If you're looking for a break from more difficult feminist reading or if you just want a brief foray into a darker world, "The Fall River Axe Murders" is just the ticket.

Maybe Lizzie Borden didn't take an axe, but she had reason to.