HOW THE JUDITH WALKOWITZ INTERPRET THE RIPPER MURDERS

Introduction

In the 1880’s London was divided by social classes that were in constant opposition. According to Walkowitz, the West End was inhabited by the middle class who were prosperous, displayed chivalry, and their women had education, political space and liberty. East End, which included Whitechapel, housed the low class, criminals and prostitutes and it was here that “Jack the Ripper”, a faceless murderer killed and mutilated prostitutes. What intrigued everybody was the chilling methods, targeting of women prostitutes, and how he eluded detection in a crowded district like Whitechapel. Did the media escalate events to a national drama? According to the author, Londoners were baffled and the media over sensationalized the whole saga and turned a crime into a social drama.[1] Judith Walkowitz premises that the media bungled the search for the Ripper and turning him into a folk hero, evoked anti-Semitic prejudices, male chauvinism, and violation of women’s dignity.[2] The media played a big role in the escalation of events during and after the serial murders.

Role of Media in the Murders

All the victims were women prostitutes who were sidelined and socially marginalized by menfolk. The murders however galvanized women into speaking up about the issues. They contributed to the debate in the media with their own versions of the events in form of snippets and gossip. According to the author, while feminist groups defended prostitution and highlighted the dangers they faced in their work, the media collected facts and rumors from women, rephrased them into a male-perspective, encouraged readers to twist the story with their own perspectives and generate a whole new sensation, laced with truths and lies.[3]

Five murders occurred in ten weeks occurred in Whitechapel, which was a low class, densely-populated area, den for thieves, prostitutes, and other outcasts, and best ignored by the upper class of West End except for amorous youths who occasionally visited the East End for flings and orgies. To the keen newspaper reader, Whitechapel was the perfect setting for a Jack the Ripper episode. From the author’s perspective, it was the media that propped the stories to national limelight and gripped the whole nation.[4] Newspapers portrayed victims as dirty and diseased social vermin who deserved to die, a position which the author considered to be gender violence.[5]

The Ripper’s method was clean and surgical like a doctor’s or a butcher’s, which was admired by anonymous persons who would send letters to the media houses claiming to be the real Jack the Ripper. The author blames the media for accepting such sensationalizing and being unsympathetic to the victims and their families[6]. It was only medical experts, coroners, friends and relatives who seemed to show sanity at the inquests. Police investigations were hampered by the media which created suspects such as street mobs and a Jewish serial killer. Police searched for a suspicious, demented, nervous, middle aged character, and that could be a cobbler, butcher, idler, sailor, or any male in East End.[7] The author was disappointed by the media behavior, even though it helped to capture the attention of Scotland Yard.

Role of Media in Anti-Semitism and Racism

An anti-Semitic media identified the Ripper as a faceless, foreigner with distinctive Jewish looks, who wore a “leather apron”, had a sinister look in the eye, and stalked women late at night; they implied the suspect was a certain Jew by the name John Pizer.[8] The imputed suspect feared for his life and turned himself into the police to protest his innocence and avoid lynch mobs. Newspapers claimed an Englishman could not commit such heinous crimes, and placated Jews as ritual murderers. Consequently, media-fueled racism led to riots in which English youths beat and robbed Jews as a retribution for the murdered prostitutes. Even after the police exonerated Pizer, media continued to discredit him as the “Leather Apron” murderer.[9] The author’s feeling was that the media was racism and biased.

The West End media also created its own Semitic suspect after a Vienna correspondent linked the Ripper actions to a religious edict requiring that a Jew who had sexual relations with a Christian must kill her in order to atone his sin, as exemplified in the case of Ritter who murdered a Christian girl. Consequently, police started targeting Jews amidst protests by Anglo-Jewish leaders. Police also suspected Jewish revolutionaries, but the same police had to later protect Jews against mobs.[10] Matters complicated further when victims number three and four were murdered outside a Jewish club as they held a political meeting and on Goulston Street in the Jewish settlements. An anti-Semitic message was chalked on a wall next to the body. The English public and the press were incensed by the police for erasing the message. The author feels positively about the police action, as did the Jewish community,[11] but blames the press for being racist and biased.

Role of Media in the Crimes of Passion

Another journalist introduced sexual motive to the Ripper mystery when he compared it with the fictitious story and play of the double life Dr. Jekyll the urbane doctor and Mr. Hyde, his other identity of a sexual pervert and murderer. The Ripper and Dr. Jekyll were both savage, bloodthirsty, and indulged in immorality.[12] The journalist even suggested that the Ripper was an amiable, middle-class gentleman by day but a vile murderer by night. The play was acted in the West End in the same month the murders began, leading some people to accuse the main actor of being the Ripper because he acted the part so convincingly. Even if he was not, the play encouraged vile activities and so it was abruptly stopped.[13]  The author appears to applaud the journalist as a voice of reason amongst a hostile press.

A doctor suggested the Ripper was a sexually depraved, lustful and sadistic person, who was sick. Men had a high sexual appetite leading to perversion, homicidal-mania and pathological sadism, which he associated more with the upper class. He was probably a mad cultist doctor, given the surgical manner in which he slaughtered the victims. The author noted that the media now accused the medical fraternity of harboring occultists and murderers.[14]

Role of Media in Gender-Based Violence

A motley of vigilantes and self-styled detectives including a banker, doctors, and West Enders joined the hunt for the Ripper, turning the whole exercise into a circus.[15] The victims were ordinary East Enders and a housemate of the last victim described her life style and last customer as a well-to-do West Ender with Jewish looks. Some people blamed the victims for their own sinful lifestyles, others saw them as victims of society and criminals. Some men, including reputable persons, started to act like the Ripper in the streets and domestic incidents of women being threatened with “Whitechapel” treatment increased. Women were intimidated into staying at home while vigilantes harassed those in the streets.[16] In the view of the author, media published these atrocities in a way that glorified perpetrators, while courts treated offenders leniently.

Conclusion

The author made a strong case against the role of the media throughout the text by describing their actions rather than accusing them directly. The media acted irresponsibly when they promoted public anger, vengeance and male chauvinism.

Bibliography

Walkowitz Judith, City of Dreadful Delight, Chicago, Chicago University Press, 1982.

---

[1] Judith Walkowitz, City of Dreadful Delight (Chicago, Chicago University Press, 1982), 191.

[2] Ibid. 192

[3] Ibid

[4] Ibid, 193.

[5] Ibid, 198

[6] Ibid

[7] Ibid, 202

[8] Ibid, 203

[9] Ibid, 204

[10] Ibid, 205

[11] Ibid

[12] Ibid, 206

[13] Ibid, 207

[14] Ibid, 211

[15] Ibid, 212

[16] Ibid, 218