Oct. 28th Task

Oct. 28th Task

Journalist’s Review of Protagonist



Fall River Then and Now

                             By Brent Brown



BB:  Today I’m talking with Miss Emma Borden, who it’s been recently revealed was the one responsible for our most famous happening—the double axe murder of Andrew and Abby Borden.

Miss Borden, can you tell us why you think you became…well… the person you…ah … became?



EB:  I suppose for the same reasons you became who you are—or anyone else becomes the person they are—their pasts.



BB:  I understand that child molestation has devastating effects, but to become—in effect—a serial killer?



EB:  John Morse was a monster.  What he did to me for several years, before my father stopped him, was unforgivable. 



BB:  But that’s just it—your father did stop him, and yet you began your killing fairly soon after.

EB:  Father did stop my Uncle John from touching me physically again.  But he was always inside me—inside my head.  He was still a welcomed—even honored guest—in our home.  I believe that my mother knew what he was doing the entire time—and simply feigned ignorance later on. 

He should never have been allowed to darken our door again.  Instead he was still Father’s most valued and trusted friend. 

My family betrayed me long before I betrayed them.



BB:  But why take this out on your infant sister, Alice?



EB:  Because Father adored her.  Before she was born I was the most important thing in his world.  Then she came along.  He didn’t seem to notice me any more.  I could say that I didn’t want her to go through want I had endured—but that would be a lie.  She was in my way—so I smothered her.



BB:  And yet you didn’t kill Lizzie when she came along?



EB:  No.  I was ten when Lizzie was born.  She was a cranky, sickly baby.  Perhaps I thought she would die on her own.  Perhaps I liked her.  I know that even as an infant, she liked me—recognized me—responded to me.  I liked that.  And, of course, by that time I had identified the real problem. 



BB:  Which was…?

EB:  Why my mother, of course.  I thought it would be much better to just kill Mother.  That would put an end to more babies and competition, and put me in the catbird seat.  I would be able to raise Lizzie as I saw fit and control Father.



BB:  Then your father’s marriage to Abby Durfee was unplanned?



EB:  Yes, well…it turned out to be very well planned—by Uncle John, as it happened.  Apparently my father had complained to him of needing someone capable of truly running a house and a servant.



BB:  What did you think of the plan?



EB:  Exactly as you think.  I wasn’t happy, but I thought I’d still be able to control Father and Lizzie.  Lizzie was very shy and didn’t like going to Abby.  So, I saw at once how I could manipulate her—and through her—Father.



BB:  So what happened?  How is it you lost control?



EB:  Well, whether I lost control or not is a matter of opinion.  Things were going along…I poisoned Lizzie against Abby and I had ah…shall we say… ah… encouraged dear Uncle John in an new pursuit.  But not before I had made sure she would never tell anyone—not even me.  That was very important, you see. 

I always needed to maintain a ‘plausible denial’ to keep control.  Things went along for four or five years and then I was sent away to school.  I knew at once who was behind it—Uncle John.  He suggested to Father that I wasn’t as pliant and womanly as I should be. 

Abby nearly got a hold on Lizzie then.  I had to do some work then—but it was worth it in the end.  You see, I threatened to tell about Uncle John’s nightly activities.  That’s why he moved west.

You notice that nothing really blew up in the house until he came back east for good.  He return helped agitate Lizzie. 



BB:  How did you manage to get him to help you with the murders and remain silent all the years after?



EB:  I pointed out that no one would believe Bridget or Lizzie had hacked Father and Abby to death—not really.  And I would be away—have an unbreakable alibi.  And that would leave him…



BB:  Did you never have any regrets?  Think about all you had done and wish you had made other choices?



EB:  Only once.  I never should have given Lizzie half of the inheritance and title to the house—then she would never have been able to indulge her desire for frivolity and frills.  And I would have been able to keep my secret forever. 

BB:  Did you ever consider dealing with your sister Lizzie as you had done with the rest of your family?



EB:  Oh, yes.  But I couldn’t.  Then everyone would know it hadn’t been Lizzie.  I was thinking about doing something dramatic—like breaking into my own house with an axe, but then Lizzie became ill and I knew no one would believe she’d come all the way to New Hampshire alone. 

But it would have stirred everything up again—and that would have really upset her.  Oh, well.  Too late now.