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I, Rivière, murdered my mother, sister and brother: a parricide in the 19th century
I, Rivière, murdered my mother, sister and brother: a parricide in the 19th century
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In 1835, in a village in Normandy, France, a 20-year-old young man, Pierre Riviere, coldly murdered his mother, 18-year-old sister, and 7-year-old brother. Then, while in prison, he wrote a memoir defending the entire horrific story.
Michelle Foucault discovered the case while researching the relationship between psychiatry and criminal justice in the 19th century. He collected documents related to the case, including medical and legal testimonies, police records, and Rivière's memoirs, edited them, published them, and brilliantly elaborated them in the book.
He pointed out that the Riviere case occurred at a time when many industries in France were competing for status and power. Medical authorities were challenging the law, and various government departments were fighting openly and secretly. Both legal and psychiatric discourses sought to shroud Rivière's own account of his actions in various power relations, marginalizing his voice as that of a parricide or a madman.
Foucault's reconstruction of the case is a fascinating exploration of the origins of ideas about madness, justice, and crime.
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Michelle Foucault discovered the case while researching the relationship between psychiatry and criminal justice in the 19th century. He collected documents related to the case, including medical and legal testimonies, police records, and Rivière's memoirs, edited them, published them, and brilliantly elaborated them in the book.
He pointed out that the Riviere case occurred at a time when many industries in France were competing for status and power. Medical authorities were challenging the law, and various government departments were fighting openly and secretly. Both legal and psychiatric discourses sought to shroud Rivière's own account of his actions in various power relations, marginalizing his voice as that of a parricide or a madman.
Foucault's reconstruction of the case is a fascinating exploration of the origins of ideas about madness, justice, and crime.
