Perfect Mother or Artist of Obscenity? Narrative and Myth in a Qualitative Analysis of Press Coverage of the Andrea Yates Murders

Abstract

Although numerous studies have examined media portrayals of women, including women as victims of violence, few studies have examined media representations of women who perpetrate violence. This article explores one form of female violence—infanticide. The author conducted a narrative analysis of press coverage of the murder trial of Andrea Yates, a Texas woman who drowned her five children. Analyses revealed the presence of two dominant narratives: the story of the traitor, used to appropriate blame, and the story of the quest, constructed to right a wrong. The author concludes that the Yates stories reinforce traditional notions about femininity—that women are “natural” caretakers— and suggests that journalists and women’s advocates challenge this myth by raising questions about the responsibility of both parents in child care, calling attention to postpartum psychosis as a legitimate illness, and considering ways to help women who are unable or unwilling to care for their children.