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Class Privilege and Its Afterlife

American Woman

This flow traces how Pauline’s wealth shapes her confinement, public image, legal consequences, and eventual return to social protection.

increasingupBearing stren­gth in each eventdowndecreasing
The Heiress’s CaptureThe Heiress’s Capture from "American Woman". The Heiress’s Capture Wealth as a Target The cadre chooses Pauline partly for the symbolic force of her family name and wealth.
The Heiress’s Capture Wealth as a Target The cadre chooses Pauline partly for the symbolic force of her family name and wealth. Her privilege makes her valuable to the kidnappers, but does not protect her from the immediate terror of captivity. A Family on Display The kidnapping transforms an elite private crisis into a national spectacle.
The Family’s ResponseThe Family’s Response from "American Woman". The Family’s Response Managed Generosity Pauline’s family funds a food program in response to the cadre’s demand, presenting itself as willing but constrained.
The Family’s Response Managed Generosity Pauline’s family funds a food program in response to the cadre’s demand, presenting itself as willing but constrained. The family’s resources allow it to stage a public response while directing its terms and limits. Sympathy Reordered Coverage increasingly casts the wealthy family as the injured party and the poor as a problem to manage.
A Legacy of EstatesA Legacy of Estates from "American Woman". A Legacy of Estates Wealth Made Visible Anne Casey traces Pauline’s family through vast homes built and maintained on a scale beyond ordinary experience.
A Legacy of Estates Wealth Made Visible Anne Casey traces Pauline’s family through vast homes built and maintained on a scale beyond ordinary experience. The estates expose how wealth creates private worlds, while their histories remain selectively preserved. Inherited Protection The family’s social resources continue to shape how Pauline’s behavior is interpreted.
The Trial’s Unequal MeaningThe Trial’s Unequal Meaning from "American Woman". The Trial’s Unequal Meaning Punishment and Restoration Pauline is convicted of robbery but is released after serving less than two years.
The Trial’s Unequal Meaning Punishment and Restoration Pauline is convicted of robbery but is released after serving less than two years. Her arrest and conviction become another difficult episode that she can survive without losing the social protection attached to her class. A Contrast with Jenny Jenny sees how a harsher symbolic judgment can fall on her even when her formal sentence is lighter.
A Wedding on TelevisionA Wedding on Television from "American Woman". A Wedding on Television The Public Return Jenny watches Pauline emerge from a church wedding in a news report, dressed in a cloud of white fabric.
A Wedding on Television The Public Return Jenny watches Pauline emerge from a church wedding in a news report, dressed in a cloud of white fabric. The image presents a return to conventional life without explaining what Pauline has lost or retained. The Old Story Persists Celebrity offers the appearance of closeness while keeping the real person inaccessible.
At the start of the kidnapping
February and March 1974
During Anne Casey’s reporting
After Pauline’s conviction
After Pauline’s release