Bobby Frank Trial Essay

Words: 577
Pages: 3

1) What is basic narrative of the crime and the trial? Who were Leopold and Loeb?
Nathan Leopold, and Richard Loeb were two university students in Chicago part of wealthy Jewish family that were accused of murdering a fourteen year old boy named Bobby Frank in 1924 (Churchill, D., 2009 pg.287 &289). Bobby Frank, just as Nathan Leopold, and Richard Loeb were from the south side of Chicago, and came from wealth Jewish parents (Churchill, D., 2009 pg.287 &289). During the trial the prosecutor mostly focused on the relationship that Leopold, and Loeb had, as well as portraying them as deviants, perverts, and implying that they were homosexual (Churchill, D., 2009 pg.289 & 303). The trial was linked to homosexuality do to the view that being a homosexual was a deviant act, and also
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During the twentieth century those who were Jewish had to face an array of prejudice from others in America do to them practicing Judaism, and because of just being born Jewish (Churchill, D., 2009 pg.288). Nathan Leopold, and Richard Loeb were accused of not just being homosexuals during the trial, but also being deviants, this is important because during this time sexual deviancy was matched to those who were Jewish (Churchill, D., 2009 pg.288). The people of the twentieth century had a bias against Leopold, and Loeb from the start just because of their pre-conceived notions do to their ethnicity, race and religion (Churchill, D., 2009 pg.288 & 289). In the end Leopold, and Loeb murdering Bobby Frank, and stripping him naked advanced the views of many American that those who were Jewish were indeed sexual deviants (Churchill, D., 2009 pg.288, 289 & 297).

3) How did people understand sexuality and sexual identity during the 1920s? How does it compare to historical periods before and after the 1920? How did the crime and trial affect ideas of