Andrea Yates: Mother or Monster Mothers have been thought of as nurturing caregivers. Caregivers who have always done and thought of what is best for their children. Nevertheless, what happens when the nurturing mother becomes the monster? What causes them to undergo such a drastic transformation? Let us look at Andrea Yates. In Houston, Texas Andrea Yates was born on July 2, 1964 and raised as a devout Roman Catholic. Montaldo (2016) reports that Andrea Yates graduated from Milby High School in 1982 with high honors. Yates was involved in extracurricular activities like being captain of her swim team and an officer in the national honor society (p. 1). The mother turned monster then enrolled in the two-year pre-nursing program and
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McLellan (2006) writes what James Wade Rockwell Professor of Philosophy of Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch says in regards to the laws of Texas:
The law of Texas was built around the M’Naughten rule, which developed from a criminal case that had occurred in Britain in 1843, and describes insanity through a two-part test. First, a person is considered insane if through “disease state of the mind” he or she was unaware of the “nature or quality of the act. Second, a person is insane if, the person knew what he or she was doing but they could not tell whether what they were doing was right or wrong. (pg. 1953)
McLellan (2006) writes, “The Mental Health Association of Greater Houston set up the Yates Children Memorial Fund to inform and educate the public on issues that affected the …show more content…
The Andrea Yates Bill was voted in by the Texas legislature in 2003. The bill mandated that all prenatal care providers must inform new mothers of resources. Resources that would be able to help them if they ever found themselves experiencing postnatal depression or other related illnesses. Yates’s attorney called the Yates case as a real eye opener for the nation in regards to mental illness” (pg. 1954). I agree with the attorney’s above description of Yates’s case. When she fell prey to postnatal psychosis, Yates transformed into a monster because she had no one to help her fight the mental illness. Being left to raise five kids while being isolated from the outside world, Andrea felt no one was there to help her and she was left all alone. If Yates had someone there to help her and if she had tried to get out more, she would have remained a mother rather than transforming into a
McLellan (2006) writes what James Wade Rockwell Professor of Philosophy of Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch says in regards to the laws of Texas:
The law of Texas was built around the M’Naughten rule, which developed from a criminal case that had occurred in Britain in 1843, and describes insanity through a two-part test. First, a person is considered insane if through “disease state of the mind” he or she was unaware of the “nature or quality of the act. Second, a person is insane if, the person knew what he or she was doing but they could not tell whether what they were doing was right or wrong. (pg. 1953)
McLellan (2006) writes, “The Mental Health Association of Greater Houston set up the Yates Children Memorial Fund to inform and educate the public on issues that affected the …show more content…
The Andrea Yates Bill was voted in by the Texas legislature in 2003. The bill mandated that all prenatal care providers must inform new mothers of resources. Resources that would be able to help them if they ever found themselves experiencing postnatal depression or other related illnesses. Yates’s attorney called the Yates case as a real eye opener for the nation in regards to mental illness” (pg. 1954). I agree with the attorney’s above description of Yates’s case. When she fell prey to postnatal psychosis, Yates transformed into a monster because she had no one to help her fight the mental illness. Being left to raise five kids while being isolated from the outside world, Andrea felt no one was there to help her and she was left all alone. If Yates had someone there to help her and if she had tried to get out more, she would have remained a mother rather than transforming into a