The most beautiful suicide.

"The most beautiful suicide."(Andy Warhol)

In May 1974 Life magazine dedicated their front page to 23 year old Evelyn Mchale, the image shows Mchale lay on a limousine, with her legs crossed clutching onto her pearls. The image looks as though it is staged due to the posed placement of the figure. The image is still one of the most famous images of suicide not only because of the beauty that the photo holds but due to the mystery of the suicide, the cause of Mchales suicide is still unknown it is clear to see that she has fallen but was it suicide or was she pushed?

 The suicide note was reported in “Girl Who Leaped to Death Planned Wedding in Troy.” The Times Record (Troy, NY). 2 May 1947: 1,17. The striked sentences were crossed out by Evelyn.

“I don’t want anyone in or out of my family to see any part of me. Could you destroy my body by cremation? I beg of you and my family – don’t have any service for me or remembrance for me. My fiance asked me to marry him in June.  I don’t think I would make a good wife for anybody. He is much better off without me. Tell my father, I have too many of my mother’s tendencies.”⁸





I find Mchales suicide note interesting as it is helping me to find a way to approach the writing part of my project, as I am undecided whether I will write short stories or suicide notes. The note gives an insight as to why the Mchale may have been driven to suicide, it seems as though the suffering become unbearable and Mchale feels as though  death would relieve herself and feels a burden to others much like Joiners theory.