Content Warning: The following contains discussion of sexual assault and murder.

On March 13, 1964, Kitty Genovese, a 28-year-old bartender, was sexually assaulted and stabbed to death in Queens, New York. The subsequent trial of her murderer and media reporting of the event inspired the popular understanding of the “bystander effect,” which informs both Millie’s and Wendy’s actions in the novel.

Kitty Genovese had driven her car home and parked at the train station located a hundred feet from the back door of her apartment building. As she approached the building, Winston Moseley, a stranger who saw Kitty pass him on the street, began to follow her. She ran to the front door of the building, but Winston caught up to her and stabbed her twice in the back. Kitty screamed for help and a neighbor called down to Winston to leave her alone. Winston ran off. Kitty stumbled to the back of the building where she wasn’t visible to any potential witnesses. Kitty entered the building but was unable to access the main part of the building due to a locked door. She collapsed on the floor where Winston found her 20 minutes later. Winston stabbed her again, sexually assaulted her, and robbed her.