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Paper #2: Gothic Detection



“If he be Mr. Hyde...I shall be Mr. Seek” (Stevenson 14).

I: In 1890, the Metropolitan Police Service of London moved to a larger location to better meet the needs of growing crimes throughout the metropolis. They called this location New Scotland Yard, and “Scotland Yard” became synonymous with police activity in London (and still is). The late 19th century is an age of unspeakable crimes from the unsolved Whitehall Mystery to the murders of “Jack the Ripper.” Only by expanding their activity and changing how they understood the nature of “evil” could Scotland Yard hope to keep one step ahead of the criminal masterminds of London. What an exciting time to join the police force…which you have, by the way!

Q: Prove that Victor Frankenstein and Henry Jekyll are criminals through their “confessions” (the books) even though both have been exonerated of their crimes! Imagine that you are investigating two “cold cases,” that of Victor Frankenstein and Dr. Henry Jekyll. In both cases, the accused were exonerated: Frankenstein was killed by a “monster,” while Jekyll was murdered by one Mr. Hyde, also deceased. But after reading through their confessions (the books), you realize that the true criminals were never brought to justice. You know that Victor Frankenstein and Henry Jekyll are both murderers and evil geniuses of a high order, and you think you have enough evidence through their unreliable narration (and the narration of their accomplices, Walton, Utterson, Lanyon) to prove it. Use your close reading techniques to analyze and examine both cases to prove that both share the same ‘criminal mindset,’ and uncover the true nature of their crimes beneath a spider’s web of secrets and subterfuge. What crimes did they commit? When? Upon whom? How were the secrets kept?

R: A good police officer never goes it alone, so enlist some help in your cause. I want you to find at least TWO articles/documents that discuss either Frankenstein or Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and use them in your paper as evidence. Imagine that these are other officers who have investigated the crime, and use their insights and evidence to help you underline the guilt of Victor and Henry. These must be either academic articles or primary source documents that you can quote in your paper as evidence against the accused. I will discuss how to find these documents and give you some suggestions in class.

  • The report of your findings should be approximately 4-5 pages long, but more is acceptable
  • You must discuss both works in your report, and make connections between the two; use one case to shed light on the other—Jekyll might be a ‘copycat killer’ after all
  • Quote from the stories as evidence (close read) and use examples from the articles as well; document everything according to MLA format
  • Due Friday, March 16th by 5pm (last day before Spring Break!)

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