The Moonstone, Wilkie Collins

Introduction

Sandra Kemp says, "The Moonstone is then as much about a quest for a self as it is about finding the lost gem through salvaging the past. Like the Moonstone itself, which assumes different meanings during the course of the novel, the impressions, feelings, and responses behind the details around which the characters construct themselves, and the objects that compose the subject, are constantly in flux." (3)

In Wilkie Collin’s stories and novels, he seems absorbed in understanding the different correlations of how the dignified and respectable society functioned and how it contrasted with the dishonorable and detestable side of society. Collin’s novels focuses mainly on how respectable men are perceived and behave in society and how underlying secrets come to the surface. These themes presented within Collin’s stories and novels can be very closely related to his own private life. Both his parents were educated and had descended into the social scale of society before they rose by their own efforts. As a result, he did not attend a public school or university and was not apart of the Victorian upper-class network. However, he easily connected with bankers, lawyers, doctors, actors, painters, and writers through his early adulthood. He did not classify himself either inside or outside of the upper class circle.

In “Authors in Context: Wilkie Collins” by Lyn Pykett, she says, “In The Unknown Public, first published in Household Words, 21 August 1858, Collins announced his startling discovery that his previous assumptions about the composition of the reading public were entirely mistaken, and that there were, in fact, two reading publics which inhabited different social worlds, and obtained their reading material in quite different forms and from entirely different kinds of outlets” (72). The form of the novel began to change in the nineteenth century and gave fear to the kinds of issues being presented (adultery and sex) in the novel. The Moonstone was initially a serialized fiction and through this, it became increasingly popular within the middle class. Pykett further states, “Collins’s novels also focus on marriage as a mean of regulating sexuality and explore sexual mores on the fringes of and outside marriage” (77). Collins present many contemporary social issues in The Moonstone that engages with how race and power are perceived in society. By presenting these issues, Collins is investigating the hypocrisies and modes of the ‘respectable’ Victorian society and conjoins it with the evils corrupting society.

The countries the British possessed in 1897.

*British Empire 1897. Digital image. Http://commons.wikimedia.org/. Cambridge University Library, 2 Jan. 2005. Web. 10 May 2011.

All references to information about Wilkie Collins refer to the autobiography "Authors in Context: Wilkie Collins" by Lyn Pykett. (1) Table of Conents

Introduction About the Author Main Characters Discussion Topics Important Quotes Explained Narrative Practices Historical Information

Image Gallery References

An orthoclase-variety moonstone; a Cabochon-cut as fingerring.

*Moonstone. Digital image. http://comm ons.wikimedia.org/. 19 Dec. 2006. Web. 3 May 2011.

For more information about the significance of the Moonstone, please visit: All About the Moonstone Portrait

A portrait of Wilkie Collins.

*Sarony, Napoleon. Wilkie Collins. Digital image. Http://commons. wikimedia.org. 9 Apr. 2006. Web. 10 May 2011.

Biography

Full Name: William Wilkie Collins

Born: 8 January 1824

Died: 23 September 1889

Hometown: London, England

To see other Publications by Wilkie Collins, please visit: Wilkie Collins, The Woman in White

To read The Moonstone online, please visit Google Books.

Characters Gabriel Betteredge - A trusted and loyal house steward for Lady Verinder. He has been with the family for over fifty years and ascended the ladder of servent-hood. He strongly believes he is apart of their family and that it is his duty to look out for their well being. His job is to supervise and administer the other household servants and maintain the welfare of the house. Even though he is considered to be in the lower class, his credentials to Lady Verinder’s family gives him the authority to be apart of the upper class. Throughout the novel, he acts as a significant character that others come to for help and advice during terrible situations.

Penelope Betteredge - Gabriel's daughter. She has been educated and grown up with Lady Verinder's Daughter, Rachel, and now serves as her maid. Her main role in the house is to be of servitude to Rachel. She also expresses the same loyalty to the family as her father, and especially to Rachel. She displays qualities of intelligence and is quick to detect problems occurring in the house. She is very opinionated and is always on the look out for troubles that may arise in the house.

Lady Verinder - The Lady of the House. She is loyal to her family and the servants that are employed in her household. She especially confides in Betteridge of things relating to the household. She has recently become the lady of the house due to her husband’s death. She is warm- hearted and open minded, which is displayed when she hires Rosanna Spearman. She gives Rosanna a chance to prove herself as an honest character and disregards her past of thievery. She is also uneasy about the Moonstone given to her daughter because she is aware of the troubles it will bring. Later on in the novel, her heart disease becomes increasingly worse, which results in her death.

Rachel Verinder - The educated, strong willed, and curious daughter of Lady Verinder. She stands in the middle of the plot, while never giving her own account the mystery. She withholds the knowledge she knows about the diamond, which shows how Collins depicts her as a heroine throughout the novel. Rachel also seems to be unconventional in her Victorian gender roles, such as treating men and women with the same straightforward manner. Franklin Blake - The nephew of Lady Verinder and suitor to Rachel. He's been educated all over Europe. During his stay at Lady Verinder’s house, the moonstone goes missing. He is in love with Rachel and gives up his terrible tobacco addiction to please her. Later on in the novel, it is discovered that during his stay in the house, he had been sleep walking and subconsciously took the Moonstone from Rachel’s room. He did this in a state of worry because he feared it would bring danger to Rachel. He is also the one who had asked the characters to write their narrative and how it related to the disappearance of the Moonstone. He wanted to collect their narratives as a way for him to clear his names of the accusations of stealing the diamond.

An image of opium smoking in the 19th Century.

*Halcombe, Charles J. H. Opium Smoking. Digital image. Http://common s.wikimedia.org. 16 Sept. 2010. Web. 10 May 2011.

Rosanna Spearman - The second housemaid of the house. Rosanna was once a thief, but then repented and joined the Reformatory. After this, Lady Verinder employed her as a servant in her household. Due to her past, she is hesitant to become close to anyone in the house and prefers to keep to herself. She also falls in love with Franklin, even though he barely notices she exists. She had been the one who was able to put all the pieces together and detected Franklin of stealing the Moonstone. She got rid of all the evidence that would lead Sergeant Cuff to Franklin. In the end though, she committed suicide from how horribly she felt she had been treated.

General John Herncastle - In the preface, it is learned that he had fought in the English army in India. He is the original owner of the Moonstone. He had stolen the Moonstone while he was in India and then brought it back with him. Once he came back, he was perceived as being an untrustworthy ignoble man. After his death, he put it in his will to give the diamond to his niece, Rachel. It is implied that he had chosen to do so as a way of getting revenge on his sister, Lady Verinder, for disclaiming him as part of the family. Godfrey Ablewhite - He is a prominent philanthropist and is in charge of many Ladies’ Charity Groups throughout London. He is also one of Rachel’s cousins who seek to have her hand in marriage. After his second proposal, Rachel finally accepts. However, in Ms. Clack’s narrative, she portrays Godfrey as being a suspicious character. It gets discovered later that his only purpose in marrying Rachel was for her money. Once Rachel finds this out, she cancels their engagement.

Drusilla Clack - She is Lady Verinder’s niece, who exemplifies herself as a virtuous and humble Christian. She is also a member of several Ladies’ Charities led by Godfrey. Her main goal in life is to save others from the evilness consuming them. She keeps the Christian pamphlets with her at all times. Even though she and Rachel do not get along at first, after the death of Lady Verinder, Ms. Clack aids Rachel in discovering Godfrey’s true character.

Mr. Bruff - He admires Rachel, Lady Verinder, and Franklin in the highest regard. During the disappearance of the Moonstone, it can be seen how his mind as a lawyer works. He thinks logically and rationally and examines each piece of evidence carefully. He does not believe in thinking imaginatively, which is why he resists Jennings approach in trying to clear Blakes name. He also seems to appreciate how Indians are efficient and diligent in their way of life.

Sergeant Cuff - A famous detective with a penchant for roses. Cuff has a particular way of interrogating that does not put off the people he questions. He believes in innocence until proven guilty. He is very intelligent and manipulates the characters into telling him the answers he seeks. He is described as not looking like a member of the police force due his thin appearance. During the investigation of the Moonstone, the investigation shows how his perspective of detecting the mystery is strikingly unique and intelligent. He, like many other characters, rely on Betteridge and confides in him during the investigation of the Moonstone. At the end of the novel, he has retired from the police force and spends his time breeding roses. Even though he is retired, he has been asked again to help in the disappearance of the diamond.

Dr. Candy - He is the local doctor that Lady Verinder’s family depends on from time to time. He takes great pride in his profession. During Franklin’s stay at the house, Mr. Candy attempts to cure Franklin of his tobacco addiction. He gives him dosages of opium to help him sleep. The night Franklin was discovered sleepwalking was a result of Mr. Candy giving him too high of a dosage of opium. Unfortunately, Mr. Candy is unable to remember any of these events because he became ill during the night of Rachel’s birthday from exposure to the rain. His illness made him incoherent and forgetful to all events prior to her birthday. Ezra Jennings - Dr. Candy's unpopular and odd looking assistant, which causes him to be judged in a bad light by members of the community. His features cause him to look older then he actually is and makes other characters hostile to him. They seem to discredit his work and see no significance in it.The secret mysteries of his past haunt him and he seems to be capable of truly understanding and connecting with others on a deeper level. However, he is very intelligent and approaches life with a scientific perspective. He is also a very logical person, and recreates a successful experiment to prove Franklins innocence. He suffers from an incurable illness and uses opium to control the pain. He eventually dies from this illness. Franklin is truly grateful and appreciative of Jennings's help and reaches out to him as a friend.

An image of an opium pipe. *Riis, Jacob. Opium Pipe. Digital image. Http://commons.wikimedia.org/. 20 Nov. 2007. Web. 10 May 2011.

Mr. Murthwaite - He is a noted adventurer who has traveled frequently to India. He provides the epilogue to the story. With his dark skin and overall appearance, he fits in well with the Indians. He is able to look objectively and tells the family that the Indian visitors were actually after the Moonstone. He possesses a good understanding of why the Indians place a high value on the diamond. His acts as a detective agent for the English and goes to India to spy on their culture. He covertly informs the English of the encounters and secrets he learns there.

Superintendent Seegrave - He is the initial police detective that Lady Verinder hires to detect the disappearance of the Moonstone. He comes off as being imprudent and presumptuous to the members in the household. His method of solving the case is to harshly interrogate the servants, which he believes is how he can get them to cooperate.

Limping Lucy Yolland - She is a close friend to Rosanna. She is a loyal friend to Rosanna even after her death. When Franklin comes to visit her to see if she knows anything about the Moonstone, she is very hostile to him for the way he treated Rosanna. She gives him the letter that Rosanna wrote to him right before she died. In her letter, she explains her story and relation to the Moonstone, which clears her innocency. Mr. Ablewhite and Mrs. Ablewhite - They are the parents of Godfrey Ablewhite. Mr. Ablewhite was a commoner who had married Mrs. Ablewhite for money. Mrs. Ablewhite is portrayed as very lazy around the house. During Rachel’s short engagement to Godfrey, Rachel stays with the Ablewhites’. Once Rachel cancels their engagement, this enrages Mr. Ablewhite and he urges her to reconsider her decsion.

Gooseberry - His real name is Octavius Guy, but he refers to himself as Gooseberry because of his gross, rolling eyes that bulge out from his head. Mr. Bruff hires him and his position in Mr. Bruff's office is to follow anyone who may seem suspicious or related to cases Mr. Bruff is working on. He is very intelligent and alert, which keeps him quick on his feet. He also helps Franklin in following the Indians, but is not quick enough to catch them.

The Indian jugglers - The men disguised as Hindu Brahmins who are determined to recover the diamond. They show up to the house on different occasions, and have been spotted with a flask of black liquid countless times. They want to take back what they believe is rightfully theirs. At the end of the novel, Sergeant Cuff tracks a steamer boat that is connected to the Indians and the Moonstone. While this is happening, Murthwaite witnesses the ceremony the Indians performed in celebration of the homecoming of the moonstone.

A pair of 19th century wood polychromed Indian Clubs

*Sobebunny. Indian Clubs. Digital image. http://en.wikipedia.org. 25 Dec. 2009. Web. 3 May 2011.

A virtual game of investigating the Moonstone.

A production by the BBC Master Theatre of The Moonstone.

To watch the trailer of the film of The Moonstone (1996), please visit Video Detective.

All videos are credited to YouTube.

References

(1)Pykett, Lyn. Wilkie Collins. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2005. Web. 23 Feb. 2011.

(2)Roberts, Lewis. "The Shivering Sands" of Reality: Narration and Knowledge in Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone." Victorian Review 23.2 (1997): pp. 168-183. Print.

(3)Collins, Wilkie, and Sandra Kemp. The Moonstone. London: Penguin, 1998. Print.

(4)Ashley, Robert P. "Wilkie Collins and the Detective Story." Nineteenth-Century Fiction 6.1 (1951): pp. 47-60. Print. Hennelly, Mark M.,Jr. "Detecting Collins' Diamond: From Serpentstone to Moonstone." Nineteenth-Century Fiction 39.1 (1984): pp. 25-47. Print.

(5)Humpherys, Anne. "Generic Strands and Urban Twists: The Victorian Mysteries Novel." Victorian Studies 34.4 (1991): pp. 455-472. Print.

(6)Brantlinger, Patrick. "What is "Sensational" about the "Sensation Novel"?" Nineteenth-Century Fiction 37.1 (1982): pp. 1-28. Print.

(7)Leighton, Mary Elizabeth, and Lisa Surridge. "The Plot Thickens: Toward a Narratological Analysis of Illustrated Serial Fiction in the 1860s." Victorian Studies 51.1 (2008): pp. 65-101. Print.

(8)Kinsey, Danielle C. "KohiNoor: Empire, Diamonds, and the Performance of British Material Culture." Journal of British Studies 48.2 (2009): 391-419. Print.

(9)Jasanoff, M. "Collectors of Empire: Objects, Conquests and Imperial Self- Fashioning." Past & Present 184.1 (2004): 109-35. Print.

This page was created by: Jordan Buettner, Diana Dang, Kelsey Sents, and Peter Gillon in Spring 2011. Themes

(For a better view, go to the bottom of the page)

Herncastle Family Tree

*Herncastle Family Tree. Digital image. Http://wandafulworldofbooks.blogspot.com/. 2010. Web. 3 May 2011.

Knowledge and Reality

The story of the Moonstone is divided into six narratives. Each of these narratives is told by a character who witnessed events relevant to the mystery. None of the narrators, per their editor Franklin Blake's instruction, reveal the significance of their narrative to the outcome of the mystery. There is another disjunct besides that of the narrator's knowledge and his or her narration. In fitting with the detective mode that The Moonstone establishes, the reader's understanding of the importance of various characters, objects, events to the mystery continuously evolves; and so very often there's a large discrepancy between the reader's understanding of the significance of an event and what that significance turns out to be in fact. These successive breaks between understanding and reality are central to The Moonstone’s focus on the limited role that objective knowledge plays in one’s life. Lewis Roberts argues that, in limiting the reader’s accessibility to objective knowledge, The Moonstone expresses that “the alien, the unknowable, the mysterious” are inescapable facts of life and so “necessary components in any realistic narrative”. Without sure objective knowledge to guide them, the characters (in their non-narratological role) and the reader, in attempting to unravel the mystery, make do with whatever reasonable, subjective theories available to them. More often than not, the characters are unable to draw enough meaning out of the objective experience of the mystery-their conversations with other characters, revelations of character or history, and factual discoveries-to unravel the mystery of the Moonstone.

Discussion Questions:

What is the significance of "The Shivering Sands" to the novel's tension between knowledge and reality?

What secrets are buried at "The Shivering Sands"? By which characters are which secrets revealed here?

How do these revelations complicate the narrative in a way that reflects this tension?

All textual evidence refers to "The Shivering Sands" of Reality: Narration and Knowledge in Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone" by Robert Lewis. (2)

Secrets and Manipulation

Manipulation is present throughout the entire novel. The characters manipulate each other. For example, when Betteredge is narrating the story, he believes Rosanna is innocent and is very biased towards her. Therefore, his narrative pushes his opinion off onto the reader. Another example is the way Cuff interrogates the characters. He does not accuse them of anything so they become comfortable and trusting towards him. His style of interrogation allows the characters' to answer to the best of their abilities. Franklin manipulates both the characters and the reader, by narrating his own discovery of being the criminal. By doing that, the reader experiences the shock at the same time he does. The way Franklin does this makes the reader more willing to give him a shot of proving his innocence. He also does this to Rachel by declaring he would not deliberately take the diamond with the wrong intentions. The narrators manipulate the reader as well. Ms. Clack tells the reader over and over how she is such a Christian individual. She portrays herself in only the best of lights. Everything she states has a certain twist of judgment. The introduction section introduces background information to the reader that offers sympathy towards the Indian race, as well as an explanation of why the moonstone is so important and dangerous. This way, the reader doesn't make a snap judgement toward the Indian jugglers, who appear to steal the diamond. They want to steal it, but not because they are criminals, only because they want it back in the rightful owner's hands. The manipulation tactic is great in The Moonstone, and every character does it to some extent. Manipulating the reader is a smart move on Collin's part, because he can then keep the excitement high, as he continuously raises the stakes. Discussion Questions:

In what ways are the characters considered to be reliable? In what ways can the reader distinguish their modes of manipulation?

Throughout all the different characters’ narrations, does this make the reader judge the characters’ less harshly and sympathize more towards them?

Examine the way in how Rachel keeps the secret about the moonstone to herself. How does she divert the attention away from her?

Love and Marriage

Betteridge presents the topic of marriage and describes the process people should use in finding their partner. He does not characterize marriage as either being happy or unhappy, but whether or not they are able to get along. He believes people should observe their partner closely and learn all of their partner's habits. By doing so, people will be able to know how to deal with their partner’s annoying tendencies. He further depicts the marriage between Lady Verinder to Sir John Verinder. He perceives Lady Verinder as being subservient to her husband’s needs. This reflects to his personal views of marriage in understanding that the wife should be subordinate to her husband and is only there to fulfill his desires. If a man can find a woman like this, then he will be satisfied till the day he dies. Moreover, in the relationship between Franklin and Rachel, the relationship seems to emphasize on the idea of self- sacrifice. Franklin has to rid his tobacco addition in order to please Rachel. He does give it up even though it makes him physically and emotionally sick. Their relationship exemplifies the idea of sacrificing one’s own happiness for their loved one.

Discussion Questions:

How does the relationship between Franklin and Rachel differ from Betteridge’s views of marriage?

Does Betteridge’s outlook on marriage hold any significance? Could it be applied to any of their marriages presented in the novel?

Even though Betteridge characterizes Lady Verinder as being subordinate to her husband, how does he portray her as the lady of the house?

Racism and Judgment

Many characters are judged by each other throughout the novel. First, the Indians are negatively portrayed by other characters, who considered themselves among the upper English class. The Inidians get looked down upon and are described as savages - even though the diamond is originally theirs and wrongfully stolen from them. Secondly, Rosanna is wrongly accused of stealing the diamond based on her past crimes of theft. Betteridge explains in his narrative about Rosanna's criminal history. He judges upon her past experiences with theft and by doing so, he makes Rosanna his primary suspect of stealing the Moonstone. Ezra Jennings is also judged for two reasons. The first reason is his odd looking appearance. The second reason is because of his wrongful accusation of criminal activity in the past. Many of the other characters, especially Betteridge, do not respect Jennings's ideas or him as a person. Even though Betteridge is considered in a lower class than Jennings, Betteridge still makes it clear to Jennings that he sees nothing worthy in his character. Furthermore, Ms. Clack judges all of the other characters around her. She judges them based on whether or not they are Christian and judges even more harshly of people if they do not possess any Christian values to her standard. As a result of her intense devotion to Christianity, she too gets portrayed in a negative light from other characters. They see her as being crazy and obsessive. Throughout the novel, the idea of racism and judgment are prevalent and the reader is able to see how all of the characters’ judgments are intertwined. This affects the reading of the story as the reader sees all narratives and points of view. They can then decide for themselves who is being the most honest in their descriptions, and who may be making quick judgements so as not to be fully trusted.

Discussion Questions:

Even though Erza Jennings and Rosanna Spearman were portrayed negatively, how were they able to redeem themselves as honest individuals?

How does Ms. Clack embody the representation of extreme judgment?

Why does Betteridge believe he is able to judge other characters, such as Jennings, despite the fact that he is considered to be in a lower class?

Quotes from The Moonstone Knowledge and Reality

Franklin says to Betteridge, "...the characters of innocent people have suffered under suspicion already - as you know. The memories of innocent people may suffer, hereafter, for want of a record of the facts to which those who come after us can appeal. There can be no doubt that this strange family story of ours ought to be told. And I think, Betteridge, Mr Bruff and I together have hit on the right way of telling it" (21).

Franklin directs Betteridge to tell his narrative and involvement dealing with the Moonstone. This is the way Franklin organizes the way the narratives should be divided. He wants to obtain all of the characters' knowledge of the diamond. These narratives demonstrate what the characters seem to believe is objective about the incidents that occurred during the mystery of the Moonstoone. However, Collins shows the by the end of the novel when the mystery has been discovered, that all of characters have been subjectively narrating and draws the distinction between subjective versus objective. The way Frank has divided the narratives allows for the reality of the mysterious events to come out at the end.

Betteride says, "Let nobody suppose that I have any last words to say here, concerning the Indian Diamond. I hold that unlucky jewel in abhorrence - and I refer you to other authority than mine, for such news of the Moonstone...My purpose, in this place, is to state a face in the history of the family, which has been passed over by everybody, and which I won't allow to be disrespectfully smothered up in that way" (462).

At the end of the novel, Betteridge makes clear to the reader that the narratives have only been used as subjective evidence. In order to obtain the real truth of the mystery, the reader needs to understand the differences between observations and facts. He does not want the narratives to be used as substantial evidence because he does not want it to be "disrespectfully smothered up". This statement also explains Sergeant Cuff's perspective of being innocence until proven guilty. In order to accuse anyone of stealing the Moonstone, one must need objective proof of it.

Secrets and Manipulation

Betteridge describes his interaction with Superintendent Seegrave as,"My answer presenting rather a wide field for Mr Superintendent's suspicions to range over, he tried to narrow it by asking about the servants' characters next. I thought directly of Rosanna Spearman. But it was neither my place nor my wish to direct suspicion against a poor girl, whose honesty had been above all doubt as long as I had known her...It was the Superintendent's business to discover reason for suspecting her first - and then, and not till then, it would be my duty to tell him how she came into my lady's service" (99).

Betteridge hides his knowledge of what he knows about Rosanna Spearman as a way of protecting her. By doing this, he is manipulating the situation in his favor because he does not want to bring harm upon Rosanna. He is hiding information that he knows about her. Also, by describing her as a "poor girl" and being honest, he steers the reader of how to portray Rosanna.

Godfrey says to Miss Clack, "I have become the property of the newspapers, until the gentle reader get sick of the subject. I am very sick indeed of it myself. May the gentle reader soon be like me!" (212).

Godfrey is described by Miss Class, "The heavenly gentleness of his smile made his apologies irresistible. The richness of his deep voice added its own indescribable charm to the interesting business question which he had just addressed to me" (212).

The way Godfrey addresses Miss Clack demonstrates how he both manipulates the reader and Miss Class into understanding his view of the mystery of the Moonstone. By evoking sympathy from Miss Clack, she starts to praise Godfrey's character and sees him as a good person. Her perception of Godfrey then manipulates the reader into believe the goodness in Godfrey's character as well. This one of the examples on how characters' narratives try to both manipulate other people and the reader at the same time. Also, by directly addressing the reader, this catches the reader's attention more and makes the reader want to sympathize for the characters.

Love and Marriage

Betteridge describes Lady Verinder's marriage to Sir John Verinder as, "...Miss Julia married the late Sir John Verinder. An excellent man, who only wanted someone to manage him; and, between ourselves, he found somebody to do it; and what is more, he throve on it, and grew fat on it; and lived happily and died easy on it, dating from the day when my lady took him to the church to be married, to the day when she relieved him of his last breath..." (23).

"I agree with the late William Cobbett about picking a wife. See that she chews her food well, and sets her foot down firmly on the ground when she walks, and you're all right" (24).

Betteride describes his own marriage as, "We were not a happy couple, and not a miserable couple. We were six one and half a dozen of the other...but we always seemed to be getting, with the best of motives, in one another's way... That is married life, according to my experience of it (25).

Betteridge's advises the reader on marriage, "...Try that sort of answer when your wite for your daughter next worries you with an awkward question at an awkward time, and depend on the natural sweetness of a women for kissing and making it up at the next opportunity" (57) "Study your wife closely, for the next four and twenty hours. If your good lady doesn't exhibit something in the shape of a contradiction in that time, Heaven help you! - you have married a monster" (66).

Betteridge presents marriage as a kind of game where sometimes it works out, sometimes it does not, and that you just have to keep trying. He seems to be fairly optimistic on the way he views love and marriage and it is apparent during the first part of the novel that he gives the most commentary on the theme of love and marriage. He seems to hold love to a very high standard and believes in it strongly.

Racism and Judgment

Miss Clack says, "'I thought of the thousands and thousands of perishing human creatures who were all at that moment spiritually ill, without knowing it themselves'" (221).

Miss Clack presents herself as being the most Christian woman and looks down on anyone who do not fit into her Christian values and standards.

"I never see Rachel myself without wondering how it can be that so insignificant-looking a person should be the child of such distinguished parents as Sir John and Lady Verinder...There was an absence of not all ladylike restraint in her language and manner most painful to see" (209).

Erza Jennings is describe as, "It was impossible to dispute Betteredge's assertion that the appearance of Ezra Jennings, speaking from the popular point of view was against him. His gipsy-complexion, his fleshless cheeks, his gaunt facial bones, his dreamy eyes, his extraordinary parti-coloured hair, the puzzling contradiction between his facea nd figure which made him look old and young both together-- were all more or less calculated to produce an unfavourable impression of him on a stranger's mind" (369).

All of these quotations taken from the novel are strict judgements of individuals being held to the standards of the time. Both religion and appearances are being taken into account on how each character views another. Collins displays how all of these characters' judgement is subjectively placed. Even though characters such as Miss Clack and Erza Jennings seem to be put in a negative light, Collins exemplifies the good qualities they have and believes these qualities outshine the harsh judgment that have been placed against them.

All textual evidence refers to Penguin Classics The Moonstone. (3) Back to Top

The Moonstone as a Genre Bender and Definer

The Detective Novel

T.S. Elliot, in expressing the current consensus among many literary critics and writers, considered the Moonstone to be the "first, the longest, and the best of modern English Detective novels" (Hennelly). The Moonstone meets two criteria that many consider definitive of the Detective novel: adherence to the fair-play rule, by which the reader and detective's knowledge are coextensive; and the least-likely- person motif (Ashley,52). Though The Moonstone is the prototypical Detective novel, it is unique among many of them. While most detective stories end with the discovery of the criminal's identity, The Moonstone draws on: it does not end until the way in which the criminal stole the moonstone is explained (Ashley, 52).The Moonstone most fundamentally differs from modern detective novels in the fact that its detective, the endearing Sargent Cuff, does not solve the crime himself. Still, in his eccentricities (such as his passion for rose gardening) and verve in hypothesizing, Sargent Cuff sets the genre's standard of a humanized detective (53). In "Wilkie Collins and the Detective Story" Robert Ashley explains many other ways in which The Moonstone earned its title as first Detective novel.

In modern times, the Detective novel has also been adapted to the screen: television shows such as CSI and Cold Case are popular examples.

Discussion Questions:

How else does The Moonstone resemble the modern detective story?

In what ways are The Moonstone unique among detective stories?

All references refer to "Wilkie Collins and the Detective Story" by Robert P. Ashley" and "Detecting Collins' Diamond: From Serpentstone to Moonstone" by Mark M, Hennelly Jr. (4)

The Mysteries Novel Though Collin's novel lays claim to being the first detective novel, it was not the first mystery novel. "Mysteries" was a very popular genre during the first half of the 19th century, and such works as Reynold's The Mysteries of London and Dickens' Bleak House were famous for the multiple mysteries and crimes bound up in them. The Moonstone and other Detective novels, on the other hand, were focused on a single, grand mystery. In writing on this genre, Humphrey notes that, while mysteries novels were driven by private crimes, "the over-riding mysteries are as public as they come because they concern the abuses of institutions" (455): "the law and the police, the "social services,", philanthropy and poor relief, education, religion, the press, and the modern family" (457). In this respect, The Moonstone proves to be a genre bender. While The Moonstone''s subject of a single mystery separates it from the earlier Mysteries novels, its critiques of British Imperialism, classist views on family, and other social issues such as race identify it with the earlier mysteries genre.

All references refer to "Generic Strands and Urban Twists: The Victorian Mysteries Novel" by Anne Humphreys. (5)

The Sensational Novel

Not only does The Moonstone exhibit features of both the Mysteries and Detective novel, it is a Sensational novel, too. The 1860's, the period in which Collin's was at work on and published the novel, was the peak of popularity for the Sensational novel (Brantlinger, 1). Though there is more variation between Sensational novels then, say, strictly Detective novels, the typical Sensational novel deals with crime and secrets (1). The Sensational novel is also characterized by elements of Gothic romance-a love that revolves around mystery and the supernatural-and stage melodrama (2). While Franklin Blake and Rachel Verinder's love affair is a clear example of Gothic Romance, the theatrics of The Moonstone also identify it with The Sensational novel. The dramatic entrances and exits of the characters is a striking example of such stage melodrama. In their focus on crime and secret, Sensational novelists developed narrative strategies designed to tantalize the reader, to reveal only enough information to excite the reader and move the story forward while withholding the rest. Because of its suspenseful quality, the Sensational novel was exceptionally suited to serialization.

All references refer to "What is "Sensational" about the "Sensation Novel"?" by Patrick Brantlinger. (6)

The Serial Novel

A serial novel is told in installments in sequential issues of a periodical. Depending on its length, a serial novel could be released over a period of several weeks or, more commonly, several months. Consequently, readers followed their novel's characters and their story for a much longer (and more suspenseful) period than do contemporary fiction readers. Many 19th century authors, such as Dickens and Eliot, published their works as serial novels. The Moonstone, too, was published as a serial novel in: first in Charles Dickens' All The Year Around, and then in Harper's Weekly, where it was released in 32 installments. Unlike the All The Year Around edition, the Harper's Weekly edition was illustrated. All of the illustrations were on the first of the three pages that made up each installment. Leighton and Surridge explain study of the 1868 illustrated version featured in Harper's Weekly

Discussion Questions:

How would reading The Moonstone as a serial novel differ from reading it as a complete novel?

Is The Moonstone is so well suited to this publishing format that it suffers in its complete version?

Why might serial novels be less popular now than they were in Collin's time? Is this bad?

All references refer to "The Plot Thickens: Toward a Narratological Analysis of Illustrated Serial Fiction in the 1860s" by Mary Elizabeth and Lisa Surridge. (7)

The Koh-i-Noor Stone and Seringapatam

Wilkie Collins based the story of the moonstone off of an Indian diamond known as Koh-i-Noor that became the property of Queen Victoria. Daniel Kinsey, in his article on the Koh-i-Noor and its relevance to the performance of British material culture, offers this concise introduction to the story of the stone: "Confiscated on behalf of the British crown from the property of the Punjabi maharjah Duleep Singh in 1849, it has been housed with the crown jewels ever since. It was shown as the property of Queen Victoria for the first time in public during the Great Exhibition of 1851" (391). Just as the moonstone had a long, mysterious and bloody past, so did the Koh-i-Noor. By traditional, Indian accounts, the stone was believed to have been mined over 5,000 years ago during the Hindu god Krisna's incarnation (398). Found by a land administrator, the stone soon became the property of a wealthy family. It then changed hands several times through war and conquest until it came into the possession of maharajah Duleep Singh, a leader of the Punjab region (398). The stone was confiscated from Singh by Lord Dalhouse after the army led by Dalhouse captured the Punjab region. Such stories linking the stone to the Hindu god Krisna and to bloody wars sparked rumors that the Koh-i-Noor carried a curse that would harm the Queen. Citing the Illustrated London News 12/23/1848 edition, Kinsey writes: "...the diamond was cursed: all who possessed it would run into ruin..." (400). Even Victoria herself was shaken by this rumor of curse: she informed Lord Dalhousie that she was anxious about the curse (401). Clearly, Collins heavily drew on the portrayal of the Koh-i-Noor as possessing a mysterious and dangerous spiritual spiritual power. Within the context of the Koh-i-noor political situation, readers contemporary to Collins must have understood the novel to be more overtly political than a contemporary is likely to.

In regards to the political significance of the Koh-i-noor, the Queen and her government, at mid-century, attempted to bolster an image of Imperial Britain as a progressive, civilizing world power. As Kinsey puts it, "the language of mid-nineteenth-century imperialism depicted colonial exploitation as ensuring the future of Britain's industrial progress by furthering the civilizing mission." The Koh-i-Noor figured into this recasting of British Imperial power by providing a tangible example of such civilizing: the stone arrived in Britain as dull and uncut, and, under Victoria's auspices, was formed into a refined shape (413). This historical context makes the novel's discussion of cutting the gem into several pieces more explicitly and saliently relevant to the issue of the British "civilizing mission".

The Koh-i-Noor *Ahnode. Koh-i-noor (after 1852). Digital image. Http://commons.wikimedia.org. 29 Mar. 2009. Web. 10 May 2011.

All textual evidence refers to "KohiNoor: Empire, Diamonds, and the Performance of British Material Culture" by Danielle C. Kinsey. (8)

Seringapatam and Its Relation to Koh-i-Noor in the Novel

Maya Jasanoff argues that “whether in museums, exhibitions, shops, theaters or houses, it was through objects that millions of British women and men literally 'saw their empire'” (112). For this reason, Indian objects brought back to Britain, such as gems like the moonstone, defined many British citizens' image of India. As many objects brought from India were antique manuscripts, ornate weapons, or precious gems like the moonstone, India came to be understood as an exotic, mysterious, other-worldly place (111). Collins' use of a stereotypically “Indian” object as the focus of his novel could reflect a marketing sensibility---many people were probably attracted to his novel precisely because it centered on an object that represented India as the mysterious place it had become to be imagined as. One could also read this decision on Collin's part as parodying the mysterious ethos attributed to India. By using the moonstone as the object of a mystery novel, Collins pushed the stereotype of a mysterious India all the way to the literal level. Collins' literal portrayal of “mysterious India” may also have functioned to force readers to confront head-on the cultural images they were imposing on India.

Many objects were pillaged by the British army. One such pillaging event that is relevant to The Moonstone is that of Seringapatam. The prologue, subtitled The Storming of Seringapatam (1799), provides little factual description of the event. Instead, it portrays the commotion and the disturbingly lighthearted hearted soldierly camaraderie of looting (14):

We were each attached to a party sent out by the general's orders to prevent the plunder and confusion which followed our conquest. The camp-followers committed deplorable excesses; and, worse still, the soldiers found their way, by a guarded door, into the treasury of the Palace, and loaded themselves with gold and jewels....There was riot and confusion enough in the treasury, but no violence that I saw. The men (if I may use such an expression) disgraced themselves good-humouredly. All sorts of rough jests and catchwords were bandied about among them; and the story of the Diamond turned up again unexpectedly, in the form of a mischievous joke. "Who's got the Moonstone?" was the rallying cry which perpetually caused the plundering, as soon as it was stopped in one place, to break out in another.

As a point of fact, Collin's description of Seringapatam as housing vast wealth is accurate. The treasure amounted to 1,143, 216 British (currency) pounds---the largest prize ever captured by British soldiers (124). The extent of wealth looted from Seringapatam, as well as the many men killed in battle, made Seringapatam a well-known colonial exploit throughout Britain (123). Jasanoff notes: “[the capture of Seringapatam] inspired at least six plays, a panorama, several paintings, eyewitness accounts and countless prints and pamphlets; and reverberated across the empire as well” (126). Collin's inclusion of the battle of Seringapatam in his novel develops a critique of British colonialism and imperialism in multiple ways. Most obviously, John Herncastle's vicious murder of the Brahmins and theft of the moonstone portray British pillaging practices as savage. However, when one bears in mind the Koh-i-noor, Seringapatam's presence in the novel criticizes in a subtler way. As mentioned in the section on the Koh-i-Noor immediately above, Queen Victoria intended to create the image of a missionary, civilizing empire that would replace the image of Britain as invader that was held by many people of the period. Queen Victoria attempted to frame her ownership of Koh-i-noor accordingly: she treated it as a gift from the ruler to whom it belonged, maharaj Duleep Singh, with whom she had a close relationship with for several years (Kinsey, 394). Within the context of the Queen's attempt to portray her ownership of the stone as not the result of British plundering but rather as India's sign of friendship, Collins' decision to not only include Seringapatam, but to associate it with the moonstone, and therefore with Koh-i-Noor, subverted the efforts of those who would attempt to recast Britain's exploitative activities in India in a more political, pleasing light.

All textual evidence, unless otherwise noted, refers to "Collectors of Empire: Objects, Conquests and Imperial Self-Fashioning" by Mary Jasanoff. (9)

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