A Close Examination of The Moonstone’s Detective Novel Characteristics
Alissa Tarita
English 200C
As compared to today’s interesting infatuation with crime and detective television shows, such as Crime Scene Investigation or Cold Case Files, Wilikie Collins’s novel, The Moonstone, is fascinating as he experimented with a genre that still captivates audiences through such mentioned television programs. The detective narrative is a genre consisting of particular characteristics which usually include an initial crime, assumable suspects, clues to solve the mystery, and finally, a twist that shocks and surprises the audience due to the uncovering of a crucial piece of evidence. It is through this technique that The Moonstone is able to lure in readers to become a part of the crime, becoming investigators themselves.
From the Prologue, the detective narrative focuses its search on a stolen “Yellow diamond” (Collins 1) that went missing the night of June 21st, 1848 (Collins 58). The previous identification of the gem has been described earlier in the novel “as having been set in the forehead of the four-handed Indian God who typifies the moon”(Collins 1). Although the gem was originally robbed from the Indian shrine, the detective narrative focusses on the diamond’s location after it was stolen during the night of Miss Rachel Verinder's birthday. The initial crime takes all of the characters within the household during the disappearance of the diamond and turns them all into suspects. The crime also introduces two crucial characters necessary to solve any mystery: the detectives. First, Superintendent Seegrave, a man with “a fine commanding voice” and “military in his manners”, (Collins 83) was ultimately replaced by yet another detective, Sergeant Cuff, a “renowned and capable character” who had eyes that “when they encountered your eyes, looke[ed] as if they expected something more from you than you were aware of yourself”(Collins 96). These two components of the story, the introduction of the two contrasting detectives and the identification of the suspects, lead the way to the uncovering of valuable clues.
The most exciting part of the detective novel is the opportunity for the audience to participate. Evoked by the revealing of clues, the reader or audience become involved in the detective process as they feel a responsibility to attempt to piece all of the available evidence together and to decide what information is relevant and that which is not. This involvement is intensified in The Moonstone due to Wilikie Collins’s decision to publish the novel in weekly instalments. The audience’s anticipation for the upcoming instalment creates more suspense. The technique of changing the narration from one character to the next further adds to the role of detective, as the reader is able to ‘interview’ or observe multiple perspectives, similar to real-life investigations. All of these fascinating techniques draw in and ultimately transform the regular reader into a determined participant.
The shocker: the ‘who-done-it’ aspect of the novel, the point when the reader holds his breath for a second due to one vital piece of information that brings the novel to its climax. The importance of finding a nightgown that had smeared the door during the time of the robbery would in the end provide that significant piece of evidence that would reveal the perpetrator. When the audience discovers that the name NAME”, upon the nightgown is Franklin Blake’s, “I found the mark, and read – MY OWN a sudden shift occurs (Collins 307). The unexpectedness of the event sends the detective observer into a state of disbelief, almost forcing the reader to look back at past evidence and recreate the crime in accordance to the new information. Again, this captivates the audience further as their judgment is challenged.
After being introduced to the crime, clues and, of course, a thrilling shock, the audience’s detective skills are ultimately put to the test. This opportunity to join in, to question, to look back, to wonder how, who and why, enables audiences to become apart of an exciting and mysterious adventure. It is no wonder that today’s television shows use this technique in order to hook audiences and have them anticipate weekly episodes, similar to Wilikie Collins’ readers. That is why even today the detective narrative continues to thrive, as audiences sit down and join Grissom or Matlock to solve yet another detective case.
Works Cited
Collins, Wilkie. The Moonstone. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
English 200C
As compared to today’s interesting infatuation with crime and detective television shows, such as Crime Scene Investigation or Cold Case Files, Wilikie Collins’s novel, The Moonstone, is fascinating as he experimented with a genre that still captivates audiences through such mentioned television programs. The detective narrative is a genre consisting of particular characteristics which usually include an initial crime, assumable suspects, clues to solve the mystery, and finally, a twist that shocks and surprises the audience due to the uncovering of a crucial piece of evidence. It is through this technique that The Moonstone is able to lure in readers to become a part of the crime, becoming investigators themselves.
From the Prologue, the detective narrative focuses its search on a stolen “Yellow diamond” (Collins 1) that went missing the night of June 21st, 1848 (Collins 58). The previous identification of the gem has been described earlier in the novel “as having been set in the forehead of the four-handed Indian God who typifies the moon”(Collins 1). Although the gem was originally robbed from the Indian shrine, the detective narrative focusses on the diamond’s location after it was stolen during the night of Miss Rachel Verinder's birthday. The initial crime takes all of the characters within the household during the disappearance of the diamond and turns them all into suspects. The crime also introduces two crucial characters necessary to solve any mystery: the detectives. First, Superintendent Seegrave, a man with “a fine commanding voice” and “military in his manners”, (Collins 83) was ultimately replaced by yet another detective, Sergeant Cuff, a “renowned and capable character” who had eyes that “when they encountered your eyes, looke[ed] as if they expected something more from you than you were aware of yourself”(Collins 96). These two components of the story, the introduction of the two contrasting detectives and the identification of the suspects, lead the way to the uncovering of valuable clues.
The most exciting part of the detective novel is the opportunity for the audience to participate. Evoked by the revealing of clues, the reader or audience become involved in the detective process as they feel a responsibility to attempt to piece all of the available evidence together and to decide what information is relevant and that which is not. This involvement is intensified in The Moonstone due to Wilikie Collins’s decision to publish the novel in weekly instalments. The audience’s anticipation for the upcoming instalment creates more suspense. The technique of changing the narration from one character to the next further adds to the role of detective, as the reader is able to ‘interview’ or observe multiple perspectives, similar to real-life investigations. All of these fascinating techniques draw in and ultimately transform the regular reader into a determined participant.
The shocker: the ‘who-done-it’ aspect of the novel, the point when the reader holds his breath for a second due to one vital piece of information that brings the novel to its climax. The importance of finding a nightgown that had smeared the door during the time of the robbery would in the end provide that significant piece of evidence that would reveal the perpetrator. When the audience discovers that the name NAME”, upon the nightgown is Franklin Blake’s, “I found the mark, and read – MY OWN a sudden shift occurs (Collins 307). The unexpectedness of the event sends the detective observer into a state of disbelief, almost forcing the reader to look back at past evidence and recreate the crime in accordance to the new information. Again, this captivates the audience further as their judgment is challenged.
After being introduced to the crime, clues and, of course, a thrilling shock, the audience’s detective skills are ultimately put to the test. This opportunity to join in, to question, to look back, to wonder how, who and why, enables audiences to become apart of an exciting and mysterious adventure. It is no wonder that today’s television shows use this technique in order to hook audiences and have them anticipate weekly episodes, similar to Wilikie Collins’ readers. That is why even today the detective narrative continues to thrive, as audiences sit down and join Grissom or Matlock to solve yet another detective case.
Works Cited
Collins, Wilkie. The Moonstone. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
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