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Capturing (not Catching) the Ripper: Constructing the Myth of Jack the Ripper in Nineteenth Century London

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Storey, John Capturing (not Catching) the Ripper: Constructing the Myth of Jack the Ripper in Nineteenth Century London. In: The Making of British Popular Culture. Routledge. (Submitted)

Item Type: Book Section

Abstract

The chapter approaches Jack the Ripper as a fictional rather than historical figure within the context of late nineteenth century popular culture. Adopting three lines of enquiry, the work firstly examines the role of the London press on manufacturing and popularizing the Ripper. It then examines the ways in which the Ripper can be read as part of a tradition of sensational gothic literature, from his roots in penny dreadfuls to his influence on later literary works such as Sherlock Holmes and Dracula. Lastly, the chapter examines the ways in which the Ripper can be read within the context of Whitechapel, becoming a symbol for ‘outcast London’. The work provides ways of reading the Ripper without becoming tangled in the actual crimes or ever-growing list of suspects and conspiracy theories.

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More Information

Depositing User: John Paul Green

Identifiers

Item ID: 5691
URI: http://sure.sunderland.ac.uk/id/eprint/5691

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Catalogue record

Date Deposited: 02 Sep 2015 08:14
Last Modified: 02 Jul 2019 09:10

Contributors

Author: John Storey

University Divisions

Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries > School of Media and Communications

Subjects

Media > Media and Cultural Studies

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