Wilkie Collins’s *The Moonstone*: a domestic crime and its scientific solution

The Moonstone revolves around a colonial legacy which disturbs the tranquillity and order of genteel English country life. Collins’s treatment of his material reflects the new scientific developments of his time as well as the search for an alternative to the omniscient narrator of 19th-century realism.

Aims

This course aims to: 

• introduce you to one of the greatest examples of the 19th-century sensation genre
   
• equip you to identify and analyse those elements in the novel which suggest the emergence 
  of the detective as a literary figure
   
• provide literary and historical context which influenced the writing of The Moonstone

Content

Crime is by definition a social issue. The literature of crime is influenced both by the social institutions created to control crime, and by popular perceptions of crime and those social institutions. The Moonstone revolves around what appears to be a domestic crime - the theft of a jewel in a country house. As Collins shows, this theft has reverberations far beyond the domestic circle, linked as it is with the history of the British empire and colonial relations with India. 

Since the establishment of the Metropolitan Police by Robert Peel in 1829 and the addition of a detective force in 1842, the uniformed policeman had become a figure of justice and control in English society, while the fictional detective arrived in literature as a symbol of order. Collins plays with this notion by giving us several different detective figures, each of whom provides a different account of what he (they are all male apart from possibly one character who refuses to reveal hers until very late in the story) thinks has happened. As you read the novel (before the course), and - as the class group addresses specific passages during the course – you are involved in the mystery from the beginning, having to pick up genuine clues while avoiding the pitfalls of misleading red herrings.

Some of the events in this novel have earned it the attribute “sensation,” and - as a class - our discussion of the narrative tricks he employs will include observations on Collins’s use of elements of both sensation and detective fiction. Close reading and discussion of specific passages will also yield insights into his critique of his period’s prevailing social attitudes.

Presentation of the course 

This course will consist of informal lectures with PowerPoint presentations, and you will be encouraged to participate in class discussions. 

Course sessions

1. Domestic Crime and the Emergence of the Detective in 19th-century England
    
2. A Crime at the Heart of the Family
    
3. Class and Gender
    
4. How “Science” Solves the Mystery
    
5. Wilkie Collins’s Innovations

Learning outcomes

You are expected to gain from this series of classroom sessions a greater understanding of the subject and of the core issues and arguments central to the course. 

The learning outcomes for this course are:

• to gain a critical appreciation of literary and historical contexts
   
• to articulate an understanding of the ways in which the novelist indirectly comments on prevailing attitudes and introduces social criticism into his plot
   
• to analyse Collins’s use of different narrators in this text

Required reading

Wilkie Collins, The Moonstone (1868) many paperback editions

Typical week: Monday to Friday 

Courses run from Monday to Friday. For each week of study, you select a morning (Am) course and an afternoon (Pm) course. The maximum class size is 25 students.   

Courses are complemented by a series of daily plenary lectures, exploring new ideas in a wide range of disciplines. To add to your learning experience, we are also planning additional evening talks and events. 

Evaluation and Academic Credit  

If you are seeking to enhance your own study experience, or earn academic credit from your Cambridge Summer Programme studies at your home institution, you can submit written work for assessment for one or more of your courses.  

Essay questions are set and assessed against the University of Cambridge standard by your Course Director, a list of essay questions can be found in the Course Materials. Essays are submitted two weeks after the end of each course, so those studying for multiple weeks need to plan their time accordingly. There is an evaluation fee of £75 per essay. 

For more information about writing essays see Evaluation and Academic Credit. 

Certificate of attendance 

A certificate of attendance will be sent to you electronically after the programme.