Chapter I

“The illustrations could be taken in at a glance, before readers ever started looking at the letterpress” (211). Leighton and Surridge argue that the illustrations found in Harper’s Weekly set readers’ expectation of the narrative to follow, thus leading to a different reading than the narrative presented without images. On the page represented below, Rachel and Mr. Bruff are depicted within the top image, and Mr. Bruff and an Indian are depicted in the bottom image. Immediately, the reader’s eye is drawn to these pictures rather than the text, thus the reader is already informed on what this narrative will be representing. Instead of imagining their own depiction of the narrative, they are forced to adopt the perception of the artist through the presentation of the image. In this way, they are forced to adopt the same reading of the artist in order to fully understand the narrative. In fact, the domination the images hold over the page have the ability to alter the reading completely. It is stated in The Moonstone that Mr. Bruff is a close confidant of the Verinders, but the image of him strolling closely arm-in-arm with Rachel, combined with his statement that he “was at the bottom” of breaking off her engagement suggests a different kind of intimacy. Especially since the rest of the text on this page is dedicated to how Mr. Bruff discovered the information needed in order for this engagement to dissolve. As well, the bottom image is a preview of the text to come, and places a high importance on Mr. Bruff’s dealing with the Indian, giving away a part of the mystery. In this way, the images represented effect the reading of the text.

Works Cited

Harper’s Weekly: A Journal of Civilization. Harper & Brothers, 1868, New York, p. 309.

Leighton, Mary Elizabeth, and Lisa A. Surridge. “The Transatlantic Moonstone: A Study of the Illustrated Serial in Harper's Weekly.” Victorian Periodicals Review, vol. 42, no. 3, 2009, p. 211.