The Situation

The image depicted on page 160 of Harper’s Weekly shows the political unrest in the United States of America at the time of publication. The image shows a canon labelled “congress” pointed at two men. This adds to the idea of domination and ideology as there are some characters within The Moonstone that have the power over others and the ability to point fingers and control the narrative of the “whodunit” story.

Harper’s Weekly takes a clear political stance and critiques Congress’s scapegoating; it is clear from the image depicted as well as articles throughout that critique the president and the ongoing war. The political environment in which The Moonstone was published in the United States of America impacts the reader’s reaction to Rosanna being accused of stealing the diamond. The scapegoating and blaming of characters throughout The Moonstone is replicated in American society at the time as the Civil War. Leighton and Surridge argue that the images are “heightening the text’s sensationalism, complicating its already intricate narrative structure” (207). This is accurate as the sensationalism of the war and conflict and the domination of the American ideology is reflected in The Moonstone as the men in power are able to impose their beliefs and power to blame others for the theft of the stone. The presence of all the political images impacts the theme of The Moonstone and the understanding that those with privilege have the power to scapegoat those without it.

Works Cited

Leighton, Mary Elizabeth and Lisa Surridge. “The Transatlantic Moonstone: A Study of the

Illustrated Serial in Harper’s Weekly.” Victorian Periodicals Review, vol. 42, no.3, 2009,

pp.207-243.