The Great Fire in Chicago

The instalment in Harper’s Weekly begins off with jarring news about a fire that broke out in Chicago, described as the greatest fire in the city’s history. It discusses past fires by way of highlighting how much more destructive it was in comparison. The article is accompanied by a sketch of the scene which showcases many firefighters attempting to put out a building engulfed in flames, while the public watches a distance away. This news may have shocked readers or turned their moods solemn as they were reminded of past tragedies and shown the conditions of the city.

Going into The Moonstone, the emotional state of the readers then shapes the way that they may read and interpret the text. The seventh instalment introduces the readers to Sergeant Cuff, who is supposed to be a promising detective coming to solve the mystery. However, I believe his peculiar nature would have been flagged down as foolish by readers of this issue of Harper’s Weekly. I think his love of roses could have been construed as silly and foolish in light of the fire as he places his devotion in something of little importance that could be wiped out by fire so easily. Sergeant Cuff would have been mocked by the readers as he expresses his desire to invest his time growing roses after his retirement. He would have been discredited in a way as readers would not have too much faith in his ability as an intelligent detective due to his frivolous nature. 

This may have led readers to lose interest in the text altogether as Sergeant Cuff served as a hook into the solving of the mystery. Moreover, Victorian readers may have been disinclined to read the instalment at all. I think that jarring news such as the Chicago fire provokes a sense of guilt in readers as they indulge in literature whilst others are dealing with dire circumstances. The effect of current events in a periodical may have this effect on readers as they are reminded that literature is just a frivolous waste of time. This goes to show how the surrounding media in Harper's Weekly did not always add nuance to a text in order to cultivate emotion and meaning as Anderman suggests, and may have served to draw readers away from it instead.