‘Ripping Yarns: Capturing (not Catching) and Constructing the Myth of Jack the Ripper in Nineteenth Century London’

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