# Fear of the Other in The Black Gang

> Theme guide for The Black Gang by H. C. McNeile.

Foreigners, especially Russians and Eastern Europeans, are depicted as monstrous and inhuman, reflecting xenophobic anxieties about outside influence on Britain.

## Where it surfaces

- [I: In Which Things Happen Near Barking Creek](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_gang_se/chapters/i-in-which-things-happen-near-barking-creek): The negative portrayal of Jewish characters and the Russian Zaboleff reflects xenophobic attitudes of the era.
- [In Which Scotland Yard Sits Up and Takes Notice](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_gang_se/chapters/ii-in-which-scotland-yard-sits-up-and-takes-notice): The suspected house in Barking is associated with 'Red papers' and Bolsheviks, reflecting contemporary anxieties about foreign radicals.
- [VI: In Which an Effusion Is Sent to the Newspapers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_gang_se/chapters/vi-in-which-an-effusion-is-sent-to-the-newspapers): Zadowa's fear of his continental associates and the public's suspicion of the mysterious Black Gang reflect anxieties about foreign and unknown elements.
- [X: In Which Hugh Drummond Makes a Discovery](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_gang_se/chapters/x-in-which-hugh-drummond-makes-a-discovery): The chapter underscores the fear of foreign agents and Bolshevik influence, as the villains are depicted as alien and threatening to British society.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_gang_se/themes/fear_of_the_other
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_gang_se/themes