The Eight Strokes of the Clock · Theme
Crime and Punishment
How The Eight Strokes of the Clock develops Crime and Punishment.
The book explores various forms of criminality, from serial murder (the lady with the hatchet) to kidnapping and theft, with Rénine often meting out his own form of punishment or ensuring that justice is served in unexpected ways.
Where it surfaces
- The Water-Bottle
The chapter details the murder, theft, and the legal proceedings leading to a death sentence.
- IV: The Telltale Film
Dalbrèque is wanted for murder and theft; Rénine helps him evade justice, questioning the morality of punishment.
- V: Thérèse and Germaine
The chapter revolves around the murder of d'Ormeval, the investigation, and the moral culpability of Thérèse and Germaine.
- The Lady with the Hatchet
The chapter details a series of brutal hatchet murders and the investigation to stop the killer, culminating in the revelation of the perpetrator.
- Footprints in the Snow
The murder of Mathias de Gorne and the subsequent investigation into who is responsible.