The Murders in Praed Street · Theme
Justice and Vengeance
How The Murders in Praed Street develops Justice and Vengeance.
The murders are framed as a form of vigilante justice or execution, with the killer targeting those he believes wrongfully convicted an innocent man, raising questions about the morality of taking the law into one's own hands.
Where it surfaces
- III: The Inquest
The inquest fails to deliver justice, leaving the murder unsolved and the community frustrated. Mr. Copperdock's lingering suspicion of Wal Snyder reflects a desire for retribution.
- XIV: The Morlandson Trial
Morlandson's trial and sentence raise questions about the justice of punishing a mercy killing, and his subsequent death by fire suggests a grim form of cosmic or ironic retribution.
- XVIII: The Avenger
The Black Sailor frames the murders as just executions for the jurors' verdict, highlighting the conflict between legal justice and personal vengeance.
- XXI: An Explanation
The Black Sailor frames his murders as acts of justice, executing Dr. Morlandson's vengeance on the jurymen who condemned him.
- XXIII: The Will
Morlandson's confession frames his murders as acts of divine justice against those who condemned him, blurring the line between righteous punishment and personal vengeance.