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Papers On The Moonstone

Decent Essays

When reading The Moonstone, written by Wilkie Collins, I found myself asking the same question over and over again. What are these characters hiding? That is a key element to a mystery that Collins does magnificently. It is said that The Moonstone is the first true detective novel in the English language. The premise of the mystery is circled around a diamond. A diamond that is “cursed” and has a history of being stolen. This priceless gem is given to Rachel Verinder at her 18th birthday party. That same night it goes missing and the next morning the household is in disarray. The First Period is a narrative of how the events took place by Gabriel Betteredge, the house-steward of Lady Verinder, Rachel’s mother. Betteredge has been working and loyal to Lady Verinder and the household for as long as he has been alive. He treats the family like his own family. His daughter Penelope is Rachel’s maid and is just as loyal as her father. They keep record of what happened in the house and the main events that will hopefully lead up to the finding of this missing gem. In the prologue, there is a description of the mighty jewel, which roots trace back to India. Here, the diamond is sacred and to the Hindu, it belonged to the God of the Moon. John Herncastle, uncle of Rachel and brother to Lady Verinder, was in the British Army and entranced by the tale of the gem. He killed three Brahmin priests who were guarding the stone just to retrieve it. He then brought it back home with him.

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