Stalking Jack the Ripper

“Uncle Jonathan sighed. ‘You’re to come dressed as a boy. And if you so much as utter one word, it will be your first and last time in my classroom. Understand?’”

The fact that Audrey must disguise herself in her uncle’s classroom illustrates that women were not thought to belong in a classroom in late Victorian society; instead, the women’s place was in the home, particular for those from the aristocratic class, like Audrey.

“The boy cleared his throat and stood, confidence pulling his lean shoulders back, as he faced the class instead of my uncle. I narrowed my eyes. He was also quite tall. Could this be the mysterious visitor from last night?”

Thomas’s confidence, bordering on arrogance, is alluded to in the way he answers questions in the forensic medicine class. His decision to address the class with his answer conveys his belief that he is more knowledgeable than his peers; it is implied that he believes that they will learn from his—undoubtedly correct—deduction. Furthermore, Audrey’s interest in Thomas is clear in her analysis of his posture and appearance.

“I believe he was after her organs.”

Uncle Jonathan postulates that Miss Nichols was murdered for her organs due to the nature of the incisions the murderer made on her body. The unknown murderer—at this point known as Leather Apron and Jack the Ripper—shares a macabre interest with Uncle Jonathan, Audrey, and Thomas, in human anatomy, particularly the positioning and composition of internal organs. This sets up a thematic parallel between the killer and the team attempting to solve his crimes. They function as narrative doubles that show both unethical and ethical ways to conduct medical research, respectively.